Re: [ccp4bb] Enigmatic electron density attached to Cys residue

2014-08-19 Thread Mark J van Raaij
What odds to you give us?
...I bet on disordered DTT covalently bound to the protein.

Mark J van Raaij
Lab 20B
Dpto de Estructura de Macromoleculas
Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia - CSIC
c/Darwin 3
E-28049 Madrid, Spain
tel. (+34) 91 585 4616
http://www.cnb.csic.es/~mjvanraaij







On 19 Aug 2014, at 16:12, Bernhard Loll wrote:

 Dear all,
  
 We are currently working on a small GTPase. The structure has been solved to 
 1.4 A with two molecules in the ASU. In the difference electron density we 
 can clearly see difference density (in one monomer) attached to a Cys residue.
  
 The protein has been expressed in E. coli. For crystallization experiments 
 the GTPase was incubated with GMPPNP, that had been dissolved in 20 mM HEPES 
 pH 7.5 and 50 mM NaCl. Prior to crystallization
 the protein was stored in a buffer composed of 20 mM HEPES pH 7.5, 200 mM 
 NaCl, 5 mM, Mg acetate, 2 mM DTT and 2% (v/v) glycerol.
  
 The protein crystallized under the following conditions:
 28% (v/v) PEG 200, 5% (w/v) PEG 3000 and 100 mM MES buffer at pH 6.0
  
 The anomalous signal is too weak to judge the positions of the sulphur atoms. 
 We have performed MS analysis on the protein before crystallization and on 
 dissolved protein crystals. MS revealed a mass difference of about 135 Da, 
 indicating that some chemistry must have went on in the crystallization drop.
  
 The extra electron density has a planar shape and is quite symmetric. We have 
 placed some dummy water molecules in the density. Distances are given in A in 
 the PNG file.
  
 Attached files
  
 coot1.png: 2FoFc electron density map (blue) @ sigma=1 and FoFc electron 
 density map (blue) @ sigma=+3 after phenix.refine
 coot2.png: same electron densities as in coot1.png, with dummy atoms placed
 coot3.png: same electron densities as in coot1.png, side view
  
 Thanks for your time and efforts.
  
 Cheers,
  
 Bernhard
 -- 
 Dr. Bernhard Loll
 Freie Universitaet Berlin
 Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie, Pharmazie
 Institut fuer Chemie und Biochemie
 AG Strukturbiochemie
 Takustr. 6
 D-14195 Berlin
 Germany
 
 Phone: +49 (0) 30 838-57348
 Fax:   +49 (0) 30 838-457348
 Email: 
 l...@chemie.fu-berlin.de
 
 Homepage: 
 http://www.bcp.fu-berlin.de/chemie/bc/ag/agwahl/
 coot1.pngcoot2.pngcoot3.png


Re: [ccp4bb] Enigmatic electron density attached to Cys residue

2014-08-19 Thread Reza Khayat
Hi,

I guessed glycerol by looking at the figs and not reading your text. Having 
read your text afterwards, you do have glycerol in the solution. My guess is 
glycerol.
 
Best wishes,
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: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 16:39:36 +0200
From: CCP4 bulletin board CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK (on behalf of Mark J van 
Raaij mjvanra...@cnb.csic.es)
Subject: Re: [ccp4bb] Enigmatic electron density attached to Cys residue  
To: CCP4BB@JISCMAIL.AC.UK

What odds to you give us?
...I bet on disordered DTT covalently bound to the protein.

Mark J van Raaij
Lab 20B
Dpto de Estructura de Macromoleculas
Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia - CSIC
c/Darwin 3
E-28049 Madrid, Spain
tel. (+34) 91 585 4616
http://www.cnb.csic.es/~mjvanraaij







On 19 Aug 2014, at 16:12, Bernhard Loll wrote:

 Dear all,
  
 We are currently working on a small GTPase. The structure has been solved to 
 1.4 A with two molecules in the ASU. In the difference electron density we 
 can clearly see difference density (in one monomer) attached to a Cys 
 residue.
  
 The protein has been expressed in E. coli. For crystallization experiments 
 the GTPase was incubated with GMPPNP, that had been dissolved in 20 mM HEPES 
 pH 7.5 and 50 mM NaCl. Prior to crystallization
 the protein was stored in a buffer composed of 20 mM HEPES pH 7.5, 200 mM 
 NaCl, 5 mM, Mg acetate, 2 mM DTT and 2% (v/v) glycerol.
  
 The protein crystallized under the following conditions:
 28% (v/v) PEG 200, 5% (w/v) PEG 3000 and 100 mM MES buffer at pH 6.0
  
 The anomalous signal is too weak to judge the positions of the sulphur 
 atoms. We have performed MS analysis on the protein before crystallization 
 and on dissolved protein crystals. MS revealed a mass difference of about 
 135 Da, indicating that some chemistry must have went on in the 
 crystallization drop.
  
 The extra electron density has a planar shape and is quite symmetric. We 
 have placed some dummy water molecules in the density. Distances are given 
 in A in the PNG file.
  
 Attached files
  
 coot1.png: 2FoFc electron density map (blue) @ sigma=1 and FoFc electron 
 density map (blue) @ sigma=+3 after phenix.refine
 coot2.png: same electron densities as in coot1.png, with dummy atoms placed
 coot3.png: same electron densities as in coot1.png, side view
  
 Thanks for your time and efforts.
  
 Cheers,
  
 Bernhard
 -- 
 Dr. Bernhard Loll
 Freie Universitaet Berlin
 Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie, Pharmazie
 Institut fuer Chemie und Biochemie
 AG Strukturbiochemie
 Takustr. 6
 D-14195 Berlin
 Germany
 
 Phone: +49 (0) 30 838-57348
 Fax:   +49 (0) 30 838-457348
 Email: 
 l...@chemie.fu-berlin.de
 
 Homepage: 
 http://www.bcp.fu-berlin.de/chemie/bc/ag/agwahl/
 coot1.pngcoot2.pngcoot3.png


Re: [ccp4bb] Enigmatic electron density attached to Cys residue

2014-08-19 Thread Partha
Hi Bernhard,

It is difficult guess with two dimensional images. Is it possible a metal 
coordinated by Cys-Sulfur and one or two acetate ions?

HTH,
Partha

Sent from my iPhone

 On Aug 19, 2014, at 10:12 AM, Bernhard Loll l...@chemie.fu-berlin.de wrote:
 
 Dear all,
  
 We are currently working on a small GTPase. The structure has been solved to 
 1.4 A with two molecules in the ASU. In the difference electron density we 
 can clearly see difference density (in one monomer) attached to a Cys residue.
  
 The protein has been expressed in E. coli. For crystallization experiments 
 the GTPase was incubated with GMPPNP, that had been dissolved in 20 mM HEPES 
 pH 7.5 and 50 mM NaCl. Prior to crystallization
 the protein was stored in a buffer composed of 20 mM HEPES pH 7.5, 200 mM 
 NaCl, 5 mM, Mg acetate, 2 mM DTT and 2% (v/v) glycerol.
  
 The protein crystallized under the following conditions:
 28% (v/v) PEG 200, 5% (w/v) PEG 3000 and 100 mM MES buffer at pH 6.0
  
 The anomalous signal is too weak to judge the positions of the sulphur atoms. 
 We have performed MS analysis on the protein before crystallization and on 
 dissolved protein crystals. MS revealed a mass difference of about 135 Da, 
 indicating that some chemistry must have went on in the crystallization drop.
  
 The extra electron density has a planar shape and is quite symmetric. We have 
 placed some dummy water molecules in the density. Distances are given in A in 
 the PNG file.
  
 Attached files
  
 coot1.png: 2FoFc electron density map (blue) @ sigma=1 and FoFc electron 
 density map (blue) @ sigma=+3 after phenix.refine
 coot2.png: same electron densities as in coot1.png, with dummy atoms placed
 coot3.png: same electron densities as in coot1.png, side view
  
 Thanks for your time and efforts.
  
 Cheers,
  
 Bernhard
 -- 
 Dr. Bernhard Loll
 Freie Universitaet Berlin
 Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie, Pharmazie
 Institut fuer Chemie und Biochemie
 AG Strukturbiochemie
 Takustr. 6
 D-14195 Berlin
 Germany
 
 Phone: +49 (0) 30 838-57348
 Fax:   +49 (0) 30 838-457348
 Email: l...@chemie.fu-berlin.de
 Homepage: http://www.bcp.fu-berlin.de/chemie/bc/ag/agwahl/
 coot1.png
 coot2.png
 coot3.png


Re: [ccp4bb] Enigmatic electron density attached to Cys residue

2014-08-19 Thread Roger Rowlett
The planarity and symmetry rules out a mixed disulfide with DTT. Wrong
size/shape for glycerol. Without looking at your crystallization reagents,
I would have suggested something like an S-hydroxycysteine adduct of
something like 2,4-pentanedione or a dehydrated MPD alkene. Could
pentanedione be a degradation product of PEG200? Did any MPD get into the
mix? We have seen spurious oxidation of Cys to Cys-OH in thiol proteins,
e,g, PDB 3UAO.

Good luck. With that high quality ED, you'd think it would be easy to ID...

Roger Rowlett

Dear all,



We are currently working on a small GTPase. The structure has been solved
to 1.4 A with two molecules in the ASU. In the difference electron density
we can clearly see difference density (in one monomer) attached to a Cys
residue.



The protein has been expressed in E. coli. For crystallization experiments
the GTPase was incubated with GMPPNP, that had been dissolved in 20 mM
HEPES pH 7.5 and 50 mM NaCl. Prior to crystallization

the protein was stored in a buffer composed of 20 mM HEPES pH 7.5, 200 mM
NaCl, 5 mM, Mg acetate, 2 mM DTT and 2% (v/v) glycerol.



The protein crystallized under the following conditions:

28% (v/v) PEG 200, 5% (w/v) PEG 3000 and 100 mM MES buffer at pH 6.0



The anomalous signal is too weak to judge the positions of the sulphur
atoms. We have performed MS analysis on the protein before crystallization
and on dissolved protein crystals. MS revealed a mass difference of about
135 Da, indicating that some chemistry must have went on in the
crystallization drop.



The extra electron density has a planar shape and is quite symmetric. We
have placed some dummy water molecules in the density. Distances are given
in A in the PNG file.



Attached files



coot1.png: 2FoFc electron density map (blue) @ sigma=1 and FoFc electron
density map (blue) @ sigma=+3 after phenix.refine

coot2.png: same electron densities as in coot1.png, with dummy atoms placed

coot3.png: same electron densities as in coot1.png, side view



Thanks for your time and efforts.



Cheers,



Bernhard

-- 
Dr. Bernhard Loll
Freie Universitaet Berlin
Fachbereich Biologie, Chemie, Pharmazie
Institut fuer Chemie und Biochemie
AG Strukturbiochemie
Takustr. 6
D-14195 Berlin
Germany

Phone: +49 (0) 30 838-57348
Fax:   +49 (0) 30 838-457348
Email: l...@chemie.fu-berlin.de
Homepage: http://www.bcp.fu-berlin.de/chemie/bc/ag/agwahl/