Preliminary neutron crystallographic analysis of selectively CH3-protonated deuterated rubredoxin from Pyrococcus furiosus.
Neutron crystallography is used to locate H atoms in biological materials and can distinguish between negatively scattering hydrogen-substituted and positively scattering deuterium-substituted positions in isomorphous neutron structures. Recently, Hauptman & Langs (2003; Acta Cryst. A59, 250-254) have shown that neutron diffraction data can be used to solve macromolecular structures by direct methods and that solution is aided by the presence of negatively scattering H atoms in the structure. Selective-labeling protocols allow the design and production of H/D-labeled macromolecular structures in which the ratio of H to D atoms can be precisely controlled. Methyl selective-labeling protocols were applied to introduce (1H-delta methyl)-leucine and (1H-gamma methyl)-valine into deuterated rubredoxin from Pyrococcus furiosus (PfRd). Here, the production, crystallization and preliminary neutron analysis of a selectively CH3-protonated deuterated PfRd sample, which provided a high-quality neutron data set that extended to 1.75 A resolution using the new LADI-III instrument at the Institut Laue-Langevin, are reported. Preliminary analysis of neutron density maps allows unambiguous assignment of the positions of H atoms at the methyl groups of the valine and leucine residues in the otherwise deuterated rubredoxin structure.
Weiss
K L
KL
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Chemical Sciences Division, Center for Structural Molecular Biology, PO Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
Meilleur
F
F
Blakeley
M P
MP
Myles
D A A
DA
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry; D041961:Deuterium Exchange Measurement; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D033363:Neutron Diffraction; D011522:Protons; D020027:Pyrococcus furiosus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012416:Rubredoxins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry
D011522:Protons; D012416:Rubredoxins; D013455:Sulfur; D007501:Iron; D003545:Cysteine