Structural components of alginic acid. I. The crystalline structure of poly-beta-D-mannuronic acid. Results of x-ray diffraction and polarized infrared studies

A Structure determination of the naturally occuring marine algal polysaccharide poly-β-D -mannuronic acid is described. The structure consists of 1e → 4e linked D -mannuronic acid chains with the monosaccharide units in the C1 chair conformation. The X-ray fiber diffraction photograph obtained from bundles of fibers prepared from Fucus vesiculosus has been indexed to an orthorhombic unit cell in which a =7.6 Å, b (fiber axis) = 10.4 Å, c = 8.6 Å, the unit cell containing two disaccharide chain segments with space group P2₁2₁2₁. A sheet-like structure involving one intra-chain, one intra-sheet, and one inter-sheet hydrogen bond per monosaccharide is proposed. Features of the chain-packing arrangement are compared with mannan.     

The structure of native cellulose

Native cellulose has been shown to consist of a crystalline array of parallel chains, based on the X-ray diffraction data for specimens from the sea alga Valonia ventricosa. The unit cell is monoclinic with dimensions a = 16.34 Å, b = 15.72 Å, c = 10.38 Å (fiber axis), and β = 97.0°. The space group is P2₁ and the cell contains disaccharide segments of eight chains. Models containing chains with the same sense (parallel) or alternating sense (antiparallel) were refined against the intensity data using rigidbody least squares procedures. The results show a preference for a parallel chain structure with specific chain polarity with respect to the c axis. The refinement places the ? CH₂OH side chains approximately 20′ from the so-called tg conformation, with a result that an 02′? H…06 intramolecular bond is formed. The structure also contains an 03? H…05′ intramolecular bond and an 06? H…03 intermolecular bond along the a axis. All these bonds lie in the 020 planes, and the structure is an array of hydrogen-bonded sheets. A major consequence of this work is that regular chain folding can be ruled out and cellulose is seen as extended chain polymer single crystals.     

Conformational studies of linear β-D-1,4′-mannan and galactan

The nonbonded interaction energy of disaccharides, mannobiose and galactobiose and polysaccharides mannan and galactan have been computed as a function of dihedral angles (?,ψ). The conformation (40°, ?20°) has been preferred for the mannan chain from nonbonded interaction energy considerations. The O₅…O₃′ type of intramolecular hydrogen bond has been found to be possible in the above conformation. Comparison of the allowed region of mannan with those of cellulose and xylan indicates that the monomer unit, in mannan chain has slightly higher freedom of rotation than that of cellulose and less than that of xylan. As in cellulose and mannan, the freedom of rotation of the monomer units in β-1,4′ galactan is highly restricted. Unlike mannan (which prefers an extended conformation) the β-1,4′ galactan prefers a helical conformation similar to amylose. Just as in amylose the O₂…O₃′ type hydrogen bond between contiguous residues is also possible in β-1,4′ galactan.     

Configurational statistics of polysaccharide chains. Part III. Linear β-(1 → 4′) xylan and mannan

The characteristic ratio C_N = 〈r²〉₀/Nl_v² of the β-D (1 → 4′)-linked polysaccharides xylan and mannan has been computed as a function of the angle τ at the bridge oxygen atom and the degree of polymerization N. The calculated values of the characteristic ratio C_N are very high relative to their free rotational dimensions. The characteristic ratio of these polysaecharides converges to the asymptotic value at low degree of polymerization at higher τ values. The low values of the calculated characteristic ratio of xylan compared to cellulose and mannan for the same τ value indicate that the former is more flexible and assumes a compact configuration. A pronounced difference in the values of the characteristic ratio C_N of cellulose and mannan has also been observed lower τ angles (<120°). On the other hand, nearly the same values of C_N have been obtained at higher τ angles (120°–125°), which suggests that, cellulose and mannan may have similar configuralons in certain solvents.     

Characterization of crystals of Penicillium purpurogenum acetyl xylan esterase from high-resolution X-ray diffraction

Acetyl xylan esterase from Penicillium purpurogenum, a single-chain 23 kDa member of a newly characterized family of esterases that cleaves side chain ester linkages in xylan, has been crystallized. The crystals diffract to better than 1 Å resolution at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) and are highly stable in the synchrotron radiation. The space group is P2₁2₁2₁ and cell dimensions are a = 34.9 Å, b = 61.0 Å, c = 72.5 Å.     

Structure of cellulose II hydrate

A hydrate of cellulose II can be formed by swelling Fortisan fibers in hydrazine and then washing in water. The hydrate is stable at 93% relative humidity and has a monoclinic unit cell with dimensions a = 9.02 Å, b = 9.63 Å, c = 10.34 Å, and γ = 116.0°; the space group is P2₁. The unit cell contains disaccharide sections of two chains and approximately four water molecules. The structure was refined using the LALS method, based on 10 observed and 10 unobserved reflections. An antiparallel arrangement of adjacent chains was assumed, since this occurs in cellulose II (the starting material), and the hydrate also reverts to cellulose II on dehydration. Refinement of the positions and side-chain conformations of the chains shows that the chains are stacked in the same way as in cellulose II, and the hydrate is formed by insertion of water molecules between the stacks. However, all efforts to arrange the water molecules in crystallographically regular positions led to unsatisfactory agreement between the observed and calculated intensities. These results suggest an irregular arrangement of the water molecules, which was modeled using water-weighted atomic scattering factors. The analysis resulted in two refined models with relative chain staggers of ～ +c/4 and ～ -c/4, which are indistinguishable in terms of the x-ray agreement. Our preference is for the +c/4 model, for which the stacks of chains are analogous to those in cellulose II.     

Crystallization of the bifunctional methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase domain of the human trifunctional enzyme

Methylenetetrahydrofolate([H₄] folate) dehydrogenase (D) and methenyl[H₄] folate cyclohydrolase (C) coexist as a bifunctional enzyme (DC) or as the amino-terminal domain of a trifunctional enzyme (DCS) where the third activity is 10-formyl[H₄]lfolate synthetase (S). Two crystal forms of the DC domain of the human cytosolic DCS enzyme have been grown from polyethyleneglycol solution. The monoclinic P2₁ crystals diffract to 2.8 Å with a = 72.5 Å, b = 68.5 Å, c = 125.2 Å, and β = 91.8° but were found to be twinned. The orthorhombic P2₁2₁2₁ crystals diffract to 2.5 Å with a = 67.7 Å, b = 135.9 Å, c = 61.6 Å, and contain two molecules per asymmetric unit. Proteins 26:479–480 © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray investigation of recombinant human interleukin 10

Crystals of recombinant human interleukin 10 have been grown from solutions of ammonium sulfate. The crystals are tetragonal, space group P4₁2₁2 or P4₃2₁2; the unit cell axes are a = 36.5 Å and c = 221.9 Å. There is the equivalent of one polypeptide chain in the asymmetric unit. The crystals are stable to X-rays and diffract to at least 2.5 Å resolution. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Electron diffraction of Valonia cellulose. A quantitative interpretation

The crystal structure of native cellulose (Valonia) has been analyzed by electron diffraction. Possible models for the structure were refined by rigid-body least squares methods, which incorporated parameters defining the preferred orientation of the fibrils around their long axes in the cell wall lamellae. The structure was found to consist of an array of chains having the same sense (i.e., parallel), with packing parameters similar to those recently determined by X-ray diffraction. The eight-chain unit cell could be approximated adequately by a two-chain monoclinic unit cell with dimensions a = 8.18 Å, b = 7.84 Å, c = 10.38 Å (fiber axis), and γ = 97.04°; the space group is P2₁.     

Three-dimensional structure of actinoxanthin. III. A 4-Å resolution

The protein actinoxanthin (molecular weight 10,300) crystallizes in space group P2₁2₁2₁, with cell dimensions a = 30.9 Å, b = 48.8 Å, c = 64.1 Å, and z = 4. The three-dimensional structure of actinoxanthin at 4-Å resolution was determined by x-ray methods on the basis of experimental data from the native protein and five isomorphous derivatives. At the stage of solving the phase problem, the heavy atoms in the derivatives were located using direct methods. The actinoxanthin molecule can be described as an oblate ellipsoid with approximate dimensions 20 × 30 × 40 Å and consists of two different sizes of folded units separated by a well-defined cleft. The larger unit, including the N- and C-terminals of the protein chain, is characterized by a significant content of β-sheet structure. The smaller unit, containing two deca- and hexapeptide cycles closed by disulfide bonds, has a mainly irregular structure.     

Packing analysis of carbohydrates and polysaccharides. V. Crystal structures of two polymorphs of pachyman triacetate

The crystal structures of two polymorphic forms of pachyman triacetate, the fully acetylated derivative of a naturally occuring β-(1 → 3)-D -glucan, were determined by a combination of stereochemical and x-ray diffraction analysis. The two polymorphs could be obtained depending on the temperature and the degree of stretching of film specimens of the substance: polymorph I resulted from stretching 25–50% at 125°C and polymorph II resulted from further stretching to 300% at 215°C. Both polymorphs had previously been shown to have sixfold helical chain conformations, but of unequal pitch. Subsequent detailed structure refinement performed with bond lengths, bond angles, conformational angles, and helix-packing parameters as refinement variables, and the simultaneous minimization of packing and conformational energy and the crystallographic R-factor as refinement criteria, resulted in a complete determination of the two crystal structures. Pachyman triacetate I was found to be a right-handed helix packing with antiparallel polarity and space group P2₁2₁2₁ symmetry (unit-cell parameters a = 11.0, b = 19.0, c (fiber repeat) = 22.38 Å). The acetate groups were nearly planar and the O(2) and O(4) acetates were oriented in such a fashion that the carbonyl double-bond nearly eclipsed the corresponding C—H bond of the ring. The O(6) was in the tg position and its acetate was oriented in such a fashion that the bond sequence C(6)—O(6)—C(6C)—C(6M) was nearly trans-planar, with the carbonyl double-bond bisecting the tetrahedral angle formed by C(6) and its two hydrogens. The final R = 0.221. Pachyman triacetate II was similarly found to be a right-handed helix, but packing as a 50:50 mixture of parallel and antiparallel polarities (unit-cell parameters a = 11.49, b = 20.13, c (fiber repeat) = 18.6 Å). The acetate positions in pachyman triacetate II were substantially the same as in pachyman triacetate I. The final R for the 50:50 mixture was 0.234. Probable reasons for the change in packing polarities are discussed, as are the difficulties encountered in the structure refinement of acetate derivatives.     

Purification,crystallization, and preliminary X-ray studies on the rhizome lectin from stinging nettle and its complex with NN′N″-triacetylchitotriose

Single crystals were grown from affinity-purified stinging nettle lectin and from its complex with the specific trisaccharide NN′N″ -triacetylchitotriose by vapor diffusion at room temperature. The lectin crystallizes in space group P2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell dimensions a = 54.3 (1) Å, b = 62.2 (1) Å, and c = 92.4 (2) Å, and diffracts to 3.0 Å resolution. The asymmetric unit contains three lectin monomers. The crystals of the lectin-trisaccharide complex have space group P2₁2₁2₁ with cell constants a = 37.69 (4) Å, b = 48.97 (6) Å, and c = 57.32 (4) Å. These crystals diffract to at least 2.0 Å resolution and the asymmetric unit contains one lectin monomer. A three-dimensional X-ray structure determination is on its way. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Crystallization and preliminary x-ray analysis of Escherichia coli peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase

Peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase from Escherichia coli, a monomer of 21 kDa, was overexpressed from its cloned gene pth and crystallized by using polyethylene glycol as precipitant. The crystals are orthorhombic and have unit cell parameters a = 47.24 Å, b = 63.59 Å, and c = 62.57 Å. They belong to space group P2₁2₁2₁ and diffract to better than 1.2 Å resolution. The structure is being solved by multiple isomorphous replacement. © 1997 Wiley-Liss Inc.     

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of the precursor and mature forms of a neutral lipase from the fungus Rhizopus delemar

A neutral lipase from the filamentous fungus Rhizopus delemar has been crystallized in both its proenzyme and mature forms. Although the latter crystallizes readily and produces a variety of crystal forms, only one was found to be suitable for X-ray studies. It is monoclinic (C2, a = 92.8 Å, b = 128.9 Å, c = 78.3 Å, β = 135.8) with two molecules in the asymmetric unit related by a noncrystallographic diad. The prolipase crystals are orthorhombic (P2₁2₁2₁, with a = 79.8 Å, b = 115.2 Å, c = 73.0 Å) and also contain a pair of molecules in the asymmetric unit. Initial results of molecular replacement calculations using the refined coordinates of the related lipase from Rhizomucor miehei identified the correct orientations and positions of the protein molecules in the unit cells of crystals of both proenzyme and the mature form. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Conformation of the flexible bent helix of Leu1-zervamicin in crystal C and a possible gating action for ion passage

The membrane channel-forming polypeptide, Leu¹-zervamicin, Ac-Leu-Ile-Gln-Iva-Ile⁵-Thr-Aib-Leu-Aib-Hyp¹⁰-Gln-Aib-Hyp-Aib-Pro¹⁵-Phol (Aib: α-aminoisobutyric acid; Iva: isovaline; Hyp: 4-hydroxyproline; Phol: phenylalininol) has been analyzed by x-ray diffraction in a third crystal form. Although the bent helix is quite similar to the conformations found in crystals A and B, the amount of bending is more severe with a bending angle ≈ 47°. The water channel formed by the convex polar faces of neighboring helices is larger at the mouth than in crystals A and B, and the water sites have become disordered. The channel is interrupted in the middle by a hydrogen bond between the OH of Hyp (10) and the NH₂ of the Gln (11) of a neighboring molecule. The side chain of Gln (11) is wrapped around the helix backbone in an unusual fashion in order that it can augment the polar side of the helix. In the present crystal C there appears to be an additional conformation for the Gln (11) side chain (with ≈ 20% occupancy) that opens the channel for possible ion passage. Structure parameters for C₈₅H₁₄₀N₁₈O₂₂ · xH₂O · C₂H₅OH are space group P2₁2₁2₁, a = 10.337(2) Å, b = 28.387(7) Å, c = 39.864(11) Å, Z = 4, agreement factor R = 12.99% for 3250 data observed > 3σ(F), resolution = 1.2 Å. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of formylmethanofuran: Tetrahydromethanopterin formyltransferase from Methanopyrus kandleri

Formylmethanofuran:tetrahydromethanopterin formyltransferase from the hyperthermophilic methanogenic Archaeon Methanopyrus kandleri (growth temperature optimum 98°C) was crystallized by vapor diffusion methods. Crystal form M obtained with 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol as precipitant displayed the space group P2₁ with unit cell parameters of a = 87.0 Å, b = 75.4 Å, c = 104.7 Å, and β = 113.9° and diffracted better than 2 Å resolution. Crystal form P grown from polyethylene glycol 8000 belonged to the space group I4₁22 and had unit cell parameters of 157.5 Å and 242.1 Å. Diffraction data to 1.73 Å were recorded. Crystal form S which was crystallized from (NH₄)₂SO₄in the space group I4₁22 with unit cell parameters of 151.3 Å and 249.5 Å diffracted at least to 2.2 Å resolution. All crystal forms probably have four molecules per asymmetric unit and are suitable for X-ray structure analysis. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Dilute solution of amylose in dimethylsuldoxide

Measurements of light scatting, sedimentation equilibrium, sedimentation velocity, and viscosity were carried out on fractions of native amylose in dimethylsulfoxide at 25°C. The data for statistical radius as a function of weight-average molecular weight M_w suggested a stiff nature of this biopolymer in the solvent studied when interpreted in terms of Kirste's recent calculations with a stiff chain model. The data for sedimentation coefficient were consistent with this suggestion, and when analyzed in terms of the theory Hearst and Stockmayer for wormlike chain, a value of 233 Ų was obtainedd for a/λ, where a is the length of a monomer unit projected on the chain axis and (2λ)^?1is the persistence length of the wormlike chain. The intrinsic viscosity data gave a high a value as 0.91 for the exoponent in the Houwink-Mark-Sakuarada equation, in Substantial agreement with Cowie's prenious work. We attempted to interpret these data by use of the Eizner-Ptitsyn equation for wormlike chains, with omission of the free-drainage term and introduction of the a/λ value obtained from sedimentation data. It was found that, except in the region of M_w above one million, the observed values were fitted well by the E-P theory with a = 1.4 Å and (2λ)^?1 = 87 Å. The disagreement in the high-molecular-weight region was tentatively attributed to excluded volume effect. The a value obtained suggests that the molecular conformation of amylose in dimethylsulfoxide is predominantly helical, in contrast to that of the same polymer in aqueous solutions of simple electrolyte. It was also found that a similar value of a was derived from our data for the second virial coefficient and partial specific volume if the molecule was assumed to be essentially rodlike.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction data of two heparin-binding fragments of human fibronectin

Two different heparin-binding fragments of human fibronectin have been crystallized in forms which are suitable for crystal structure analyses. The 30 kDa hep-2A fragment, consisting of type III domains 12–14, was crystallized from solutions containing ammonium sulfate or polyethylene glycol 6000. The crystals grown in ammonium sulfate solutions were orthorhombic with space group I222 or I2₁2₁2₁ with a = 68.1 Å, b = 88.6 Å, and c = 144.9 Å. The crystals grown in polyethylene glycol solutions are hexagonal with space group P6₁22 or P6₅22 witha a = b = 66.7 Å and c = 245.7 Å. The 40 kDa hep-2B fragment, consisting of type III domains 12–15, was also crystallized from solutions containing ammonium sulfate with the addition of glycerol. Glycerol proved an effective agent for reducing the number of crystals in the crystallization experiments, and thus, increasing the size of the crystals in these experiments. This crystal form is nearly isomorphous to the orthorhombic form of the hep-2A fragment with space group I222 or I2₁2₁2₁ and a = 67.5 Å, b = 87.0 Å, and c = 144.3 Å. All crystal forms diffract to at least 3.5 Å resolution and contain a single molecule in the asymmetric unit. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of RepA1, a replication control protein of the RepFIC replicon of enterotoxin plasmid EntP307

RepA1 protein is essential for replication of the RepFIC replicon of enterotoxin plasmid EntP307 and is thought to interact directly with the origin of replication. We have purified RepA1 from an over-producing expression system and have prepared single crystals using a macroseeding technique. The crystals belong to space group P2₁2₁2₁ or P2₁2₁2, with cell dimensions a = 61 Å, b = 67 Å, and c = 243 Å. They diffract X-rays to 3.3 Å resolution and probably contain two 40,000 molecular weight RepA1 molecules per asymmetric unit. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Fermenter production of an artificial fab fragment,rationally designed for the antigen cystatin,and its optimized crystallization through constant domain shuffling

The synthetic antibody model “M41” was rationally designed with a binding site complementary to chicken egg white cystatin as the prescribed antigen. In order to permit comparison between the computer model and an experimental three-dimensional structure of the artificial protein, its X-ray crystallographic analysis was pursued. For this purpose, M41 was expressed as a recombinant Fab fragment in E. coli by medium cell density fermentation employing the tightly regulated tetracycline promoter. The Fab fragment was efficiently purified via a His-6 tail fused to its heavy chain and immobilized metal affinity chromatography. To raise the chances for the productive formation of crystal packing contacts, three versions of the Fab fragment were generated with differing constant domains. One of these, the variant with murine C_K and C_H 1_γ1 domains, was successfully crystallized by microseeding in a sitting drop. The orthorhombic crystals exhibited symmetry of the space group P2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell dimensions a = 104.7 Å, b = 113.9 Å, c = 98.8 Å and diffracted X-rays to a nominal resolution of 2.5 Å. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.