crystallization communications
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are ubiquitously distributed and are grouped into three structurally independent classes (αCA, βCA and γCA). Most αCA enzymes are monomeric, but αCA1 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a dimer that is uniquely stabilized by disulfide bonds. In addition, during maturation an internal peptide of 35 residues is removed and three asparagine residues are glycosylated. In order to obtain insight into the effects of these structural features on CA function, wild-type C. reinhardtii αCA1 has been crystallized in space group P65, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 134.3, c = 120.2 Å. The crystal diffracted to 1.88 Å resolution and a preliminary solution of its crystal structure has been obtained by the MAD method.