Those who use lysozyme as a model protein should note that fungal spores of an unknown strain can have a dramatic effect on lysozyme crystal nucleation, as noticed by my student many years ago (I wasn't completely happy with the report because we never knew what we were working with!).
Chayen, N. E., Radcliffe, J. W., & Blow, D. M. (1993). Control of nucleation in the crystallization of lysozyme. *Protein Science*, *2*(1), 113-118. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.5560020112/full I've often wondered why crystallization experiments at room temp don't become a sea of bacteria and fungi within a week. Is it because the high precipitant concs used stop growth? After all, medical saline is only 150 mM - much less than the average NaCl conc used for crystallization, which is about 1.7M. I guess not many bugs can grow in 20% PEG either. Patrick On 3 April 2014 15:25, Reza Khayat <rkha...@ccny.cuny.edu> wrote: > I think fungus dependent crystallization has occurred for some > labs. A paper that pops into mind is from my graduate > laboratory (not my work though): > > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2225192/ > > Reza > > Reza Khayat, PhD > Assistant Professor > The City College of New York > Department of Chemistry, MR-1135 > 160 Convent Avenue > New York, NY 10031 > Tel. (212) 650-6070 > www.khayatlab.org > > > ---- Original message ---- > >Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2014 06:36:37 -0700 > >From: CCP4 bulletin board <CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK> (on behalf > of Chad Brautigam <cabrautc...@yahoo.com>) > >Subject: Re: [ccp4bb] First stucture of FCFV > >To: CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK > > > > I once encountered mold-dependent crystallization of > > a protein. Wouldn't that have made for a lively > > Methods section? > > Luckily, we determined the structure from crystals > > derived from a different, non-moldy condition. > > Whew. > > Chad > > From: Artem Evdokimov <artem.evdoki...@gmail.com> > > To: CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK > > Sent: Thursday, April 3, 2014 7:55 AM > > Subject: Re: [ccp4bb] First stucture of FCFV > > Common molds like aspergillus or penicillium. After > > a while you sometimes get sporangia, then you can > > tell with more certainty. .. > > A. > > On Apr 3, 2014 3:50 AM, "Bernhard Rupp" > > <hofkristall...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Several people were asking what this FCFV > > tentacles actually might be. I think it is some > > fungus/yeast growing out of nutritious drops. Does > > resemble fungus/mushroom mycelium. I have also > > some that look like huge bacteriophages with nice > > heads on them, probably yeast buds. There is also > > a yeast lab next to the Xtallization facility :-/ > > *** feel free to speculate. > > > > Best, BR > > > > > -- patr...@douglas.co.uk Douglas Instruments Ltd. Douglas House, East Garston, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 7HD, UK Directors: Peter Baldock, Patrick Shaw Stewart http://www.douglas.co.uk Tel: 44 (0) 148-864-9090 US toll-free 1-877-225-2034 Regd. England 2177994, VAT Reg. GB 480 7371 36
