Expression, purification and crystallization ofChaetomium thermophilumCu,Zn superoxide dismutase

Abstract

Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu,ZnSOD) from the thermophilic fungus Chaetomium thermophilum was expressed in Pichia pastoris and purified. Crystals were grown in over 120 conditions but only those produced with 1.4 M sodium potassium phosphate pH 8.2 as precipitant were suitable for structural studies. Data were collected to 1.9 Å resolution at 100 K from a single crystal using a synchrotron-radiation source. The crystals belonged to space group P6 1 / P6 5 , with unit-cell parameters a = 90.2, c = 314.5 Å and eight molecules in the asymmetric unit. Elucidation of the crystal structure will provide insights into the active site of the enzyme and a better understanding of the structure-activity relationship, assembly and thermal stability of Cu,ZnSODs.

Editorial

“…The crystals featured this year are from the following articles: Tagami et al, 2010;Bandeiras et al, 2010;Senda et al, 2010;Morimoto et al, 2010;Ogata et al, 2010;Pinho et al, 2010;Nuemket et al, 2010;Schwefel et al, 2010;Abeywickrema et al, 2010;Umeda et al, 2010;Chandran et al, 2010;Soulimane et al, 2010;Bahl et al, 2010;Wakadkar et al, 2010;Satomura et al, 2010;Hussey et al, 2010;Casutt et al, 2010;Rocha et al, 2010;Watson & O'Callaghan, 2010;Ferná ndez-Leiro et al, 2010;Sumida et al, 2010;Seyedarabi et al, 2010;Yang et al, 2010;and Khare et al, 2010. In anticipation of the 2012 cover, we would like to invite authors of crystallization communications to nominate their published photographs of crystals. If you would like to have a crystal picture we publish in 2011 considered as part of next year's January cover, please contact our Technical Editor, Louise Jones (lj@iucr.org) by e-mail with details.…”