Cloning, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic study of calcium-binding protein 5 from Entamoeba histolytica

Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of human amoebiasis. Phagocytosis is the major route of food intake by this parasite and is responsible for its virulence. Calcium and calcium-binding proteins play major roles in its phagocytosis. Calcium-binding protein 5 from E. histolytica (EhCaBP5) is a cytoplasmic protein; its expression is very sensitive to serum starvation and it seems to be involved in binding to myosin I. In this study, EhCaBP5 was cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using affinity and size-exclusion chromatography. The purified protein crystallized in space group C222 and the crystals diffracted to 2 Å resolution. The Matthews coefficient indicated the presence of one molecule in the asymmetric unit, with a V_M of 2.35 Å³ Da^-1 and a solvent content of 47.7%.