Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of a bacterial tyrosinase from Bacillus megaterium

Tyrosinases are type 3 copper enzymes that are involved in the production of melanin and have two copper ions in the active site. Here, the crystallization and primary analysis of a tyrosinase from Bacillus megaterium is reported. The purified protein was crystallized in the absence or presence of zinc ions and the crystals diffracted to a resolution of 2.0 Å. Crystals obtained in the presence of zinc belonged to space group P2₁2₁2₁, while crystals grown in the absence of zinc belonged to space group P2₁. In both space groups the asymmetric unit contained a dimer, with minor differences in the crystal density and in packing interactions.