title: Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction characterisation of both a native and selenomethionyl VLA-4 binding fragment of VCAM-1.
abstract: Soluble fragments of the extracellular region of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) expressed in Escherichia coli retain functional adhesive activity. An integrin (VLA-4) binding fragment consisting of the N-terminal two immunoglobulin-like domains (VCAM-d1,2) has been crystallized. The crystals belong to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with cell dimensions of a = 52.7 A, b = 66.5 A, c = 113.2 A and contain two molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. A batch of protein produced in the standard E. coli strain (HW1110), but grown in the presence of selenomethionine enriched media, showed 85% incorporation of selenium in place of sulphur at methionine residues. The selenomethionyl VCAM-d1,2 was crystallized by microseeding techniques initially using the native crystals for nucleation. Both native and selenomethionyl crystals diffract X-rays to a minimum Bragg spacing of 1.8 A.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, U.K.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bottomley
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Driscoll
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harlos
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Aplin
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Dudgeon
mesh_terms: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000737:chemistry*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D012645:Selenomethionine / Q000737:chemistry; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016023:Integrins; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D012645:Selenomethionine