Crystallization and crystal properties of squid rhodopsin

Rhodopsin, a photoreceptor membrane protein in the retina, is a prototypical member of the G-protein-coupled receptor family. In this study, rhodopsin from the retina of the squid Todarodes pacificus was treated with V8 protease to remove the C-terminal extension. Truncated rhodopsin was selectively extracted from the microvillar membranes using alkyl glucoside in the presence of zinc ions and was then crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. Of the various crystals obtained, hexagonal crystals grown in the presence of octylglucoside and ammonium sulfate diffracted to 2.8 Å resolution. The diffraction data suggested that the crystal belongs to space group P6₂, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 122.1, c = 158.6 Å. Preliminary crystallographic analysis, together with linear dichroism results, suggested that the rhodopsin dimers are packed in such a manner that their transmembrane helices are aligned nearly parallel to the c axis.