Polymeric precipitants for the crystallization of macromolecules.

Nine different water soluble polymers reported to strongly affect the properties and structure of water were evaluated for their use in crystallizing a series of 24 different proteins, viruses, and conventional small molecules. All of the polymers produced crystals of some of the molecules and viruses tested, and of the 24 molecules tested, 14 were crystallized. In a number of cases, crystals of the molecules and viruses were obtained under very different conditions than were ever previously used. Because the selection of polymers employed here represents only a sampling of those available to experimenters, we conclude that the potential range of such polymers useful in macromolecular and small molecule crystallization may be very broad.