Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of guanidinoacetate methyltransferase from rat liver

Guanidinoacetate methyltransferase is the enzyme which catalyzes the last step of creatine biosynthesis. The enzyme is found ubiquitously and in abundance in the livers of all vertebrates. Recombinant rat-liver guanidinoacetate methyltransferase has been crystallized with guanidinoacetate and S-adenosylhomocysteine. The crystals belong to the monoclinic space group P2₁, with unit-cell parameters a = 54.8, b = 162.5, c = 56.1 Å, β = 96.8 (1)° at 93 K, and typically diffract beyond 2.8 Å.