Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the motor domain of human kinetochore-associated protein CENP-E using an automated crystallization procedure

Human centromere-associated protein E, a member of the kinesin superfamily, is a microtubule-dependent motor protein involved in cell division that has been localized transiently to the kinetochore. The protein is thought to be responsible for the correct attachment and positioning of chromosomes to the mitotic spindle during the metaphase. The 312 kDa protein comprises four different domains. In this study, the focus was on the N-terminal motor domain, which includes the ATP-binding site and a region for microtubule binding. Crystals of the CENP-E motor domain have been obtained by high-throughput crystallization screening using an automated TECAN crystallization robot. The crystals (737 × 132 × 79 µm) belong to the space group P2₁, with unit-cell parameters a = 49.35, b =  83.70, c = 94.16 Å, β = 103.05°. They diffract to 2.1 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation.