The title compound, [Fe(C4H8O)4(H2O)2][Fe4Ga4(C2H6O2Si)Cl4(CO)15]·4C4H8O, consists of an iron(II) cation octa­hedrally coordinated by two water mol­ecules (trans) with four tetra­hydro­furans (THF) at equatorial sites. Two additional THF mol­ecules are hydrogen bonded to each of the water mol­ecules. The dianion of the title compound is an organometallic butterfly complex with a dimethyl siloxane core and two iron-gallium fragments. The lengths of the iron to gallium metal–metal bonds range from 2.3875 (6) to 2.4912 (6) Å.

In the title compound, [Co(C8H6N3O2)Cl(C2H5OH)]n, the CoII atoms adopt octa­hedral trans-CoN2O4 and tetra­hedral CoCl2O2 coordination geometries (site symmetries overline{1} and m, respectively). The bridging μ3-O:O:N 2-(benzotriazol-1-yl)acetato ligands connect the octa­hedral cobalt nodes into (010) sheets and the CoCl2 fragments link the sheets into a tri-periodic network. The structure displays O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding and the ethanol mol­ecule is disordered over two orientations.

The title compound, [RuGa2Cl6(C7H8)(CO)2] or [(CO)2(GaCl2)(η6-toluene)Ru]+[GaCl4]−, was isolated from the reaction of Ga2Cl4 with di­phenyl­silanediol in toluene, followed by the addition of Ru3(CO)12. The compound contains a ruthenium–gallium metal–metal bond with a length of 2.4575 (2) Å.

In the title salt, [ZnCl(C23H30N4)]NO3, the central ZnII atom of the complex cation is coordinated in a square-pyramidal arrangement by four nitro­gen atoms from cyclen (1,4,7,10-tetra­aza­cyclo­dodeca­ne) in the basal plane and one chlorido ligand in the apical position. The anthracene group attached to cyclen contributes to the crystal packing through inter­molecular T-shaped π inter­actions. Additionally, the nitrate anion participates in inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds with cyclen.

The title compound, (C2H10N2)2[(C10H12N2O8)(MoO3)2]·4H2O, which crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group, was obtained by mixing molybdenum oxide, ethyl­enedi­amine and ethyl­enedi­amine­tetra­acetic acid (H4edta) in a 2:4:1 ratio. The complex anion contains two MoO3 units bridged by an edta4− anion. The midpoint of the central C—C bond of the edta4− anion is located on a crystallographic inversion centre. The independent Mo atom is tridentately coordin­ated by a nitro­gen atom and two carboxyl­ate groups of the edta4− ligand, together with the three oxo ligands, producing a distorted octa­hedral coordination environment. In the three-dimensional supra­molecular crystal structure, the dinuclear anions, the organo­ammonium counter-ions and the solvent water mol­ecules are linked by N—H⋯Ow, N—H⋯Oedta and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

A new neutral triazole-based N-heterocyclic carbene rhodium(I) complex [RhCl(C8H12)(C8H15N3)], has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The complex crystallizes with two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. The central rhodium(I) atom has a distorted square-planar coordination environment, formed by a cyclo­octa-1,5-diene (COD) ligand, an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand, and a chlorido ligand. The bond lengths are unexceptional. A weak inter­molecular non-standard hydrogen-bonding inter­action exists between the chlorido and NHC ligands.

The title compound, [Ru(C12H14NO2)Cl(η6-C6H6)], exhibits a half-sandwich tripod stand structure and crystallizes in the ortho­rhom­bic space group P212121. The arene group is η6 π-coordinated to the Ru atom with a centroid-to-metal distance of 1.6590 (5) Å, with the (S)-2-(4-isopropyl-4,5-di­hydro­oxazol-2-yl)phenolate chelate ligand forming a bite angle of 86.88 (19)° through its N and phenolate O atoms. The pseudo-octa­hedral geometry assumed by the complex is completed by a chloride ligand. The coordination of the optically pure bidentate ligand induces metal centered chirality onto the complex with a Flack parameter of −0.056.

A new, cationic N-heterocyclic carbene RhI complex with a tetra­fluorido­borate counter-anion, [Rh(C8H12)(C8H15N3)(C18H15P)]BF4, has been synthesized and structurally characterized. There are two independent ion pairs in the asymmetric unit. Each complex cation exhibits a distorted square-planar conformation around the RhI atom. Bond lengths and bond angles are as expected for an Rh–NHC complex. There are several close, non-standard C—H⋯F hydrogen-bonding inter­actions between the ions. One of the tetra­fluorido­borate anions shows statistical disorder of the F atoms.

The reaction of nickel(II) chloride with 3-meth­oxy­aniline yielded di­chlorido­tetra­kis­(3-meth­oxy­aniline)nickel(II), [NiCl2(C7H9NO)4], as yellow crystals. The NiII ion is pseudo-octa­hedral with the chloride ions trans to each other. The four 3-meth­oxy­aniline ligands differ primarily due to different conformations about the Ni—N bond, which also affect the hydrogen bonding. Inter­molecular N—H⋯ Cl hydrogen bonds and short Cl⋯Cl contacts between mol­ecules link them into chains parallel to the b axis.

The title compound, C10H8BrN3OS2, a brominated di­thio­carbazate imine deriv­ative, was obtained from the condensation reaction of S-methyl­dithio­carbazate (SMDTC) and 5-bromo­isatin. The essentially planar mol­ecule exhibits a Z configuration, with the di­thio­carbazate and 5-bromo­isatin fragments located on the same sides of the C=N azomethine bond, which allows for the formation of an intra­molecular N—H⋯Ob (b = bromo­isatin) hydrogen bond generating an S(6) ring motif. In the crystal, adjacent mol­ecules are linked by pairs of N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming dimers characterized by an R22(8) loop motif. In the extended structure, mol­ecules are linked into a three-dimensional network by C—H⋯S and C—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds, C—Br⋯S halogen bonds and aromatic π–π stacking.

In the hydrated title salt, (C10H8NO2)2[SnCl6]·2H2O, the tin(IV) atom is located about a center of inversion. In the crystal structure, the organic cation, the octa­hedral inorganic anion and the water mol­ecule of crystallization inter­act through O—H⋯O, N—H⋯O and O—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, supplemented by weak π–π stacking between neighboring cations, and C—Cl⋯π inter­actions.

The title structure, {[Cu(C4H11NO)3][Cu4(CN)6]·[Cu(C4H10NO)2(H2O)]·H2O}n, is made up of diperiodic honeycomb CuICN networks built from [Cu4(CN)6]2− units, together with two independent CuII complexes: six-coord­inate [Cu(CH3CH2CH(NH2)CH2OH)3]2+ cations, and five-coordinate [Cu(CH3CH2CH(NH2)CH2O)2·H2O] neutral species. The two CuII complexes are not covalently bonded to the CuICN networks. Strong O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the CuII complexes into pairs and the pairs are hydrogen bonded into chains along the crystallographic b axis via the hydrate water mol­ecule. In addition, O—H⋯(CN) and N—H⋯(CN) hydrogen bonds link the cations to the CuCN network. In the honeycomb polymeric moiety, all bridging cyanido ligands are disordered over two orientations, head-to-tail and tail-to-head, with occupancies for C and N atoms varying for each CN group.

The title coordination polymer, [Co(N3)2(C9H8N2)]n, was synthesized solvothermally. The CoII atom exhibits a distorted octa­hedral [CoN6] coordination geometry with a bidentate 8-amino­quinoline ligand and four azide ligands. Bridging azide ligands result in chains extending along [100]. N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds join the chains to give an extended structure with sheets parallel to (002).

The title compound, [Ag2(C19H20N2)4]Cl·0.5C2H4Cl2, can be readily generated by treatment of (1-benzyl-3-(2,4,6-tri­methyl­phen­yl)imidazolium chloride with sodium bis­(tri­methyl­sil­yl)amide followed by silver chloride. The mol­ecular structure of the compound was confirmed using NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystal structure of the title compound at 110 K has monoclinic (P21/c) symmetry. The represented silver compound is of inter­est with respect to anti­bacterial properties and the structure displays a series of weak inter­molecular hydrogen-bonding inter­actions with the chloride counter-anion.

The title compound, [Ir(C15H10N)2(C19H12N4)]PF6·CH3OH, crystallizes in the C2/c space group with one monocationic iridium complex, one hexa­fluorido­phosphate anion, and one methanol solvent mol­ecule of crystallization in the asymmetric unit, all in general positions. The anion and solvent are linked to the iridium complex cation via hydrogen bonding. All bond lengths and angles fall into expected ranges compared to similar compounds.

The title compound, [Ru(C12H14NO2)2(C12H8N2)]PF6 crystallizes in the tetra­gonal Sohnke space group P41212. The two bidentate chiral salicyloxazoline ligands and the phenanthroline co-ligand coordinate to the central RuIII atom through N,O and N,N atom pairs to form bite angles of 89.76 (15) and 79.0 (2)°, respectively. The octa­hedral coordination of the bidentate ligands leads to a propeller-like shape, which induces metal-centered chirality onto the complex, with a right-handed (Δ) absolute configuration [the Flack parameter value is −0.003 (14)]. Both the complex cation and the disordered PF6− counter-anion are located on twofold rotation axes. Apart from Coulombic forces, the crystal cohesion is ensured by non-classical C—H⋯O and C—H⋯F inter­actions.

A new triazole-based N-heterocyclic carbene IrI cationic complex with a tetra­fluorido­borate counter-anion and hemi-solvating di­chloro­methane, [Ir(C8H12)(C8H15N3)(C18H15P)]BF4·0.5CH2Cl2, has been synthesized and structurally characterized. There are two independent ion pairs in the asymmetric unit and one di­chloro­methane solvent mol­ecule per two ion pairs. The cationic complex exhibits a distorted square-planar conformation around the IrI atom, formed by a bidentate cyclo­octa-1,5,diene (COD) ligand, a tri­phenyl­phosphane ligand, and an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC). There are several close non-standard H⋯F hydrogen-bonding inter­actions that orient the tetra­fluorido­borate anions with respect to the IrI complex mol­ecules. The complex shows promising catalytic activity in transfer hydrogenation reactions. The structure was refined as a non-merohedral twin, and one of the COD mol­ecules is statistically disordered.

The title di­thio­carbazate imine, C11H11N3OS2, was obtained from the condensation reaction of S-methyl­dithio­carbazate (SMDTC) and 5-methyl­isatin. It shows a Z configuration about the imine C=N bond, which is associated with an intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond that closes an S(6) ring. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairwise N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds generate R22(8) loops. The extended structure features C—H⋯S contacts as well as reciprocal carbon­yl–carbonyl (C=O⋯C=O) inter­actions.

Three structurally diverse 5-phenyl­tetra­zolato (Tz) Ti, Zr, and Ta com­plexes, namely, (C2H8N)[Ti2(C7H5N4)5(C2H6N)4]·1.45C6H6 or (Me2NH2)[Ti2(NMe2)4(2,3-μ-Tz)3(2-η1-Tz)2]·1.45C6H6, (1·1.45C6H6), [Zr2(C7H5N4)6(C2H6N)2(C2H7N)2]·1.12C6H6·0.382CH2Cl2 or [Zr2(Me2NH)2(NMe2)2(2,3-μ-Tz)3(2-η1-Tz)2(1,2-η2-Tz)]·1.12C6H6·0.38CH2Cl2 (2·1.12C6H6·0.38CH2Cl2), and (C2H8N)2[Ta2(C7H5N4)8(C2H6N)2O]·0.25C7H8 or (Me2NH2)2[Ta2(NMe2)2(2,3-μ-Tz)2(2-η1-Tz)6O]·0.25C7H8 (3·0.25C7H8), where TzH is 5-phenyl-1H-tetra­zole, have been synthesized and structurally characterized. All three com­plexes are dinuclear; the Ti center in 1 is six-coordinate, whereas the Zr and Ta atoms in 2 and 3 are seven-coordinate. The coordination environments of the Ti centers in 1 are similar, and so are the ligations of the Ta centers in 3. In contrast, the two Zr centers in 2 bear a different number of ligands, one of which is a bidentate η2-5-phenyl­tetra­zolato ligand that has not been observed previously for d-block elements. The di­methyl­amido ligand, present in the starting materials, remained un­changed, or was converted to di­methyl­amine and di­methyl­ammonium during the synthesis. Di­methyl­amine coordinates as a neutral ligand, whereas di­methyl­ammonium is retained as a hy­dro­gen-bonded entity bridging Tz ligands.

In this study, we report the results of continuous rotation electron diffraction studies of single DyPO4·nH2O (rhabdophane) nanocrystals. The diffraction patterns can be fit to a trigonal lattice (P3121) with lattice parameters a = 7.019 (5) and c = 6.417 (5) Å. However, there is also a set of diffuse background scattering features present that are associated with a disordered superstructure that is double these lattice parameters and fits with an arrangement of water mol­ecules present in the structure pore. Pair distribution function (PDF) maps based on the diffuse background allowed the extent of the water correlation to be estimated, with 2–3 nm correlation along the c axis and ∼5 nm along the a/b axis.

Lanthanide ions have ideal chemical properties for catalysis, such as hard Lewis acidity, fast ligand-exchange kinetics, high coordination-number preferences and low geometric requirements for coordination. As a result, many small-molecule lanthanide catalysts have been described in the literature. Yet, despite the ability of enzymes to catalyse highly stereoselective reactions under gentle conditions, very few lanthanoenzymes have been investigated. In this work, the mononuclear binding of europium(III) and gadolinium(III) to the active site of a mutant of the model enzyme phosphotriesterase are described using X-ray crystallography at 1.78 and 1.61 Å resolution, respectively. It is also shown that despite coordinating a single non-natural metal cation, the PTE-R18 mutant is still able to maintain esterase activity.

Type VII secretion (T7S) systems, also referred to as ESAT-6 secretion (ESX) systems, are molecular machines that have gained great attention due to their implications in cell homeostasis and in host–pathogen interactions in mycobacteria. The latter include important human pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the etiological cause of human tuberculosis, which constitutes a pandemic accounting for more than one million deaths every year. The ESX-5 system is exclusively found in slow-growing pathogenic mycobacteria, where it mediates the secretion of a large family of virulence factors: the PE and PPE proteins. The secretion driving force is provided by EccC5, a multidomain ATPase that operates using four globular cytosolic domains: an N-terminal domain of unknown function (EccC5DUF) and three FtsK/SpoIIIE ATPase domains. Recent structural and functional studies of ESX-3 and ESX-5 systems have revealed EccCDUF to be an ATPase-like fold domain with potential ATPase activity, the functionality of which is essential for secretion. Here, the crystal structure of the MtbEccC5DUF domain is reported at 2.05 Å resolution, which reveals a nucleotide-free structure with degenerated cis-acting and trans-acting elements involved in ATP binding and hydrolysis. This crystallographic study, together with a biophysical assessment of the interaction of MtbEccC5DUF with ATP/Mg2+, supports the absence of ATPase activity proposed for this domain. It is shown that this degeneration is also present in DUF domains from other ESX and ESX-like systems, which are likely to exhibit poor or null ATPase activity. Moreover, based on an in silico model of the N-terminal region of MtbEccC5DUF, it is hypothesized that MtbEccC5DUF is a degenerated ATPase domain that may have retained the ability to hexamerize. These observations draw attention to DUF domains as structural elements with potential implications in the opening and closure of the membrane pore during the secretion process via their involvement in inter-protomer interactions.

Serial crystallography, born from groundbreaking experiments at the Linac Coherent Light Source in 2009, has evolved into a pivotal technique in structural biology. Initially pioneered at X-ray free-electron laser facilities, it has now expanded to synchrotron-radiation facilities globally, with dedicated experimental stations enhancing its accessibility. This review gives an overview of current developments in serial crystallography, emphasizing recent results in time-resolved crystallography, and discussing challenges and shortcomings.

The Azotobacter vinelandii FeSII protein forms an oxygen-resistant complex with the nitrogenase MoFe and Fe proteins. FeSII is an adrenodoxin-type ferredoxin that forms a dimer in solution. Previously, the crystal structure was solved [Schlesier et al. (2016), J. Am. Chem. Soc. 138, 239–247] with five copies in the asymmetric unit. One copy is a normal adrenodoxin domain that forms a dimer with its crystallographic symmetry mate. The other four copies are in an `open' conformation with a loop flipped out exposing the 2Fe–2S cluster. The open and closed conformations were interpreted as oxidized and reduced, respectively, and the large conformational change in the open configuration allowed binding to nitrogenase. Here, the structure of FeSII was independently solved in the same crystal form. The positioning of the atoms in the unit cell is similar to the earlier report. However, the interpretation of the structure is different. The `open' conformation is interpreted as the product of a crystallization-induced domain swap. The 2Fe–2S cluster is not exposed to solvent, but in the crystal its interacting helix is replaced by the same helix residues from a crystal symmetry mate. The domain swap is complicated, as it is unusual in being in the middle of the protein rather than at a terminus, and it creates arrangements of molecules that can be interpreted in multiple ways. It is also cautioned that crystal structures should be interpreted in terms of the contents of the entire crystal rather than of one asymmetric unit.

The interpretation of cryo-EM maps often includes the docking of known or predicted structures of the components, which is particularly useful when the map resolution is worse than 4 Å. Although it can be effective to search the entire map to find the best placement of a component, the process can be slow when the maps are large. However, frequently there is a well-founded hypothesis about where particular components are located. In such cases, a local search using a map subvolume will be much faster because the search volume is smaller, and more sensitive because optimizing the search volume for the rotation-search step enhances the signal to noise. A Fourier-space likelihood-based local search approach, based on the previously published em_placement software, has been implemented in the new emplace_local program. Tests confirm that the local search approach enhances the speed and sensitivity of the computations. An interactive graphical interface in the ChimeraX molecular-graphics program provides a convenient way to set up and evaluate docking calculations, particularly in defining the part of the map into which the components should be placed.

Eukaryotic TIR (Toll/interleukin-1 receptor protein) domains signal via TIR–TIR interactions, either by self-association or by interaction with other TIR domains. In mammals, TIR domains are found in Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytoplasmic adaptor proteins involved in pro-inflammatory signaling. Previous work revealed that the MAL TIR domain (MALTIR) nucleates the assembly of MyD88TIR into crystalline arrays in vitro. A microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) structure of the MyD88TIR assembly has previously been solved, revealing a two-stranded higher-order assembly of TIR domains. In this work, it is demonstrated that the TIR domain of TLR2, which is reported to signal as a heterodimer with either TLR1 or TLR6, induces the formation of crystalline higher-order assemblies of MyD88TIR in vitro, whereas TLR1TIR and TLR6TIR do not. Using an improved data-collection protocol, the MicroED structure of TLR2TIR-induced MyD88TIR microcrystals was determined at a higher resolution (2.85 Å) and with higher completeness (89%) compared with the previous structure of the MALTIR-induced MyD88TIR assembly. Both assemblies exhibit conformational differences in several areas that are important for signaling (for example the BB loop and CD loop) compared with their monomeric structures. These data suggest that TLR2TIR and MALTIR interact with MyD88 in an analogous manner during signaling, nucleating MyD88TIR assemblies uni­directionally.

During the automatic processing of crystallographic diffraction experiments, beamstop shadows are often unaccounted for or only partially masked. As a result of this, outlier reflection intensities are integrated, which is a known issue. Traditional statistical diagnostics have only limited effectiveness in identifying these outliers, here termed Not-Excluded-unMasked-Outliers (NEMOs). The diagnostic tool AUSPEX allows visual inspection of NEMOs, where they form a typical pattern: clusters at the low-resolution end of the AUSPEX plots of intensities or amplitudes versus resolution. To automate NEMO detection, a new algorithm was developed by combining data statistics with a density-based clustering method. This approach demonstrates a promising performance in detecting NEMOs in merged data sets without disrupting existing data-reduction pipelines. Re-refinement results indicate that excluding the identified NEMOs can effectively enhance the quality of subsequent structure-determination steps. This method offers a prospective automated means to assess the efficacy of a beamstop mask, as well as highlighting the potential of modern pattern-recognition techniques for automating outlier exclusion during data processing, facilitating future adaptation to evolving experimental strategies.

Fatty acid-derivative prodrugs have been utilized extensively to improve the physicochemical, biopharmaceutical and pharmacokinetic properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients. However, to our knowledge, the crystallization behavior of prodrugs modified with different fatty acids has not been explored. In the present work, a series of paliperidone aliphatic prodrugs with alkyl chain lengths ranging from C4 to C16 was investigated with respect to crystal structure, crystal morphology and crystallization kinetics. The paliperidone derivatives exhibited isostructural crystal packing, despite the different alkyl chain lengths, and crystallized with the dominant (100) face in both melt and solution. The rate of crystallization for paliperidone derivatives in the melt increases with alkyl chain length owing to greater molecular mobility. In contrast, the longer chains prolong the nucleation induction time and reduce the crystal growth kinetics in solution. The results show a correlation between difficulty of nucleation in solution and the interfacial energy. This work provides insight into the crystallization behavior of paliperidone aliphatic prodrugs and reveals that the role of alkyl chain length in the crystallization behavior has a strong dependence on the crystallization method.

The discovery of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), a family of copper-dependent enzymes that play a major role in polysaccharide degradation, has revealed the importance of oxidoreductases in the biological utilization of biomass. In fungi, a range of redox proteins have been implicated as working in harness with LPMOs to bring about polysaccharide oxidation. In bacteria, less is known about the interplay between redox proteins and LPMOs, or how the interaction between the two contributes to polysaccharide degradation. We therefore set out to characterize two previously unstudied proteins from the shipworm symbiont Teredinibacter turnerae that were initially identified by the presence of carbohydrate binding domains appended to uncharacterized domains with probable redox functions. Here, X-ray crystal structures of several domains from these proteins are presented together with initial efforts to characterize their functions. The analysis suggests that the target proteins are unlikely to function as LPMO electron donors, raising new questions as to the potential redox functions that these large extracellular multi-haem-containing c-type cytochromes may perform in these bacteria.

The large Bunyavirales order includes several families of viruses with a segmented ambisense (−) RNA genome and a cytoplasmic life cycle that starts by synthesizing viral mRNA. The initiation of transcription, which is common to all members, relies on an endonuclease activity that is responsible for cap-snatching. In La Crosse virus, an orthobunyavirus, it has previously been shown that the cap-snatching endonuclease resides in the N-terminal domain of the L protein. Orthobunyaviruses are transmitted by arthropods and cause diseases in cattle. However, California encephalitis virus, La Crosse virus and Jamestown Canyon virus are North American species that can cause encephalitis in humans. No vaccines or antiviral drugs are available. In this study, three known Influenza virus endonuclease inhibitors (DPBA, L-742,001 and baloxavir) were repurposed on the La Crosse virus endonuclease. Their inhibition was evaluated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer and their mode of binding was then assessed by differential scanning fluorimetry and microscale thermophoresis. Finally, two crystallographic structures were obtained in complex with L-742,001 and baloxavir, providing access to the structural determinants of inhibition and offering key information for the further development of Bunyavirales endonuclease inhibitors.

Immunodominant membrane protein (IMP) is a prevalent membrane protein in phytoplasma and has been confirmed to be an F-actin-binding protein. However, the intricate molecular mechanisms that govern the function of IMP require further elucidation. In this study, the X-ray crystallographic structure of IMP was determined and insights into its interaction with plant actin are provided. A comparative analysis with other proteins demonstrates that IMP shares structural homology with talin rod domain-containing protein 1 (TLNRD1), which also functions as an F-actin-binding protein. Subsequent molecular-docking studies of IMP and F-actin reveal that they possess complementary surfaces, suggesting a stable interaction. The low potential energy and high confidence score of the IMP–F-actin binding model indicate stable binding. Additionally, by employing immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry, it was discovered that IMP serves as an interaction partner for the phytoplasmal effector causing phyllody 1 (PHYL1). It was then shown that both IMP and PHYL1 are highly expressed in the S2 stage of peanut witches' broom phytoplasma-infected Catharanthus roseus. The association between IMP and PHYL1 is substantiated through in vivo immunoprecipitation, an in vitro cross-linking assay and molecular-docking analysis. Collectively, these findings expand the current understanding of IMP interactions and enhance the comprehension of the interaction of IMP with plant F-actin. They also unveil a novel interaction pathway that may influence phytoplasma pathogenicity and host plant responses related to PHYL1. This discovery could pave the way for the development of new strategies to overcome phytoplasma-related plant diseases.

Light–oxygen–voltage (LOV) domains are small photosensory flavoprotein modules that allow the conversion of external stimuli (sunlight) into intra­cellular signals responsible for various cell behaviors (e.g. phototropism and chloro­plast relocation). This ability relies on the light-induced formation of a covalent thio­ether adduct between a flavin chromophore and a reactive cysteine from the protein environment, which triggers a cascade of structural changes that result in the activation of a serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) kinase. Recent developments in time-resolved crystallography may allow the activation cascade of the LOV domain to be observed in real time, which has been elusive. In this study, we report a robust protocol for the production and stable delivery of microcrystals of the LOV domain of phototropin Phot-1 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CrPhotLOV1) with a high-viscosity injector for time-resolved serial synchrotron crystallography (TR-SSX). The detailed process covers all aspects, from sample optimization to data collection, which may serve as a guide for soluble protein preparation for TR-SSX. In addition, we show that the crystals obtained preserve the photoreactivity using infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, the results of the TR-SSX experiment provide high-resolution insights into structural alterations of CrPhotLOV1 from Δt = 2.5 ms up to Δt = 95 ms post-photoactivation, including resolving the geometry of the thio­ether adduct and the C-terminal region implicated in the signal transduction process.

The TIR (Toll/interleukin-1 receptor) domain represents a vital structural element shared by proteins with roles in immunity signalling pathways across phyla (from humans and plants to bacteria). Decades of research have finally led to identifying the key features of the molecular basis of signalling by these domains, including the formation of open-ended (filamentous) assemblies (responsible for the signalling by cooperative assembly formation mechanism, SCAF) and enzymatic activities involving the cleavage of nucleotides. We present a historical perspective of the research that led to this understanding, highlighting the roles that different structural methods played in this process: X-ray crystallography (including serial crystallography), microED (micro-crystal electron diffraction), NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy and cryo-EM (cryogenic electron microscopy) involving helical reconstruction and single-particle analysis. This perspective emphasizes the complementarity of different structural approaches.

3D electron diffraction (3DED) is increasingly employed to determine molec­ular and crystal structures from micro-crystals. Indomethacin is a well known, marketed, small-molecule non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with eight known polymorphic forms, of which four structures have been elucidated to date. Using 3DED, we determined the structure of a new ninth polymorph, σ, found within an amorphous solid dispersion, a product formulation sometimes used for active pharmaceutical ingredients with poor aqueous solubility. Subsequently, we found that σ indomethacin can be produced from direct solvent evaporation using di­chloro­methane. These results demonstrate the relevance of 3DED within drug development to directly probe product formulations.

MltG, a membrane-bound lytic transglycosyl­ase, has roles in terminating glycan polymerization in peptidoglycan and incorporating glycan chains into the cell wall, making it significant in bacterial cell-wall biosynthesis and remodeling. This study provides the first reported MltG structure from Mycobacterium abscessus (maMltG), a superbug that has high antibiotic resistance. Our structural and biochemical analyses revealed that MltG has a flexible peptidoglycan-binding domain and exists as a monomer in solution. Further, the putative active site of maMltG was disclosed using structural analysis and sequence comparison. Overall, this study contributes to our understanding of the transglycosyl­ation reaction of the MltG family, aiding the design of next-generation antibiotics targeting M. abscessus.

Reaction of FeCl2·4H2O with KSCN and 3-cyano­pyridine (pyridine-3-carbo­nitrile) in ethanol accidentally leads to the formation of single crystals of Fe(NCS)(Cl)(3-cyano­pyridine)4 or [FeCl(NCS)(C6H4N2)4]. The asymmetric unit of this compound consists of one FeII cation, one chloride and one thio­cyanate anion that are located on a fourfold rotation axis as well as of one 3-cyano­pyridine coligand in a general position. The FeII cations are sixfold coordinated by one chloride anion and one terminally N-bonding thio­cyanate anion in trans-positions and four 3-cyano­pyridine coligands that coordinate via the pyridine N atom to the FeII cations. The complexes are arranged in columns with the chloride anions, with the thio­cyanate anions always oriented in the same direction, which shows the non-centrosymmetry of this structure. No pronounced inter­molecular inter­actions are observed between the complexes. Initially, FeCl2 and KSCN were reacted in a 1:2 ratio, which lead to a sample that contains the title compound as the major phase together with a small amount of an unknown crystalline phase, as proven by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). If FeCl2 and KSCN is reacted in a 1:1 ratio, the title compound is obtained as a nearly pure phase. IR investigations reveal that the CN stretching vibration for the thio­cyanate anion is observed at 2074 cm−1, and that of the cyano group at 2238 cm−1, which also proves that the anionic ligands are only terminally bonded and that the cyano group is not involved in the metal coordination. Measurements with thermogravimetry and differential thermoanalysis reveal that the title compound decomposes at 169°C when heated at a rate of 4°C min−1 and that the 3-cyano­pyridine ligands are emitted in two separate poorly resolved steps. After the first step, an inter­mediate compound with the composition Fe(NCS)(Cl)(3-cyano­pyridine)2 of unknown structure is formed, for which the CN stretching vibration of the thio­cyanate anion is observed at 2025 cm−1, whereas the CN stretching vibration of the cyano group remain constant. This strongly indicates that the FeII cations are linked by μ-1,3-bridg­ing thio­cyanate anions into chains or layers.

The tetra­kis complex of neodymium(III), tetra­kis­{μ-N-[bis­(pyrrolidin-1-yl)phos­phor­yl]acet­am­id­ato}bis(pro­pan-2-ol)neodymiumsodium pro­pan-2-ol monosol­vate, [NaNd(C10H16Cl3N3O2)4(C3H8O)2]·C3H8O or NaNdPyr4(i-PrOH)2·i-PrOH, with the amide type CAPh ligand bis(N,N-tetra­methylene)(tri­chloro­acetyl)phos­phoric acid tri­amide (HPyr), has been synthesized, crystallized and characterized by X-ray diffraction. The complex does not have the tetra­kis­(CAPh)lanthanide anion, which is typical for ester-type CAPh-based coordin­ation compounds. Instead, the NdO8 polyhedron is formed by one oxygen atom of a 2-propanol mol­ecule and seven oxygen atoms of CAPh ligands in the title compound. Three CAPh ligands are coordinated in a bidentate chelating manner to the NdIII ion and simultaneously binding the sodium cation by μ2-bridging PO and CO groups while the fourth CAPh ligand is coordinated to the sodium cation in a bidentate chelating manner and, due to the μ2-bridging function of the PO group, also binds the neodymium ion.

The title compound, [RuCl2(C33H43N3O)], is an example of a new generation of N,N-dialkyl ruthenium catalysts with an N—Ru coordination bond as part of a six-membered chelate ring. The Ru atom has an Addison τ parameter of 0.244, which indicates a geometry inter­mediate between square-based pyramidal and trigonal–bipyramidal. The complex shows the usual trans arrangement of the two chlorides, with Ru—Cl bond lengths of 2.3515 (8) and 2.379 (7) Å, and a Cl—Ru—Cl angle of 158.02 (3)°. One of the chlorine atoms and the atoms of the 2-meth­oxy-N-methyl-N-[(2-methyl­phen­yl)meth­yl]ethane-1-amine group of the title complex display disorder over two positions in a 0.889 (2): 0.111 (2) ratio.

The title complex, [ZnCl(C12H15N3O2)2][ZnCl3(CH3CN)], was synthesized and its structure was fully characterized through single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The complex crystallizes in the ortho­rhom­bic system, space group Pbca (61), with a central zinc atom coordinating one chlorine atom and two pyrrolidinyl-4-meth­oxy­phenyl azoformamide ligands in a bidentate manner, utilizing both the nitro­gen and oxygen atoms in a 1,3-heterodiene (N=N—C=O) motif for coordinative bonding, yielding an overall positively (+1) charged complex. The complex is accompanied by a [(CH3CN)ZnCl3]− counter-ion. The crystal data show that the harder oxygen atoms in the heterodiene zinc chelate form bonding inter­actions with distances of 2.002 (3) and 2.012 (3) Å, while nitro­gen atoms are coordinated by the central zinc cation with bond lengths of 2.207 (3) and 2.211 (3) Å. To gain further insight into the inter­molecular inter­actions within the crystal, Hirshfeld surface analysis was performed, along with the calculation of two-dimensional fingerprint plots. This analysis revealed that H⋯H (39.9%), Cl⋯H/H⋯Cl (28.2%) and C⋯H/H⋯C (7.2%) inter­actions are dominant. This unique crystal structure sheds light on arrangement and bonding inter­actions with azo­formamide ligands, and their unique qualities over similar semicarbazone and azo­thio­formamide structures.

Syntheses of the acyclic amidinium salts, morpholino­formamidinium hexa­fluorido­phosphate [OC4H8N—CH=NH2]PF6 or C5H11N2O+·PF6−, 1, and pyrrolidinoformamidinium hexa­fluorido­phosphate [C4H8N—CH= NH2]PF6 or C5H11N2+·PF6−, 2, were carried out by heating either morpholine or pyrrolidine with triethyl orthoformate and ammonium hexa­fluorido­phosphate. Crystals of 1 obtained directly from the reaction mixture contain one cation and one anion in the asymmetric unit. The structure involves cations linked in chains parallel to the b axis by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds in space group Pbca, with glide-related chains pointing in opposite directions. Crystals of 1 obtained by recrystallization from ethanol, however, showed a similar unit cell and the same basic structure, but unexpectedly, there was positional disorder [occupancy ratio 0.639 (4):0.361 (4)] in one of the cation chains, which lowered the crystal symmetry to the non-centrosymmetric space group Pca21, with two cations and anions in the asymmetric unit. In the pyrrolidino compound, 2, cations and anions are ordered and are stacked separately, with zigzag N—H⋯F hydrogen-bonding between stacks, forming ribbons parallel to (101), extended along the b-axis direction. Slight differences in the delocalized C=N distances between the two cations may reflect the inductive effect of the oxygen atom in the morpholino compound.

The reaction of the Schiff base 2-[1-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl­idene­amino]­ethanol (HL), which is formed by reaction of 2-amino­ethanol and 2-acetyl­pyridine with CuBr2 in ethanol results in the isolation of the new polymeric complex poly[hexa-μ-bromido-bis­{2-[1-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl­idene­amino]­ethano­lato}tetra­copper(II)], [Cu4Br6(C9H11N2O)2]n or [Cu4Br6L2]n. The asymmetric unit of the crystal structure of the polymeric [Cu4Br6L2]n complex is composed by four copper (II) cations, two monodeprotonated mol­ecules of the ligand, and six bromide anions, which act as bridges. The ligand mol­ecules act in a tridentate fashion through their azomethine nitro­gen atoms, their pyridine nitro­gen atoms, and their alcoholate O atoms. The crystal structure shows two types of geometries in the coordination polyhedrons around Cu2+ ions. Two copper cations are situated in a square-based pyramidal environment, while the two other copper cations adopt a tetra­hedral geometry. Bromides anions acting as bridges between two metal ions connect the units, resulting in a tetra­nuclear polymer compound.

Reaction of CoBr2 with 2-methyl­pyridine N-oxide in n-butanol leads to the formation of the title compound, [CoBr2(C6H7NO)2] or [CoBr2(2-methyl­pyridine N-oxide)2]. Its asymmetric unit consists of one CoII cation as well as two bromide anions and two 2-methyl­pyridine N-oxide coligands in general positions. The CoII cations are tetra­hedrally coordinated by two bromide anions and two 2-methyl­pyridine N-oxides, forming discrete complexes. In the crystal structure, these complexes are linked predominantly by weak C–H⋯Br hydrogen bonding into chains that propagate along the crystallographic a-axis. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) measurements indicate that a pure phase was obtained. Thermoanalytical investigations prove that the title compound melts before decomposition; before melting, a further endothermic signal of unknown origin was observed that does not correspond to a phase transition.

The (S)-(+)-1-(4-bromo­phen­yl)-N-[(4-methoxyphen­yl)methyl­idene]ethyl­amine ligand, C16H16BrNO, (I), was synthesized through the reaction of 4-meth­oxy­anisaldehyde with (S)-(−)-1-(4-bromo­phen­yl)ethyl­amine. It crystallizes in the ortho­rhom­bic space group P212121 belonging to the Sohncke group, featuring a single mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit. The refinement converged successfully, achieving an R factor of 0.0508. The PdII com­plex bis­{(S)-(+)-1-(4-bromo­phen­yl)-N-[(4-methoxyphen­yl)methyl­idene]ethyl­amine-κN}di­chlorido­pal­ladium(II), [PdCl2(C16H16BrNO)2], (II), crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21 belonging to the Sohncke group, with two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. The central atom is tetra­coordinated by two N atoms and two Cl atoms, resulting in a square-planar configuration. The imine moieties exhibit a trans configuration around the PdII centre, with average Cl—Pd—N angles of approximately 89.95 and 90°. The average distances within the palladium com­plex for the two mol­ecules are ∼2.031 Å for Pd—N and ∼2.309 Å for Pd—Cl.

The in­do­line portion of the title mol­ecule, C16H13NO2, is planar. In the crystal, a layer structure is generated by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯π(ring), π-stacking and C=O⋯π(ring) inter­actions. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (43.0%), H⋯C/C⋯H (25.0%) and H⋯O/O⋯H (22.8%) inter­actions. Hydrogen bonding and van der Waals inter­actions are the dominant inter­actions in the crystal packing. The volume of the crystal voids and the percentage of free space were calculated to be 120.52 Å3 and 9.64%, respectively, showing that there is no large cavity in the crystal packing. Evaluation of the electrostatic, dispersion and total energy frameworks indicate that the stabilization is dominated by the dispersion energy contributions in the title compound. Moreover, the DFT-optimized structure at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level is compared with the experimentally determined mol­ecular structure in the solid state.

The title compound, [CdBr2(C6H14N2O)], was synthesized upon complexation of 4-(2-aminoethyl)morpholine and cadmium(II) bromide tetra­hydrate at 303 K. It crystallizes as a centrosymmetric dimer, with one cadmium atom, two bromine atoms and one N,N'-bidentate 4-(2-aminoethyl)morpholine ligand in the asymmetric unit. The metal atom is six-coordinated and has a distorted octa­hedral geometry. In the crystal, O⋯Cd inter­actions link the dimers into a polymeric double chain and inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds form R22(6) ring motifs. Further C—H⋯Br and N—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds link the components into a three-dimensional network. As the N—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds are shorter than the C—H⋯Br inter­actions, they have a larger effect on the packing. A Hirshfeld surface analysis reveals that the largest contributions to the packing are from H⋯H (46.1%) and Br⋯H/H⋯Br (38.9%) inter­actions with smaller contributions from the O⋯H/H⋯O (4.7%), Br⋯Cd/Cd⋯Br (4.4%), O⋯Cd/Cd⋯O (3.5%), Br⋯Br (1.1%), Cd⋯H/H⋯Cd (0.9%), Br⋯O/O⋯Br (0.3%) and O⋯N/N⋯O (0.1%) contacts.

The title compound, (C4H12N)[V(C12H8N4O2)O2]·H2O, was synthesized via aerial oxidation on refluxing picolinohydrazide with ethyl picolinate followed by addition of VIVO(acac)2 and di­ethyl­amine in methanol. It crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system in space group Poverline{1}. In the complex anion, the dioxidovanadium(V) moiety exhibits a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. In the crystal, extensive hydrogen bonding links the water mol­ecule to two complex anions and one di­ethyl­ammonium ion. One of the CH2 groups in the di­ethyl­amine is disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.7:0.3 ratio.

An attempt to explore the reactivity of the nitro group in the presence of gold catalysis in comparison to the azide group yielded intriguing results. Surprisingly, only the nitro group exhibited reactivity, ultimately giving rise to the formation of the title isatogen, C14H8N4O2. In the crystal structure, weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking inter­actions link the mol­ecules. The structure exhibits disorder of the mol­ecule.

In the title compound, C21H15N5OS2, mol­ecular pairs are linked by N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds along the c-axis direction and C—H⋯S and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds along the b-axis direction, with R22(12) and R22(16) motifs, respectively, thus forming layers parallel to the (10overline{4}) plane. In addition, C=S⋯π and C≡N⋯π inter­actions between the layers ensure crystal cohesion. The Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the major contributions to the crystal packing are H⋯H (43.0%), C⋯H/H⋯C (16.9%), N⋯H/H⋯N (11.3%) and S⋯H/H⋯S (10.9%) inter­actions.

In the ten-membered 1,3,4,6-tetra­hydro-2H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidine ring system of the title compound, C17H15N5, the 1,2-di­hydro­pyridine ring is essentially planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.001 Å), while the 1,3-diazinane ring has a distorted twist-boat conformation. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by N—H⋯N and C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network. In addition, C—H⋯π inter­actions form layers parallel to the (100) plane. Thus, crystal-structure cohesion is ensured. According to a Hirshfeld surface study, H⋯H (40.4%), N⋯H/H⋯N (28.6%) and C⋯H/H⋯C (24.1%) inter­actions are the most important contributors to the crystal packing.

A novel cationic complex, bromido­tetra­kis­[5-(prop-2-en-1-ylsulfan­yl)-1,3,4-thia­diazol-2-amine-κN3]copper(II) bromide, [CuBr](C5H7N3S2)4Br, was synthesized. The complex crystallizes with fourfold mol­ecular symmetry in the tetra­gonal space group P4/n. The CuII atom exhibits a square-pyramidal coord­ination geometry. The Cu atom is located centrally within the complex, being coordinated by four nitro­gen atoms from four AAT mol­ecules, while a bromine anion is located at the apex of the pyramid. The amino H atoms of AAT inter­act with bromine from the inner and outer spheres, forming a two-dimensional network in the [100] and [010] directions. Hirshfeld surface analysis reveals that 33.7% of the inter­mol­ecular inter­actions are from H⋯H contacts, 21.2% are from S⋯H/H⋯S contacts, 13.4% are from S⋯S contacts and 11.0% are from C⋯H/H⋯C, while other contributions are from Br⋯H/H⋯Br and N⋯H/H⋯N contacts.