Expression, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic data analysis of VioD, a hydroxylase in the violacein-biosynthesis pathway

Violacein, a natural purple secondary metabolite, is sequentially biosynthesized by five enzymes in the following pathway: VioA–VioB–VioE–VioD–VioC. VioD, a flavin-dependent oxygenase, catalyzes the hydroxylation of the intermediate product prodeoxyviolaceinic acid (PVA) at the 5-position of one indole ring to yield proviolacein. In vitro biochemical data have revealed this process, but the catalytic mechanism still remains largely unclear. Here, the cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and diffraction of VioD are reported. Crystals of VioD diffracted to 1.7 Å resolution and belonged to space group P3₁, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 90.0, c = 94.5 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°. Solvent-content calculation and molecular-replacement results suggest the presence of two molecules of VioD in the asymmetric unit.