Erwinia tasmaniensis levansucrase shows enantiomer selection for (S)-1,2,4-butanetriol

Levansucrases are useful tools in biotechnology for the synthesis of fructosyl glycosides. The structure of Erwinia tasmaniensis levansucrase in complex with (S)-1,2,4-butanetriol suggests a possible influence of polyols with defined stereocentres in the modulation of fructosylation.

Variations on a theme: crystal forms of the amino-acid transporter MhsT

An unusual case of protein–substrate complexes that were obtained under similar conditions but contain different packing arrangements is reported. The crystals exhibit a combination of various crystal imperfections (pseudosymmetry, twinning and translational non­crystallographic symmetry), masking the true crystal symmetry and challenging data processing and structure determination.

Crystal structures of glutamyl-tRNA synthetase from Elizabethkingia anopheles and E. meningosepticum

Elizabethkingia bacteria cause opportunistic infections in neonates, the elderly and the immunocompromised with mortality rates of up to 40%. The high-resolution structures of glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS) from E. meningosepticum and E. anopheles reveal similarities to bacterial GluRSs that can be exploited to accelerate rational drug discovery for these globally important emerging infectious Gram-negative bacteria.