Methods to Screen for Radical SAM Enzyme Crystallization Conditions

Methods Mol Biol. 2021:2353:333-348. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1605-5_17.

Abstract

Radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine proteins most probably belong to the widest superfamily of metalloenzymes. Thanks to their ability to catalyze difficult reactions, combined with their involvement in the biosynthesis of numbers of natural products, they sound promising for various biotechnological applications. Their structural study is often limited because they are usually challenging to crystallize. This chapter presents protocols and equipment developed to quickly screen for crystallization conditions under anaerobic conditions, as exemplified by our recent study of the nitrogenase maturase NifB.

Keywords: Anaerobic crystallization; Crystal flash cooling. FeMo coassembly; Fe-S cluster reconstitution; FeMo cofactor; Metalloprotein; Protein expression and purification.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization*
  • Metalloproteins
  • Nitrogenase

Substances

  • Metalloproteins
  • Nitrogenase