title: Recombinant production, crystallization and preliminary structural characterization of Schistosoma japonicum profilin.
abstract: Helminthic parasites of the genus Schistosoma contain a tegumental membrane, which is of crucial importance for modulation of the host immune response and parasite survival. The actin cytoskeleton plays an important role in the function of the tegument. Profilins are among the most important proteins regulating actin dynamics. Schistosoma japonicum possesses one profilin-like protein, which has been characterized as a potential vaccine candidate. Notably, profilins are highly immunogenic molecules in many organisms. Here, the profilin from S. japonicum was expressed, purified and crystallized. A native data set to 1.91 Å resolution and a single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) data set to a resolution of 2.2 Å were collected. The crystals belonged to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 31.82, b = 52.17, c = 59.79 Å and a = 35.29, b = 52.15, c = 59.82 Å, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestrasse 85, Bldg. 25b, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nele
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vervaet
authors.forename: Juha Pekka
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kallio
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salmivaara
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eberhardt
authors.forename: Shuangmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhongdao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Petri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kursula
authors.forename: Inari
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kursula
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003460:Crystallization; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D051304:Profilins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D017510:Protein Folding; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015801:Helminth Proteins; D051304:Profilins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
keywords: actin-binding proteins; circular-dichroism spectroscopy; cytoskeleton; parasites; profilin; schistosomiasis; tegument