Hi Maria -
I think you already have a likely answer, but here's another one which I
have observed many times:
Temperature differences. If your crystallization plate is moved from
one temperature to another (lab vs. crystal incubator), or even if it's
left on the bench but the lab temperature varies overnight, you can get
a temperature difference between your reservoir solution and the rest of
the crystallization chamber. This can cause water condensation on the
cover slip, which will dilute a hanging drop (and even a sitting drop if
it's high enough up) and cause things to dissolve.
The solution to this one is just careful control of the crystal plate
environment. The same is true after the crystals are done growing - you
can lose an entire drop of nice crystals from taking the plate out of
the incubator to look at it under the microscope!
Hope that helps,
Matt
On 5/2/14 7:39 AM, dusky dew wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> I am trying to crystallize a protein with Adenosine. My protein is in
> 20 mM Tris, 300 mM NaCl and the crystals appear in a condition with 5
> percent PEG8K, 0.1 M Sodium Cacodylate. The protein is incubated with
> adenosine for 1/2 hr before setting the drop. The crystals appear
> right after the drop is set but unfortunately they dissolve overnight.
> The plate is kept at 16 degree.
>
> Could anyone elaborate on this. Is it possibly occurring because
> Adenosine has stability issues.
>
> Thanks for your suggestions.
> ~ Maria
>
>
--
Matthew Franklin, Ph. D.
Senior Scientist
New York Structural Biology Center
89 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10027
(212) 939-0660 ext. 9374
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