IUCr 1997 Report - Acta Crystallographica Section D

Thanks to the combined good efforts of the many reviewers of submitted articles, the Co-editors who oversee the disposition of manuscripts, and the staff at Chester who ensure that the publication is correctly presented, this Section of Acta is progressing well. We are still trying to reduce the time between submission of a manuscript and its appearance in print, and an on-going dialogue on this subject is currently taking place. Section D accepts Research Papers, Lead Articles, Topical Reviews, Fast Communications, Short Communications, Crystallization Papers and Letters. Colour diagrams continue to be published free of charge to the author and this has helped attract some fine articles with diagrams that would be hard to interpret if they were published in black and white. This need for colour is a natural outcome of the inherent complexities of three-dimensional macromolecular structures. There are currently two vehicles for shorter style papers: (a) `Crystallization Papers' which contain crystallization procedures and early attempts at structure determination; (b) `Fast Communications' and `Short Communications' cover general items such as improvements in current crystallographic methods.

During 1997 Section D has published 130 articles and communications on various aspects of biological crystallography. Of these, 23 describe crystal structures of macromolecules, many of them well refined and include analyses of the biological relevance of their stereochemistries. In addition, 16 involve methods of phase determination and electron-density map interpretation. Articles were also published as follows: 8 on general aspects of crystallization, 6 on diffraction physics and experimental methods, 2 on neutron diffraction, 2 on crystallographic symmetry, 6 on structure refinement and 9 on interatomic interactions (such as the binding of ligand to macromolecules). Crystallization conditions and preliminary X-ray diffraction measurements were described in 58 articles.

Authors of all structural papers are required to deposit three-dimensional structural coordinates and structure factors with the Protein Data Bank before the article can be published. At present the author may request that deposited atomic coordinates be given a privileged status for one year and structure factors for four years, but these delays in availability of data are currently under review [see Science (1998), 279, 306-307].

Future plans include the consideration of a macromolecular CIF approach to data submission, and more invitations for Lead Articles and Topical Reviews.

J.P. Glusker, Editor

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