Based on my own experience with zinc-metalloenzymes with thiolate
ligands, it's usually more a problem to get the zinc OUT than get it IN.
Zinc is pretty thiophilic, so removing it once ligated in a multiple Cys
environment is often difficult. Have you tried TCEP as a reducing agent
for protecting properly zinc-populated protein?
Cheers,
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roger S. Rowlett
Professor
Colgate University Presidential Scholar
Department of Chemistry
Colgate University
13 Oak Drive
Hamilton, NY 13346
tel: (315)-228-7245
ofc: (315)-228-7395
fax: (315)-228-7935
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sue Roberts wrote:
Hello Everyone
I've been trying to crystallize a zinc-containing enzyme for what
seems to me to be an eternity. The protein contains stoichiometric
zinc (1 zinc/ protein monomer) when isolated and the zinc is required
for activity. Each crystal we've obtained has lost the zinc and
contains a disulfide bond between two cysteine residues that should be
zinc ligands (based on structures of similar proteins).
We've tried crystalizing in the presence of reducing agents,
crystallizing with substrate analogs, and supplementing the
crystallization drops with zinc with no success (and combinations of
these approaches). We've obtained a variety of crystals and
determined structures, but none contain any zinc.
Attempts to insert zinc into the crystal (zinc + reducting agent or
zinc alone) have not been successful.
Does anyone have any tricks to suggest that might help?
Thanks in advance.
Sue
Dr. Sue A. Roberts
Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
University of Arizona
520 621 8171
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
