Crystals on the cover

Structure of HsaD, a steroid-degrading hydrolase, from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The structure of HsaD, a carbon–carbon bond serine hydrolase involved in steroid catabolism that is critical for the survival of M. tuberculosis inside human macrophages, has been solved by X-ray crystallography. Data were collected at the Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire, England: this paper describes one of the first structures determined at the new synchrotron.

The structure of melon necrotic spot virus determined at 2.8 Å resolution

The structure of melon necrotic spot virus is reported.

Semi-automated microseeding of nanolitre crystallization experiments

A procedure for microseeding into nanolitre crystallization drops is described with selected successful examples.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of SdiA from Escherichia coli

E. coli SdiA was overexpressed, purified and crystallized. The crystals belonged to the hexagonal space group P6₁22 or P6₅22 and diffracted to 2.7 Å resolution.

Overexpression, purification and crystallization of the tetrameric form of SorC sorbitol operon regulator

The sorbitol operon regulator from K. pneumoniae has been overexpressed in E. coli, purified and crystallized. Diffraction data were collected to 3.2 Å.

Characterization and crystallization of a recombinant IgE Fab fragment in complex with the bovine β-lactoglobulin allergen

The high-resolution mass-spectrometric characterization, crystallization and X-ray diffraction studies of a recombinant IgE Fab fragment in complex with bovine β-lactoglobulin are reported.

Overproduction, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the peroxiredoxin domain of a larger natural hybrid protein from Thermotoga maritima

Crystals of the peroxiredoxin domain of a larger natural hybrid protein from T. maritima were obtained which diffracted to 2.9 Å resolution on a synchrotron source.

Purification, identification and preliminary crystallographic studies of Pru du amandin, an allergenic protein from Prunus dulcis

The purification, identification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of an allergy-related protein, Pru du amandin, from P. dulcis nuts are reported.

Overproduction, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the putative L-ascorbate-6-phosphate lactonase UlaG from Escherichia coli

UlaG, the putative L-ascorbate-6-phosphate lactonase encoded by the ulaG gene from the utilization of L-ascorbate regulon in E. coli, has been cloned, overexpressed, purified using standard chromatographic techniques and crystallized in a monoclinic space group. Crystals were obtained by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method at 293 K. A data set diffracting to 3 Å resolution was collected from a single crystal at 100 K.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the catalytic domain of human flap endonuclease 1 in complex with a nicked DNA product: use of a DPCS kit for efficient protein–DNA complex crystallization

Human flap endonuclease 1 complexed with nicked DNA has been crystallized. A diffraction data set was collected to a resolution of 2.75 Å.

Expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of human paired Ig-like type 2 receptor α (PILRα)

Human paired Ig-like type 2 receptor α (PILRα) has been expressed, purified and crystallized. A diffraction data set has been collected to 1.3 Å resolution.

Preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of SMU.573, a putative sugar kinase from Streptococcus mutans

SMU.573 from S. mutans was expressed in E. coli and crystallized. The crystals belong to space group I4 and 2.5 Å resolution diffraction data were collected at an in-house chromium radiation source.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of an active-site mutant hydantoin racemase from Sinorhizobium meliloti CECT4114

Crystals of an active-site mutated hydantoin racemase from S. meliloti have been obtained in the presence and absence of D,L-5-isopropyl-hydantoin and characterized by X-ray diffraction.

Cleaved thioredoxin fusion protein enables the crystallization of poorly soluble ERα in complex with synthetic ligands

A new crystallization strategy: the presence of cleaved thioredoxin fusion is critical for crystallization of the estrogen nuclear receptor ligand binding domain in complex with synthetic ligands. This novel technique should be regarded as an interesting alternative for crystallization of difficult proteins.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of Acetivibrio cellulolyticus cellulosomal type II cohesin module: two versions having different linker lengths

The cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray characterization of two protein constructs of the second type II cohesin module from A. cellulolyticus ScaB are described. Both constructs contain the native N-terminal linker, but only one of them contains the full-length 45-residue C-terminal linker; the other contains a five-residue segment of this linker.

Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of DapA (Rv2753c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Corrigendum

A correction is made to the article by Kefala & Weiss [(2006), Acta Cryst. F62, 1116–1119].