Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the Tet-repressor/operator complex

Three crystal forms of the repressor protein TetR class D in complex with the palindromic 17 bp operator sequence containing T overhangs on both sides were obtained by hanging-drop vapor-diffusion methods using PEG 4000 and PEG monomethylether 5000 as precipitants. Although the crystallization conditions were very similar, up to three different crystal forms were observed in the same drop. The space groups are monoclinic C2, P2₁ and hexagonal P6₁22. The asymmetric units of the latter two crystal forms contain one repressor-operator complex. The crystal structures of these forms were solved by molecular replacement using the Tet-repressor molecule of the complex with tetracycline as a search model.