Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the sexual stage-specific protein Pfg27 from Plasmodium falciparum

To aid studies in understanding gametocytogenesis in P. falciparum, Pfg27 has been expressed and purified yielding ∼5 mg l⁻¹ of purified protein in soluble form. This protein has been crystallized by the hanging-drop vapor diffusion method using PEG 8000 as a precipitant. Native diffraction data were collected under cryogenic conditions, and phase resolution by selenium-methionine aided multiple-wavelength anomalous dispersion technique is in progress.