Structure determination of LpxD from the lipopolysaccharide-synthesis pathway of Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative bacterium that is resistant to many currently available antibiotics. The protein LpxD is a component of the biosynthetic pathway for lipopolysaccharides in the outer membrane of this bacterium and is a potential target for new antibacterial agents. This paper describes the structure determination of apo forms of LpxD in space groups P2₁ and P4₃22. These crystals contained six and three copies of the protein molecule in the asymmetric unit and diffracted to 2.8 and 2.7 Å resolution, respectively. A comparison of the multiple protein copies in the asymmetric units of these crystals reveals a common protein conformation and a conformation in which the relative orientation between the two major domains in the protein is altered.