Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of AerF from Microcystis aeruginosa, a putative reductase participating in aeruginosin biosynthesis

The 2-carboxy-6-hydroxyoctahydroindole moiety is an essential residue for the antithrombotic activity of aeruginosins, which are a class of cyanobacteria-derived bioactive linear tetrapeptides. The biosynthetic pathway of the 2-carboxy-6-hydroxyoctahydroindole moiety has not yet been resolved. AerF was indicated to be involved in the biosynthesis of the 2-carboxy-6-hydroxyoctahydroindole moiety. This study reports the cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of AerF from Microcystis aeruginosa with a C-terminal His₆ tag. The crystal diffracted to a maximum resolution of 1.38 Å and belonged to the tetragonal space group P4₃22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 101.581, c = 116.094 Å. The calculated Matthews coefficient and solvent content of the crystal were 2.47 ų Da⁻¹ and 50.32%, respectively. The initial model of the structure was obtained by the molecular-replacement method and refinement of the structure is in progress.