<div>Large protein molecules are abundant in biological cells but are very difficult to study in physiological conditions due to molecular disorder. For large proteins, most structural information is obtained in crystalline states which can be achieved in certain conditions at very low temperature. X-ray and neutron crystallography methods can then be used for determination of crystalline structures at atomic level. However, in solution at room or physiological temperatures such highly resolved descriptions cannot be obtained except in very few cases. Scattering methods that can be used to study this type of structures at room temperature include small-angle x-ray and neutron scattering. These methods are used here to study two distinct proteins that are both classified as glycoproteins, which are a large class of proteins with diverse biological functions. In this study, two specific plasma glycoproteins were used: Fibrinogen (340 kDa) and Alpha 1-Antitrypsin or A1AT (52 kDa). These proteins have been chosen based on the fact that they have a propensity to form very large molecular aggregates due to their tendency to polymerize. One goal of this project is to show that for such complex structures, a combination of scattering methods that include SAXS, SANS, and DLS can address important structural and interaction questions despite the fact that atomic resolution cannot be obtained as in crystallography. A1AT protein has been shown to have protective roles of lung cells against emphysema, while fibrinogen is a major factor in the blood clotting process. A systematic approach to study these proteins interactions with lipid membranes and other proteins, using contrast-matching small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), is presented here. A series of structural reference points for each protein in solution were determined by performing measurements under osmotic stress controlled by the addition of polyethylene glycol-1,500 MW (PEG 1500) in the samples. Osmotic pressure changes the free energy of the molecular mixture and has consequences on the structure and the interaction of molecular aggregates. In particular, the measured radius of gyration (Rg) for A1AT shows a sharp structural transition when the concentration of PEG 1500 is between 33 wt\% and 36 wt\%. Similarly, a significant structural change was observed for fibrinogen when the concentration of PEG 1500 was above 40 wt\%. This analysis is applied to a study of A1AT interacting with lipid membranes and to a study of fibrinogen polymerization in the presence of the enzyme thrombin, which catalyzes the formation of blood clots. The experimental approach presented here and the applications to specific questions show that an appropriate combination of scattering methods can produce useful information on the behavior and the interactions of large protein systems in physiological conditions despite the lower resolution compared to crystallography.</div>

This work contributes to the structure investigation on the basis of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). A new analytical scattering function for polydispers precipitates with diffusion zones is presented and used in SANS experiments. For diluted and dense packed systems structure describing parameter values were obtained. These results lead to a deeper understanding of the process of nanocristallization of amorphous alloys. The investigation of SANS on Fe73.5Si15.5B7Cu1Nb3 shows that the Fe3Si type nanocrystals created in the amorphous matrix during annealing are covered by Nb-atoms. The accumulation of Nb-atoms or Nb-B-aggregates acting as inhibitors at the surface of the nanocrystals is assumed to be the basic mechanism controlling the evolution of the precipitates. For the first time this inhibitor-model is shown to be correct without doubts. In the Zr32Ti7.5Al10Cu20Ni8 amorphous alloy the formation of ultrafine nanocystals of about 2-3 nm in diameter was observed. The nanocrystallization starts after ordered clusters achieved particular sizes and a certain packing fraction. This leads to a new model for the microscopic formation procedure of ultrafine nanocrystals in this amorphous alloy. Theoretical models of fractal systems are applied to complicated polydisperse materials. Both the theory for an exact surface fractal of Hermann (1994)and the model for coupled volume and surface fractals in the formulation of Wong (1992) are shown to be applicable. The latter approach is applied to experimental data here for the first time. With computer simulations conditions for scattering experiments were optained therewith predictions about the quality and grade of fractality in real specimens become possible. / Die vorliegende Arbeit ist ein Beitrag zur Strukturaufklärung mittels Neutronen-Kleinwinkel-Streuung (SANS). Es wird eine neu entwickelte analytische Streufunktion für polydisperse Ausscheidungen mit Diffusionszonen genutzt, um SANS Experimente auszuwerten. Sowohl für verdünnte, als auch für dicht gepackte Systeme werden auf diese Weise quantitative Strukturparameter gewonnen. Diese liefern einen Beitrag zum Verständnis des Nanokristallisationsverhaltens amorpher metallischer Gläser. Die Auswertung der Experimente an on Fe73.5Si15.5B7Cu1Nb3 zeigt, dass Fe3Si-artige Nanokristalle, die während der Temperaturbehandlung in der amorphen Matrix entstehen, von Nb-Atomen bedeckt werden. Diese Ansammlung von Nb-Atomen oder von entsprechenden Nb-B-Aggregaten auf der Oberfläche dieser Ausscheidungen hemmt das Größenwachstum der entstehenden Nanokristalle. Dieses Inhibitor-Modell wurde hier erstmals zweifelsfrei bestätigt. In Proben des amorphen metallischen Glases Zr32Ti7.5Al10Cu20Ni8 werden ultrafeine Ausscheidungen mit Durchmessern von 2-3 nm beobachtet. Diese entstehen verzögert nach der Ausprägung dicht gepackter Gebiete mit erhöhter Nahordnungsstruktur. Es wird ein Modell vorgeschlagen, das diesen Prozess erklären kann. Theoretisch diskutierte Modelle für fraktale Systeme werden auf komplizierte polydisperse Materialien angewendet. Sowohl die Formulierung von Hermann (1994) für ein exaktes Oberflächenfraktal, als auch der erstmals auf experimentelle Daten angewendete Ansatz von Wong (1992) für ein gekoppeltes Volumen- und Oberflächenfraktal erweisen sich als praktisch nutzbar. Mittels Computersimulationen wurden Bedingungen abgeleitet, die an Streuexperimente zu stellen sind, damit Aussagen über Qualität und Grad von Fraktalität in realen Proben getroffen werden können.