A new MR-SAD algorithm for the automatic building of protein models from low-resolution X-ray data and a poor starting model.

Determining macromolecular structures from X-ray data with resolution worse than 3 Å remains a challenge. Even if a related starting model is available, its incompleteness or its bias together with a low observation-to-parameter ratio can render the process unsuccessful or very time-consuming. Yet, many biologically important macromolecules, especially large macromolecular assemblies, membrane proteins and receptors, tend to provide crystals that diffract to low resolution.

Structural characterization of the thermostable Bradyrhizobium japonicumD-sorbitol dehydrogenase.

Bradyrhizobium japonicum sorbitol dehydrogenase is NADH-dependent and is active at elevated temperatures. The best substrate is D-glucitol (a synonym for D-sorbitol), although L-glucitol is also accepted, giving it particular potential in industrial applications. Crystallization led to a hexagonal crystal form, with crystals diffracting to 2.

A folded and immunogenic IgE-hyporeactive variant of the major allergen Phl p 1 produced in Escherichia coli.

Background: Group 1 grass pollen allergens are a major cause of allergic disease. Specific immunotherapy involving controlled administration of allergens can be used as a disease-modifying treatment for such disease. Recombinant allergen variants with reduced IgE binding capacity may be used as component in such vaccines, as they may induce fewer treatment side effects than materials currently in use.

A new insight into the zinc-dependent DNA-cleavage by the colicin E7 nuclease: a crystallographic and computational study.

The nuclease domain of colicin E7 metallonuclease (NColE7) contains its active centre at the C-terminus. The mutant ΔN4-NColE7-C* - where the four N-terminal residues including the positively charged K446, R447 and K449 are replaced with eight residues from the GST tag - is catalytically inactive. The crystal structure of this mutant demonstrates that its overall fold is very similar to that of the native NColE7 structure.

Design of thermostable rhamnogalacturonan lyase mutants from Bacillus licheniformis by combination of targeted single point mutations.

Rhamnogalacturonan I lyases (RGI lyases) (EC 4.2.2.

An L-glucitol oxidizing dehydrogenase from Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110 for production of D-sorbose with enzymatic or electrochemical cofactor regeneration.

A gene in Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110, annotated as a ribitol dehydrogenase (RDH), had 87 % sequence identity (97 % positives) to the N-terminal 31 amino acids of an L-glucitol dehydrogenase from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia DSMZ 14322. The 729-bp long RDH gene coded for a protein consisting of 242 amino acids with a molecular mass of 26.1 kDa.

The binding of zinc ions to Emericella nidulans endo-β-1,4-galactanase is essential for crystal formation.

A novel Emericella nidulans endo-β-1,4-galactanase (EnGAL) demonstrates a strong capacity to generate high levels of very potent prebiotic oligosaccharides from potato pulp, a by-product of the agricultural potato-starch industry. EnGAL belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 53 and shows high (72.5%) sequence identity to an endo-β-1,4-galactanase from Aspergillus aculeatus.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of an Escherichia coli-selected mutant of the nuclease domain of the metallonuclease colicin E7.

The metallonuclease colicin E7 is a member of the HNH family of endonucleases. It serves as a bacterial toxin in Escherichia coli, protecting the host cell from other related bacteria and bacteriophages by degradation of their chromosomal DNA under environmental stress. Its cell-killing activity is attributed to the nonspecific nuclease domain (NColE7), which possesses the catalytic ββα-type metal ion-binding HNH motif at its C-terminus.

Insights into the oxidative degradation of cellulose by a copper metalloenzyme that exploits biomass components.

The enzymatic degradation of recalcitrant plant biomass is one of the key industrial challenges of the 21st century. Accordingly, there is a continuing drive to discover new routes to promote polysaccharide degradation. Perhaps the most promising approach involves the application of "cellulase-enhancing factors," such as those from the glycoside hydrolase (CAZy) GH61 family.

Structural and biochemical studies elucidate the mechanism of rhamnogalacturonan lyase from Aspergillus aculeatus.

We present here the first experimental evidence for bound substrate in the active site of a rhamnogalacturonan lyase belonging to family 4 of polysaccharide lyases, Aspergillus aculeatus rhamnogalacturonan lyase (RGL4). RGL4 is involved in the degradation of rhamnogalacturonan-I, an important pectic plant cell wall polysaccharide. Based on the previously determined wild-type structure, enzyme variants RGL4_H210A and RGL4_K150A have been produced and characterized both kinetically and structurally, showing that His210 and Lys150 are key active-site residues.

Influence of a joining helix on the BLUF domain of the YcgF photoreceptor from Escherichia coli.

BLUF-domain-comprising photoreceptors sense blue light by utilizing FAD as a chromophore. The ycgF gene product of Escherichia coli is composed of a N-terminal BLUF domain and a C-terminal EAL domain, with the latter postulated to catalyze c-di-GMP hydrolysis. The linkage between these two domains involves a predominantly helical segment.