Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of a novel wild-type blue fluorescent protein from Vibrio vulnificus CKM-1

The use of green fluorescent protein (GFP) for non-invasive in vivo imaging is limited to aerobic systems, as chromophore formation requires oxygen. However, a novel NADPH-dependent blue fluorescent protein from Vibrio vulnificus CKM-1 (BFPvv) that emits blue fluorescence in both aerobic and anaerobic systems has recently been discovered. Wild-type BFPvv was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The resulting BFPvv crystals diffracted to a resolution of 1.9 Å and belonged to space group P3, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 96.62, c = 214.511 Å. Assuming the presence of eight molecules in the unit cell, the solvent content was estimated to be ∼56.16%.