title: Preparation and initial characterization of crystals of the photoprotein aequorin from Aequorea victoria.
abstract: Crystals of recombinant aequorin, the photoprotein from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, have been grown from solutions containing sodium phosphate. The crystals grow as thin plates which diffract to beyond 2.2 A resolution. The crystals are orthorhombic, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1); the axes are a = 89.1(1), b = 88.4(1), and c = 52.7(1) A. The asymmetric unit contains two molecules. Crystals exposed to calcium ion solutions emit a steady glow and slowly deteriorate, confirming that the crystals consist of a charged, competent photoprotein. This represents the first successful preparation of single crystals of a photoprotein suitable for diffraction analysis.
authors.affiliation: Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375.
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Hannick
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Prasher
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Deschamps
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000331:Aequorin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D003460:Crystallization; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000331:Aequorin; D002118:Calcium