Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic study of GenX, a lysyl-tRNA synthetase paralogue from Escherichia coli, in complex with translation elongation factor P

GenX, a lysyl-tRNA synthetase paralogue from Escherichia coli, was overexpressed in E. coli, purified by three chromatographic steps and cocrystallized with a lysyl adenylate analogue (LysAMS) by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using PEG 4000 as a precipitant. The GenX–LysAMS crystals belonged to the triclinic space group P1, with unit-cell parameters a = 54.80, b = 69.15, c = 94.08 Å, α = 95.47, β = 106.51, γ = 90.46°, and diffracted to 1.9 Å resolution. Furthermore, GenX was cocrystallized with translation elongation factor P (EF-­P), which is believed to be a putative substrate of GenX, and LysAMS using PEG 4000 and ammonium sulfate as precipitants. The GenX–EF-P–LysAMS crystals belonged to the monoclinic space group P2₁, with unit-cell parameters a = 105.93, b = 102.96, c = 119.94 Å, β = 99.4°, and diffracted to 2.5 Å resolution. Structure determination of the E. coli GenX–LysAMS and GenX–EF-P–LysAMS complexes by molecular replacement was successful and structure refinements are now in progress.