Have you tried maintaining the protein in a solution with a low concentration 
of excess cofactor? Light vs dark? Excess reducing agent or different reducing 
agent or oxygen-depleted and under argon?

John

> On Feb 2, 2020, at 4:22 AM, Jon Hughes <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
> 
> 
> Thanks for you interest. Ok, here are some more details.
> The protein is Cph1 (uniprot Q55168) as a full-length (ca. 80 kDa) 
> holophytochrome, produced with a C-terminal His6 tag together with its 
> co-factor in E. coli, purified via NiNTA and SEC. It is red/far-red 
> photochromic (that is, photoactive) such that, as a 2 component sensory 
> histidine autokinase / phosphotransferase, its kinase activity can be 
> switched on and off by appropriate light pulses. Thus it is unambiguously 
> functional. It is also highly soluble (10 mg/ml is no problem) – but 
> subsequently (over days and weeks) it aggregates (irrespective of the 
> photostate) to form a fluffy precipitate.
> Incidentally, I believe that most SHPK's and indeed most phytochromes have 
> aggregation problems like this.
> Beyond urea being a less potent chaotrope than guanidinium/HCl, the different 
> chemical actions of the two might give a hint as to what causes the 
> aggregation.
> Cheers
> jon
>  
> Von: CCP4 bulletin board <[email protected]> Im Auftrag von Artem 
> Evdokimov
> Gesendet: Sonntag, 2. Februar 2020 00:46
> An: [email protected]
> Betreff: Re: [ccp4bb] Urea vs. Guanidinium/HCl
>  
> More details would be helpful. Do you know whether your protein is folded and 
> active to begin with? Many partially folded proteins behave in a way that 
> resembles your experience... Urea is a less potent denaturant mole for mole 
> than GuHCl so it is not super surprising that it behaves differently.
>  
> Artem
>  
> On Sat, Feb 1, 2020, 6:22 PM Jon Hughes <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
> Hello everyone,
> We work on a protein that tends to aggregate. The process is slowed but not
> stopped by glycerol and NDSB201. Interestingly, whereas guanidinium/HCl
> dissolves the aggregate readily, urea just turns it into an amorphous
> chewing-gum-like mass. Does that info provide anyone with a clue as to why
> the aggregation occurs and maybe suggest how to stop it in a way that would
> not thwart crystal formation?
> Best,
> jon 
> 
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