Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the seryl-tRNA synthetase from Candida albicans

Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun. 2011 Jan 1;67(Pt 1):153-6. doi: 10.1107/S1744309110048542. Epub 2010 Dec 24.

Abstract

The seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS) from Candida albicans exists naturally as two isoforms resulting from ambiguity in the natural genetic code. Both enzymes were crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method using 3.2-3.4 M ammonium sulfate as precipitant. The crystals belonged to the hexagonal space group P6(1)22 and contained one monomer per asymmetric unit, despite the synthetase existing as a homodimer (with a molecular weight of ∼116 kDa) in solution. Diffraction data were collected to 2.0 Å resolution at a synchrotron source and the crystal structures of unliganded SerRS and of its complexes with ATP and with a seryl-adenylate analogue were solved by molecular replacement. The structure of C. albicans SerRS represents the first reported structure of a eukaryotic cytoplasmic SerRS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Candida albicans / enzymology*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Crystallization
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Enzyme Stability
  • Fungal Proteins / chemistry*
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / isolation & purification*
  • Isoenzymes / chemistry
  • Isoenzymes / genetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Serine-tRNA Ligase / chemistry*
  • Serine-tRNA Ligase / genetics
  • Serine-tRNA Ligase / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins
  • Isoenzymes
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Serine-tRNA Ligase