Enhancing ubiquitin crystallization through surface-entropy reduction

All seven possible single-site lysine-to-serine mutations of ubiquitin were tested for crystallization behavior and were found to yield crystallization `hit rates' varying by two orders of magnitude. High-resolution structures of three mutants revealed that mutations can exert both promoting and permissive effects on crystallization.

Membrane proteins, detergents and crystals: what is the state of the art?

In the last three decades, membrane-protein crystallization has changed from overwhelmingly difficult to nearly routine. This review offers a snapshot of the current state of the art, focusing particularly on the role of detergents in this process.