Acta Crystallographica Section F

Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications

Volume 62, Part 12 (December 2006)

crystallization communications

Acta Cryst. (2006). F62, 1255-1258 [ doi:10.1107/S1744309106047075 ]

Combining site-specific mutagenesis and seeding as a strategy to crystallize `difficult' proteins: the case of Staphylococcus aureus thioredoxin

G. Roos, E. Brosens, K. Wahni, A. Desmyter, S. Spinelli, L. Wyns, J. Messens and R. Loris

Abstract: The P31T mutant of Staphylococcus aureus thioredoxin crystallizes spontaneously in space group P2₁2₁2₁, with unit-cell parameters a = 41.7, b = 49.5, c = 55.6 Å. The crystals diffract to 2.2 Å resolution. Isomorphous crystals of wild-type thioredoxin as well as of other point mutants only grow when seeded with the P31T mutant. These results suggest seeding as a valuable tool complementing surface engineering for proteins that are hard to crystallize.

Keywords: thioredoxin; seeding; site-specific mutagenesis; mutants.