Crystal structure of octa-kis-(N,N-di-methyl-formamide-κO)europium(III) tetra-cosa-µ2-oxido-dodeca-oxido-µ12-phosphato-dodeca-molybdate(VI).

In the title salt, [Eu(C3H7NO)8][PMo12O40], the asymmetric unit comprises one α-Keggin-type [PMo12O40](3-) polyoxidometalate anion and one distorted dodeca-hedral [Eu(C3H7NO)8](3+) complex cation. In the crystal, the isolated polyoxidometalate anions are packed into hexa-gonally arranged rows extending parallel to [001]. The complex cations are situated between the rows and are linked to the neighbouring anions through weak C-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions, leading to the formation of a three-dimensional network structure.

Synthesis, FT-IR characterization and crystal structure of aqua-(5,10,15,20-tetra-phenyl-porphyrinato-κ(4) N)manganese(III) tri-fluoro-methane-sulfonate.

In the title salt, [Mn(C44H28N4)(H2O)](CF3SO3) or [Mn(III)(TPP)(H2O)](CF3SO3) (where TPP is the dianion of 5,10,15,20-tetra-phenyl-porphyrin), the Mn(III) cation is chelated by the four pyrrole N atoms of the porphyrinate anion and additionally coordinated by an aqua ligand in an apical site, completing the distorted square-pyramidal coordination environment. The average Mn-N(pyrrole) bond length is 1.998 (9) Šand the Mn-O(aqua) bond length is 2.1057 (15) Å. The central Mn(III) ion is displaced by 0.1575 (5) Šfrom the N4C20 mean plane of the porphyrinate anion towards the apical aqua ligand. The porphyrinate macrocycle exhibits a moderate ruffling and strong saddle deformations. In the crystal lattice, the [Mn(III)(TPP)(H2O)](+) cation and the tri-fluoro-methane-sulfonate counter-ions are arranged in alternating planes packed along [001]. The components are linked together through O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and much weaker C-H⋯O and C-H⋯F inter-actions. The crystal packing is further stabilized by weak C-H⋯π inter-actions involving the pyrrole and phenyl rings of the porphyrin moieties.

Crystal structure of chlorido-(5,10,15,20-tetra-phenyl-porphyrinato-κ(4) N)manganese(III) 2-amino-pyridine disolvate.

In the title compound, [Mn(C44H28N4)Cl]·2C5H6N2, the Mn(III) centre is coordinated by four pyrrole N atoms [averaged Mn-N = 2.012 (4) Å] of the tetra-phenyl-porphyrin mol-ecule and one chloride axial ligand [Mn-Cl = 2.4315 (7) Å] in a square-pyramidal geometry. The porphyrin macrocycle exhibits a non-planar conformation with major ruffling and saddling distortions. In the crystal, two independent solvent mol-ecules form dimers through N-H⋯N hydrogen bonding. In these dimers, one amino N atom has a short Mn⋯N contact of 2.642 (1) Šthus completing the Mn environment in the form of a distorted octa-hedron, and another amino atom generates weak N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, which link further all mol-ecules into chains along the a axis.

Overexpression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of glucuronoxylan xylanohydrolase (Xyn30A) from Clostridium thermocellum.

The modular carbohydrate-active enzyme belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 30 (GH30) from Clostridium thermocellum (CtXynGH30) is a cellulosomal protein which plays an important role in plant cell-wall degradation. The full-length CtXynGH30 contains an N-terminal catalytic module (Xyn30A) followed by a family 6 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM6) and a dockerin at the C-terminus. The recombinant protein has a molecular mass of 45 kDa. Preliminary structural characterization was carried out on Xyn30A crystallized in different conditions. All tested crystals belonged to space group P1 with one molecule in the asymmetric unit. Molecular replacement has been used to solve the Xyn30A structure.

Aqua-(4-cyano-pyridine-κN (4))(5,10,15,20-tetra-phenyl-porphyrinato-κ(4) N)magnesium.

In the title complex, [Mg(C44H28N4)(C6H4N2)(H2O)], the Mg(2+) cation is octa-hedrally coordinated and lies on an inversion center with the axially located 4-cyano-pyridine and aqua ligands exhibiting 50% substitutional disorder. The cyano-bound 4-cyano-pyridine mol-ecule also is disordered across the inversion centre. The four N atoms of the pyrrole rings of the dianionic 5,10,15,20-tetra-phenyl-porphyrin ligand occupy the equatorial sites of the octa-hedron [Mg-N = 2.0552 (10) and 2.0678 (11) Å] and the axial Mg-(N,O) bond length is 2.3798 (12) Å. The crystal packing is stabilized by weak inter-molecular C-H⋯π inter-actions.

Substitutional disorder in bis-[(cyanato-κO)/hydroxido(0.5/0.5)](5,10,15,20-tetra-phenyl-porphyrinato-κN)tin(IV).

The title complex, [Sn(IV)(C(44)H(28)N(4))(CNO)(OH)], exhibits substitutional disorder of the OH(-) and OCN(-) axial ligands. Thus, the cyanato-O ligand and the hydroxyl group bonded to the central Sn(IV) atom share statistically the axial position. The Sn(IV) ion is hexa-coordinated by the four N atoms of the pyrrole rings of the tetra-phenyl-porphyrin (TPP) and the O atoms of the two disordered OCN(-) and OH(-) axial ligands. The equatorial tin-pyrrole N atom distance (Sn-N(p)) is 2.100 (2) Šand the axial Sn-O(OCN) or Sn-O(OH) bond length is 2.074 (2) Å.

Crystallization and crystallographic analysis of the apo form of the orange protein (ORP) from Desulfovibrio gigas.

The orange-coloured protein (ORP) from Desulfovibrio gigas is a 12 kDa protein that contains a novel mixed-metal sulfide cluster of the type [S(2)MoS(2)CuS(2)MoS(2)]. Diffracting crystals of the apo form of ORP have been obtained. Data have been collected for the apo form of ORP to 2.25 A resolution in-house and to beyond 2.0 A resolution at ESRF, Grenoble. The crystals belonged to a trigonal space group, with unit-cell parameters a = 43, b = 43, c = 106 A.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the glyoxalase II from Leishmania infantum.

In trypanosomatids, trypanothione replaces glutathione in all glutathione-dependent processes. Of the two enzymes involved in the glyoxalase pathway, glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II, the latter shows absolute specificity towards trypanothione thioester, making this enzyme an excellent model to understand the molecular basis of trypanothione binding. Cloned glyoxalase II from Leishmania infantum was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. Crystals belong to space group C222(1) (unit-cell parameters a = 65.6, b = 88.3, c = 85.2 angstroms) and diffract beyond 2.15 angstroms using synchrotron radiation. The structure was solved by molecular replacement using the human glyoxalase II structure as a search model. These results, together with future detailed kinetic characterization using lactoyltrypanothione, should shed light on the evolutionary selection of trypanothione instead of glutathione by trypanosomatids.

The first crystal structure of class III superoxide reductase from Treponema pallidum.

Superoxide reductase (SOR) is a metalloprotein containing a non-heme iron centre, responsible for the scavenging of superoxide radicals in the cell. The crystal structure of Treponema pallidum (Tp) SOR was determined using soft X-rays and synchrotron radiation. Crystals of the oxidized form were obtained using poly(ethylene glycol) and MgCl2 and diffracted beyond 1.55 A resolution. The overall architecture is very similar to that of other known SORs but TpSOR contains an N-terminal domain in which the desulforedoxin-type Fe centre, found in other SORs, is absent. This domain conserves the beta-barrel topology with an overall arrangement very similar to that of other SOR proteins where the centre is present. The absence of the iron ion and its ligands, however, causes a decrease in the cohesion of the domain and some disorder is observed, particularly in the region where the metal would be harboured. The C-terminal domain exhibits the characteristic immunoglobulin-like fold and harbours the Fe(His)4(Cys) active site. The five ligands of the iron centre are well conserved despite some disorder observed for one of the four molecules in the asymmetric unit. The participation of a glutamate as the sixth ligand of some of the iron centres in Pyrococcus furiosus SOR was not observed in TpSOR. A possible explanation is that either X-ray photoreduction occurred or there was a mixture of redox states at the start of data collection. In agreement with earlier proposals, details in the TpSOR structure also suggest that Lys49 might be involved in attraction of superoxide to the active site.

Superoxide reductase from the syphilis spirochete Treponema pallidum: crystallization and structure determination using soft X-rays.

Superoxide reductase is a 14 kDa metalloprotein containing a catalytic non-haem iron centre [Fe(His)4Cys]. It is involved in defence mechanisms against oxygen toxicity, scavenging superoxide radicals from the cell. The oxidized form of Treponema pallidum superoxide reductase was crystallized in the presence of polyethylene glycol and magnesium chloride. Two crystal forms were obtained depending on the oxidizing agents used after purification: crystals grown in the presence of K3Fe(CN)6 belonged to space group P2(1) (unit-cell parameters a = 60.3, b = 59.9, c = 64.8 A, beta = 106.9 degrees) and diffracted beyond 1.60 A resolution, while crystals grown in the presence of Na2IrCl6 belonged to space group C2 (a = 119.4, b = 60.1, c = 65.6 A, beta = 104.9 degrees) and diffracted beyond 1.55 A. A highly redundant X-ray diffraction data set from the C2 crystal form collected on a copper rotating-anode generator (lambda = 1.542 A) clearly defined the positions of the four Fe atoms present in the asymmetric unit by SAD methods. A MAD experiment at the iron absorption edge confirmed the positions of the previously determined iron sites and provided better phases for model building and refinement. Molecular replacement using the P2(1) data set was successful using a preliminary trace as a search model. A similar arrangement of the four protein molecules could be observed.

Structural basis for the mechanism of Ca(2+) activation of the di-heme cytochrome c peroxidase from Pseudomonas nautica 617.

Cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) catalyses the reduction of H(2)O(2) to H(2)O, an important step in the cellular detoxification process. The crystal structure of the di-heme CCP from Pseudomonas nautica 617 was obtained in two different conformations in a redox state with the electron transfer heme reduced. Form IN, obtained at pH 4.0, does not contain Ca(2+) and was refined at 2.2 A resolution. This inactive form presents a closed conformation where the peroxidatic heme adopts a six-ligand coordination, hindering the peroxidatic reaction from taking place. Form OUT is Ca(2+) dependent and was crystallized at pH 5.3 and refined at 2.4 A resolution. This active form shows an open conformation, with release of the distal histidine (His71) ligand, providing peroxide access to the active site. This is the first time that the active and inactive states are reported for a di-heme peroxidase.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the di-haem cytochrome c peroxidase from Pseudomonas stutzeri.

Crystals of cytochrome c peroxidase from Pseudomonas stutzeri were obtained using sodium citrate and PEG 8000 as precipitants. A complete data set was collected to a resolution of 1.6 A under cryogenic conditions using synchrotron radiation at the ESRF. The crystals belong to space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 69.29, b = 143.31, c = 76.83 A, beta = 100.78 degrees. Four CCP molecules were found in the asymmetric unit, corresponding to a pair of dimers related by local dyads. The crystal packing in the structure shows that the functional dimers can dimerize, as suggested by previous biochemical studies.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of two pH-dependent forms of a di-haem cytochrome c peroxidase from Pseudomonas nautica.

Two crystal forms of cytochrome c peroxidase from Pseudomonas nautica were obtained, one at pH 4.0 using sodium citrate as precipitant and another at pH 5.3 using ammonium phosphate and sodium citrate as precipitants. The two forms belong to different space groups P3(1)21 (pH 4.0) and P6(4)22 (pH 5.3), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 114.5, c = 90.7 A and a = b = 151.0, c = 155.9 A, respectively. Several complete data sets were collected using synchrotron radiation at ESRF and Cu K(alpha) X-ray radiation from a rotating-anode generator. These results will contribute to clarifying the haem transitions occurring during peroxidatic reaction and the required electron-transfer processes and to elucidating the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme and the role of calcium in the activation process.