title: Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the human respiratory syncytial virus nucleocapsid protein.
abstract: Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) has a nonsegmented negative-stranded RNA genome which is encapsidated by the HRSV nucleocapsid protein (HRSVN) that is essential for viral replication. HRSV is a common cause of respiratory infection in infants, yet no effective antiviral drugs to combat it are available. Recent data from an experimental anti-HRSV compound, RSV-604, indicate that HRSVN could be the target site for drug action. Here, the expression, purification and preliminary data collection of decameric HRSVN as well as monomeric N-terminally truncated HRSVN mutants are reported. Two different crystal forms of full-length selenomethionine-labelled HRSVN were obtained that diffracted to 3.6 and approximately 5 A resolution and belonged to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 133.6, b = 149.9, c = 255.1 A, and space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 175.1, b = 162.6, c = 242.8 A, beta = 90.1 degrees , respectively. For unlabelled HRSVN, only crystals belonging to space group P2(1) were obtained that diffracted to 3.6 A. A self-rotation function using data from the orthorhombic crystal form confirmed the presence of tenfold noncrystallographic symmetry, which is in agreement with a reported electron-microscopic reconstruction of HRSVN. Monomeric HRSVN generated by N-terminal truncation was designed to assist in structure determination by reducing the size of the asymmetric unit. Whilst such HRSVN mutants were monomeric in solution and crystallized in a different space group, the size of the asymmetric unit was not reduced.
authors.affiliation: Division of Structural Biology, The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, England.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: El Omari
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dhaliwal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: N G A
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Abrescia
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Budworth
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lockyer
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Stammers
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins