Effect of Microwaves on Microtubule Structure and Function probed by Light and X-ray Scattering
Abstract
We are constantly exposed to radiation in some form or another from our environment. High frequency electromagnetic radiation, including ultraviolet light and X-rays, cause damage to living organisms due to ionization events. Microwaves are known to cause heating and may also induce non-thermal effects in living organisms. It is therefore important to distinguish between thermal and non-thermal effects of microwave radiation and provide evidence for their biological effect. In this thesis we use light scattering to show that microwaves have a non-thermal functional effect on a protein complex called microtubules, which are biological nanotubes that stretch for several microns in length in eukaryotic cells. We also use X-ray scattering to measure whether or not microwaves cause a structural perturbation to microtubules in solution. Finally, this thesis examines the potential of coherent diffractive imaging at an X-ray free electron laser for single-particle imaging of biological fibres, including microtubules.
Parts of work
PAPER I:Rajiv Harimoorthy, Guo Chen, Peter Berntsen, Greger Hammarin, Per Widlund, Christer Stoj†, Helena Rodilla, Jan Svenson, Gisela Brändén, Richard Neutze ‘’Microwave radiation induces non-thermal acceleration of microtubules’’. Submitted PAPER II: Amit Sharma, Peter Berntsen, Roberto Appio, Rajiv Harimoorthy, Jennie Sjöhamn, Michael Järvå, Alexander Björling, Greger Hammarin, Richard Neutze. ‘’ A simple adaption to protein crystallography station to facilitate difference WAXS studies’’. Submitted PAPER III: Rajiv Harimoorthy*, Greger Hammarin*, Alexandr Nasedkin, Christer Stoj†, Daniel Sarabi, Giorgia Ortolani, Ana Diaz, Viviane Lutz-Bueno, Roberto Appio, Jan Swenson, Andreas Menzel, Gisela Brändén, Richard Neutze. ‘’Microwave induced structural perturbations within microtubules’’ Manuscript PAPER IV: Popp D, Loh ND, Zorgati H, Ghoshdastider U, Liow LT, Ivanova MI, Larsson M, DePonte DP, Bean R, Beyerlein KR, Gati C, Oberthuer D, Arnlund D, Brändén G, Berntsen P, Cascio D, Chavas LMG, Chen JPJ, Ding K, Fleckenstein H, Gumprecht L, Harimoorthy R, Mossou E, Sawaya MR, Brewster AS, Hattne J, Sauter NK, Seibert M, Seuring C, Stellato F, Tilp T, Eisenberg DS, Messerschmidt M, Williams GJ, Koglin JE, Makowski L, Millane RP, Forsyth T, Boutet S, White TA, Barty A, Chapman H, Chen SL, Liang M, Neutze R, Robinson RC. ‘’Flow-aligned, single-shot fiber diffraction using a femtosecond X-ray free-electron laser’’. ::doi:: 10.1002/cm.21378 PAPER V: Gisela Brändén, Greger Hammarin, Rajiv Harimoorthy, Alexander Johansson, David Arnlund, Erik Malmerberg, Anton Barty, Stefan Bäckström, Peter Berntsen, Daniel P.DePonte,Caroline Seuring, Tomas A. White, Francesco Stellato, Richard Bean, Kenneth Beyerlein, Cornelius Gati, Dominik Oberthüer, Marvin Siebert, Marc Messerschmidt, Garth J. Williams, N. Duane Loh, Henry Chapman, Peter Zwart,Mengning Liang, Sébastian Boutet, Robert Robinsson, Richard Neutze ‘’Coherent Diffractive Imaging of Microtubules using XFEL radiation’’ Manuscript
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
University
University of Gothenburg,Faculty of Science
Institution
Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology ; Institutionen för kemi och molekylärbiologi
Disputation
kl 09:00 i hörsal Ivan Östholm, Institutionen för kemi och molekylärbiologi, Medicinaregatan 13, Göteborg
Date of defence
2018-03-09
rajiv.harimoorthy@chem.gu.se
Date
2018-02-15Author
Harimoorthy, Rajiv
Keywords
Microwaves
Microtubule
Light Scattering
X-ray Scattering
Publication type
Doctoral thesis
ISBN
978-91-629-0457-9 (PDF)
978-91-629-0456-2 (PRINT)
Language
eng