A base-flipping mechanism for the T4 phage beta-glucosyltransferase and identification of a transition-state analog

T4 phage beta-glucosyltransferase (BGT) modifies T4 DNA. We crystallized BGT with UDP-glucose and a 13mer DNA fragment containing an abasic site. We obtained two crystal structures of a ternary complex BGT-UDP-DNA at 1.8A and 2.5A resolution, one with a Tris molecule and the other with a metal ion at the active site. Both structures reveal a large distortion in the bound DNA. BGT flips the deoxyribose moiety at the abasic site to an extra-helical position and induces a 40 degrees bend in the DNA with a marked widening of the major groove. The Tris molecule mimics the glucose moiety in its transition state. The base-flipping mechanism, which has so far been observed only for glycosylases, methyltransferases and endonucleases, is now reported for a glucosyltransferase. BGT is unique in binding and inserting a loop into the DNA duplex through the major groove only. Furthermore, BGT compresses the backbone DNA one base further than the target base on the 3'-side.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of recombinant murine interferon-beta

Recombinant murine interferon-beta produced in Escherichia coli was purified and crystallized in an orthorhombic space group C222(1) with a = 61.67 A, b = 55.62 A, and c = 92.16 A. The crystals with a slight tendency for orientational disorder around the c axis diffract at least up to 3.3-A resolution. The crystallizability and the fact that the crystallographic asymmetric unit contains only one molecule of murine interferon-beta strongly indicate that the present preparation (Matsuda, S., Utsumi, J., and Kawano, G. (1986) J. Interferon Res., in press) of recombinant murine interferon-beta is predominantly homogeneous with respect to chemical, tertiary, and quaternary structures.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of soybean agglutinin

Soybean agglutinin crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2 with unit cell dimensions $\text{a = 118.6}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, b = 88.9}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, c = 165.9}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, β = 103.0 °}$ and one tetramer of 120,000 M_r per asymmetric unit. The crystals are suitable for high-resolution work.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of antigen--antibody complexes

Monoclonal antibodies of predefined specificity have been purified and crystallized as single components or complexed with their specific antigens. The intersegmental flexibility of antibody molecules has imposed the strategy of attempting to crystallize their Fab fragments separately. Intrasegmental mobility in Fabs has rarely been an obstacle to their crystallization. The immune system, however, provides a large functional and structural diversity of antibody molecules suitable for crystallization and X-ray diffraction studies.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductase.

The overexpression and purification of the second enzyme in Escherichia coli peptidoglycan biosynthesis, UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductase (MurB), provided sufficient protein to undertake crystallization and X-ray crystallographic studies of the enzyme. MurB crystallizes in 14-20% PEG 8000, 100 mM sodium cacodylate, pH 8.0, and 200 mM calcium acetate in the presence of its substrate UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvate. Crystals of MurB belong to the tetragonal space group P4(1)2(1)2 with a = b = 49.6 A, c = 263.2 A, and alpha = beta = gamma = 90 degrees at -160 degrees C and diffract to at least 2.5 A. Screening for heavy atom derivatives has yielded a single site that is reactive with both methylmercury nitrate and Thimerosal.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of human recombinant interleukin-2

Two different forms of crystals (potentially) suitable for x-ray structure analysis were obtained for recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2) using ammonium sulfate as a precipitant in the pH range of 6.3-7.3 (in the case of hexagonal bipyramidal crystals) and 4.5-5.5 (in the case of plate crystals). The hexagonal bipyramidal crystal belongs to a hexagonal space group P6(2)22 or P6(4)22 with a = b = 105.8 A and c = 122.2 A. The crystal diffracts up to 3.4 A resolution and contains 2 or 3 IL-2 molecules in an asymmetric unit. The plate crystal belongs to an orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2 with a = 47.9 A, b = 79.6 A, and c = 31.9 A. The crystal diffracts up to 2.5 A resolution and contains only 1 IL-2 molecule in an asymmetric unit. These facts reconfirmed crystallographically the high homogeneity of the present preparation of human recombinant IL-2.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of Bacillus pumilus IPO xylanase

The xylan-degrading enzyme xylanase, from Bacillus pumilus IPO, has been crystallized. The crystals are monoclinic, space group P21 with a = 40.8 A, b = 66.8 A, c = 34.7 A and beta = 103.0 degrees. The asymmetric unit contains one molecule of Mr 22,500. The crystals diffract to at least 2.5 A resolution, and they are suitable for X-ray crystal structure analysis at high resolution.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of tobacco necrosis virus

Tobacco necrosis virus is a spherical plant virus consisting of 180 copies of coat protein and a single-stranded RNA. The virus has been crystallized in cubic space group P4(2)32 with a = 338 A. The locations and the orientations of the two virus particles in the unit cell have been determined on the basis of the symmetries of both the particle and the crystal. The crystal diffracts X-rays to at least 2.5 A resolution and is quite stable to X-ray beams (1 A = 0.1 nm).     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of Escherichia coli glycerol kinase

Escherichia coli glycerol kinase, a major regulatory enzyme which catalyzes the reversible MgATP-dependent phosphorylation of glycerol has been crystallized by the hanging drop vapor diffusion method at room temperature. Three different crystal forms have been obtained in the presence of glycerol and appear to be suitable for X-ray crystallographic studies. Vapor diffusion against 55% ammonium sulfate and 1% beta-octyl glucoside (pH 7.0) yields rhombohedral crystals with space group R32, a = b = 277.1 A, c = 78.7 A (hexagonal indexing) containing a dimer of Mr 112,000 in the asymmetric unit (Vm = 2.64 A3/dalton). Vapor diffusion against sodium chloride in the presence of 10% (w/v) polyethylene glycol (pH 6.5 to 7.0) yields two different crystal forms, both with space group P2(1). The first form has a = 88.1 A, b = 99.3 A, c = 114.6 A, beta = 119 degrees, the second form has a = 92.5 A, b = 117.6 A, c = 108.3 A, beta = 93.64 degrees. Addition of ADP enhances growth of the monoclinic forms. These forms appear to contain an entire tetramer of Mr 224,000 in the asymmetric unit and have Vm values of 2.28 and 2.65 A3/dalton, respectively. All forms diffract to better than 3.0 A resolution while the second monoclinic form diffracts to approximately 1.8 A.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of dogfish C-reactive protein

Crystals of dogfish (Mustelus canis) C-reactive protein were obtained through vapor phase equilibration using the sitting drop rod technique with ammonium sulfate as the precipitating agent. The space group was determined to be P1 (triclinic lattice) with unit cell dimensions of a = 82.91, b = 92.25 and c = 103.40 Å; α = 83.36°, β = 89.76°, and γ = 81.30°. These crystals diffract to about 2.6 Å resolution and contain two hexamers in the asymmetric unit. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of human vascular anticoagulant protein

The human vascular anticoagulant protein, a 36 kDa member of the annexin/lipocortin family, has been crystallized using polyethylene glycol 20,000, by the vapour diffusion method. The crystals are monoclinic, space group P2(1), cell dimensions a = 83.9 A, b = 80.9 A, c = 71.4 A, beta = 108.7 degrees and diffract to at least 2.2 A resolution.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies on human epidermal growth factor

Single crystals of human epidermal growth factor have been prepared from a polyethylene glycol solution and characterized by X-ray diffraction. The crystals grow in a space group of P2(1) with unit cell dimensions of a = 32.7, b = 32.5, c = 22.3 A, and beta = 96.9 degrees. They contain a single molecule per asymmetric unit and show better diffraction than 2.5 A.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies on Sulfolobus acidocaldarius ferredoxin.

Ferredoxin from a thermoacidophilic archaebacterium, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, has been crystallized. The space group is P4(3)2(1)2 or P4(1)2(1)2 and the cell dimensions are a = b = 50.12 A and c = 69.52 A. The Vm value is calculated to be 1.88 A3/Da, assuming one molecule per asymmetric unit. The crystal diffracts X-rays beyond 2.0 A resolution.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray investigation of recombinant human interleukin 4

Crystals of recombinant human interleukin 4 have been grown from solutions of ammonium sulfate. The crystals are tetragonal, space-group P4(1)2(1)2 or P4(3)2(1)2; the unit cell axes are a = 92.2(1) A and c = 46.4(1) A. The crystals are stable to X-rays for at least three days and diffract beyond 2.8 A resolution. The crystals contain approximately 63% solvent, assuming there is one molecule in the asymmetric unit.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of human placental annexin IV

Human placental annexin IV, a member of the annexin family of calcium and phospholipid-binding proteins, has been crystallized by the vapour diffusion method in the presence of calcium, using polyethylene glycol 8000. The crystals are orthorhombic, space C222(1), cell dimensions a = 105.4 A, b = 115.7 A, c = 80.7 A and diffract to at least 2.5 A resolution on a synchrotron source.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of coxsackievirus B1.

Preparations of coxsackievirus B1 (CVB1) derived from an infectious cDNA clone have been crystallized in multiple crystal forms. Using high intensity synchrotron radiation, an orthorhombic form of the crystals was shown to diffract X-rays to at least 2.9 A resolution. The unit cell has a primitive lattice with dimensions a = 323 A, b = 450 A, and c = 522 A. A crystallographic asymmetric unit of these CVB1 crystals probably contains an entire virus particle, implying the presence of 60-fold non-crystallographic redundancy. This CVB1 crystal form appears to be suitable for high-resolution structure determination by X-ray crystallography.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of mandelonitrile lyase from almonds

Single crystals of three different isoenzymes of (R)?(+) mandelonitrile lyase (hydroxynitrile lyase) from almonds (Prunus amygdalus) have been obtained by hanging drop vapor diffusion using polyethylene glycol 4000 and isopropanol as co-precipitants. The crystals belong to the monoclinic space group P2_l with unit cell parameters a = 69.9, b = 95.1, c = 95.6 Å, and β = 118.5°. A complete set of diffraction data has been collected to 2.6 Å resolution on native crystals of isoenzyme III. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of D-serine dehydratase from Escherichia coli

Single crystals of D-serine dehydratase from Escherichia coli complexed with 3-amino-2-hydroxypropionate have been obtained from ammonium sulfate solution (pH 7.0) by vapor diffusion. The crystals belong to the trigonal space group P3(1) or P3(2) with a = b = 81.3 A and c = 58.4 A. The asymmetric unit cell contains one protein molecule with Mr = 48,289. The crystals diffract to at least 3.0 A resolution and are suitable for X-ray structure analysis.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of human salivary alpha-amylase.

Nonglycosylated alpha-amylase, a major component of human parotid saliva, has been crystallized by the vapor diffusion technique using 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol as the precipitant in the presence of CaCl2 at pH 9.0. The crystals are orthorhombic, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell dimensions of a = 53.3, b = 75.8, and c = 138.1 A. The asymmetric unit contains one amylase molecule. The solvent content is 54%. The crystals are stable to X-rays and diffract up to 2.8 A and appear to be suitable for X-ray diffraction studies.