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The C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) and Csk-homologous kinase (CHK) are endogenous inhibitors of the proto-oncogenic Src family of protein tyrosine kinases (SFKs). Phosphotyrosyl peptide binding to their Src-homology 2 (SH2) domains activates Csk and CHK, enhancing their ability to suppress SFK signalling; however, the detailed mechanistic basis of this activation event is unclear. The CHK SH2 was expressed in Escherichia coli and the purified protein was characterized as monomeric by synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering in-line with size-exclusion chromatography. The CHK SH2 crystallized in 0.2 M sodium bromide, 0.1 M bis-Tris propane pH 6.5 and 20% polyethylene glycol 3350 and the best crystals diffracted to ∼1.6 Å resolution. The crystals belonged to space group P2, with unit-cell parameters a = 25.8, b = 34.6, c = 63.2 Å, β = 99.4°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty-acid binding proteins (FABPs) are abundantly expressed proteins that bind a range of lipophilic molecules. They have been implicated in the import and intracellular distribution of their ligands and have been linked with metabolic and inflammatory responses in the cells in which they are expressed. Despite their high sequence identity, human intestinal FABP (hIFABP) and rat intestinal FABP (rIFABP) bind some ligands with different affinities. In order to address the structural basis of this differential binding, diffraction-quality crystals have been obtained of hIFABP and rIFABP in complex with the fluorescent fatty-acid analogue 11-(dansylamino)undecanoic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS) is an oligomeric enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step of the lysine-biosynthesis pathway in plants and bacteria, which yields essential building blocks for cell-wall and protein synthesis. DHDPS is therefore of interest to drug-discovery research as well as to studies that probe the importance of quaternary structure to protein function, stability and dynamics. Accordingly, DHDPS from the psychrophilic (cold-dwelling) organism Shewanella benthica ( Sb-DHDPS) was cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized. The best crystals of Sb-DHDPS were grown in 200 m M ammonium sulfate, 100 m M bis-tris pH 5.0-6.0, 23-26%( w/ v) PEG 3350, 0.02%( w/ v) sodium azide and diffracted to beyond 2.5 Å resolution. Processing of diffraction data to 2.5 Å resolution resulted in a unit cell with space group P212121 and dimensions a = 73.1, b = 84.0, c = 143.7 Å. These studies of the first DHDPS enzyme to be characterized from a bacterial psychrophile will provide insight into the molecular evolution of enzyme structure and dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydrodipicolinate reductase (DHDPR; EC 1.3.1.26) catalyzes the nucleotide (NADH/NADPH) dependent second step of the lysine-biosynthesis pathway in bacteria and plants. Here, the cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of DHDPR from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA-DHDPR) are presented. The enzyme was crystallized in a number of forms, predominantly with ammonium sulfate as a precipitant, with the best crystal form diffracting to beyond 3.65 Å resolution. Crystal structures of the apo form as well as of cofactor (NADPH) bound and inhibitor (2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate) bound forms of MRSA-DHDPR will provide insight into the structure and function of this essential enzyme and valid drug target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS; EC 4.2.1.52) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the ( S)-lysine biosynthesis pathway of bacteria and plants. Here, the cloning of the DHDPS gene from a clinical isolate of Streptococcus pneumoniae (OXC141 strain) and the strategy used to express, purify and crystallize the recombinant enzyme are described. Diffracting crystals were grown in high-molecular-weight PEG precipitants using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The best crystal, from which data were collected, diffracted to beyond 2.0 Å resolution. Initially, the crystals were thought to belong to space group P42212, with unit-cell parameters a = 105.5, b = 105.5, c = 62.4 Å. However, the R factors remained high following initial processing of the data. It was subsequently shown that the data set was twinned and it was thus reprocessed in space group P2, resulting in a significant reduction in the R factors. Determination of the structure will provide insight into the design of novel antimicrobial agents targeting this important enzyme from S. pneumoniae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS) catalyses the first committed step in the lysine-biosynthesis pathway in bacteria, plants and some fungi. In this study, the expression of DHDPS from Bacillus anthracis ( Ba-DHDPS) and the purification of the recombinant enzyme in the absence and presence of the substrate pyruvate are described. It is shown that DHDPS from B. anthracis purified in the presence of pyruvate yields greater amounts of recombinant enzyme with more than 20-fold greater specific activity compared with the enzyme purified in the absence of substrate. It was therefore sought to crystallize Ba-DHDPS in the presence of the substrate. Pyruvate was soaked into crystals of Ba-DHDPS prepared in 0.2 M sodium fluoride, 20%( w/ v) PEG 3350 and 0.1 M bis-tris propane pH 8.0. Preliminary X-ray diffraction data of the recombinant enzyme soaked with pyruvate at a resolution of 2.15 Å are presented. The pending crystal structure of the pyruvate-bound form of Ba-DHDPS will provide insight into the function and stability of this essential bacterial enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, as its cleavage generates the Aβ peptide that is toxic to cells. APP is able to bind Cu2+ and reduce it to Cu+ through its copper-binding domain (CuBD). The interaction between Cu2+ and APP leads to a decrease in Aβ production and to alleviation of the symptoms of the disease in mouse models. Structural studies of CuBD have been undertaken in order to better understand the mechanism behind the process. Here, the crystal structure of CuBD in the metal-free form determined to ultrahigh resolution (0.85 Å) is reported. The structure shows that the copper-binding residues of CuBD are rather rigid but that Met170, which is thought to be the electron source for Cu2+ reduction, adopts two different side-chain conformations. These observations shed light on the copper-binding and redox mechanisms of CuBD. The structure of CuBD at atomic resolution provides an accurate framework for structure-based design of molecules that will deplete Aβ production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an intracellular energy sensor that regulates metabolism in response to energy demand and supply by adjusting the ATP-generating and ATP-consuming pathways. AMPK potentially plays a critical role in diabetes and obesity as it is known to be activated by metforin and rosiglitazone, drugs used for the treatment of type II diabetes. AMPK is a heterotrimer composed of a catalytic α subunit and two regulatory subunits, β and γ. Mutations in the γ subunit are known to cause glycogen accumulation, leading to cardiac arrhythmias. Recently, a functional glycogen-binding domain (GBD) has been identified in the β subunit. Here, the crystallization of GBD in the presence of β-cyclodextrin is reported together with preliminary X-ray data analysis allowing the determination of the structure by single isomorphous replacement and threefold averaging using in-house X-ray data collected from a selenomethionine -substituted protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a group of multifunctional enzymes that are found in animals, plants and microorganisms. Their primary function is to remove toxins derived from exogenous sources or the products of metabolism from the cell. Mammalian GSTs have been extensively studied, in contrast to bacterial GSTs which have received relatively scant attention. A new class of GSTs called Chi has recently been identified in cyanobacteria. Chi GSTs exhibit a high glutathionylation activity towards isothiocyanates, compounds that are normally found in plants. Here, the crystallization of two GSTs are presented: TeGST produced by Thermosynechococcus elongates BP-1 and SeGST from Synechococcus elongates PCC 6301. Both enzymes formed crystals that diffracted to high resolution and appeared to be suitable for further X-ray diffraction studies. The structures of these GSTs may shed further light on the evolution of GST catalytic activity and in particular why these enzymes possess catalytic activity towards plant antimicrobial compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) plays an important role in regulating embryonic skeletal development and is abnormally regulated in the pathogenesis of skeletal complications observed with many cancers and osteoporosis. It exerts its action through binding to a G-protein-coupled seven-transmembrane cell-surface receptor (GPCR). Structurally, GPCRs are very difficult to study by X-ray crystallography. In this study, a monoclonal antibody Fab fragment which recognizes the same region of PTHrP as its receptor, PTH1R, was used to aid in the crystallization of PTHrP. The resultant protein complex was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method with polyethylene glycol as a precipitant. The crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group P21212, with unit-cell parameters a = 72.6, b = 96.3, c = 88.5 Å, and diffracted to 2.0 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation. The crystal structure will shed light on the nature of the key residues of PTHrP that interact with the antibody and will provide insights into how the antibody is able to discriminate between PTHrP and the related molecule parathyroid homone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis to near-atomic resolution of DHDPS from Clostridium botulinum crystallized in the presence of its substrate pyruvate are presented. The enzyme crystallized in a number of forms using a variety of PEG precipitants, with the best crystal diffracting to 1.2 Å resolution and belonging to space group C2, in contrast to the unbound form, which had trigonal symmetry. The unit-cell parameters were a = 143.4, b = 54.8, c = 94.3 Å, β = 126.3°. The crystal volume per protein weight ( VM) was 2.3 Å3 Da−1 (based on the presence of two monomers in the asymmetric unit), with an estimated solvent content of 46%. The high-resolution structure of the pyruvate-bound form of C. botulinum DHDPS will provide insight into the function and stability of this essential bacterial enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS; EC 4.2.1.52) has received considerable attention from both mechanistic and structural viewpoints. This enzyme, which is part of the diaminopimelate pathway leading to lysine, couples (S)-aspartate-β-semialdehyde with pyruvate via a Schiff base to a conserved active-site lysine. In this paper, the expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of DHDPS from Clostridium botulinum, an important bacterial pathogen, are presented. The enzyme was crystallized in a number of forms, predominantly using PEG precipitants, with the best crystal diffracting to beyond 1.9 Å resolution and displaying P4211 symmetry. The unit-cell parameters were a = b = 92.9, c = 60.4 Å. The crystal volume per protein weight (VM-) was 2.07 ų Da-1, with an estimated solvent content of 41%. The structure of the enzyme will help guide the design of novel therapeutics against theC. botulinum pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chloride intracellular channel (CLIC) family of proteins are unusual in that they can exist in either an integral membrane-channel form or a soluble form. Here, the expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary diffraction analysis of CLIC2, one of the least-studied members of this family, are reported. Human CLIC2 was crystallized in two different forms, both in the presence of reduced glutathione and both of which diffracted to better than 1.9 Å resolution. Crystal form A displayed P212121 symmetry, with unit-cell parameters a = 44.0, b = 74.7, c = 79.8 Å. Crystal form B displayed P21 symmetry, with unit-cell parameters a = 36.0, b = 66.9, c = 44.1 Å. Structure determination will shed more light on the structure and function of this enigmatic family of proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease is thought to be triggered by production of the amyloid β (Aβ) peptide through proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The binding of Cu2+ to the copper-binding domain (CuBD) of APP reduces the production of Aβ in cell-culture and animal studies. It is expected that structural studies of the CuBD will lead to a better understanding of how copper binding causes Aβ depletion and will define a potential drug target. The crystallization of CuBD in two different forms suitable for structure determination is reported here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]