Preliminary neutron crystallographic analysis of selectively CH3-protonated deuterated rubredoxin from Pyrococcus furiosus

Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun. 2008 Jun 1;64(Pt 6):537-40. doi: 10.1107/S1744309108013997. Epub 2008 May 24.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Cysteine / chemistry
  • Deuterium Exchange Measurement
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Iron / chemistry
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neutron Diffraction
  • Protons
  • Pyrococcus furiosus / chemistry*
  • Pyrococcus furiosus / genetics
  • Pyrococcus furiosus / isolation & purification
  • Rubredoxins / chemistry*
  • Rubredoxins / isolation & purification
  • Sulfur / chemistry

Substances

  • Protons
  • Rubredoxins
  • Sulfur
  • Iron
  • Cysteine