Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the kinase domain of AtMAP4Kalpha2 from Arabidopsis thaliana

Arabidopsis thaliana (At) MAP4Kalpha2, a member of the Ste20/PAK-like protein kinase family, is an essential component of the septum initiation network involved in cell division. To better understand the mode of action of AtMAP4Kalpha2, a structural biology approach has been pursued. In this study, the kinase domain of AtMAP4Kalpha2 was cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized. The crystals diffracted to 1.9 Å resolution and belonged to space group C222₁, with unit-cell parameters a = 55.27, b = 82.93, c = 133.15 Å.