Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of a chitinase from Clonostachys rosea

• Published in: Acta crystallographica. Section F, Structural biology and crystallization communications Structural biology and crystallization communications, 2009-04, Vol.65 (4), p.386-388
• Main Authors: Gan, Zhongwei, Yang, Jinkui, Tao, Nan, Lou, Zhiyong, Mi, Qili, Meng, Zhaohui, Zhang, Ke-Qin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: chitinases; Chitinases - chemistry; Clonostachys rosea; Crystallization; Crystallization Communications; Crystallography, X-Ray; Hypocreales - enzymology; Nematoda
• ISSN: 1744-3091; 1744-3091
• DOI: 10.1107/S1744309109008379

CrChi1 is a chitinase from the nematophagous fungus Clonostachys rosea that plays a role in the infection of nematodes. In order to resolve the crystal structure of CrChi1 and to gain a better understanding of its biological functions, recombinant CrChi1 was crystallized at 291 K using PEG 3350 and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate as precipitant and a 1.8 Å resolution X‐ray data set was collected from a single flash‐cooled crystal (100 K). The crystals belonged to space group P21, with unit‐cell parameters a = 44.1, b = 71.7, c = 59.1 Å, α = γ = 90, β = 91.3°. Assuming the presence of one molecule per asymmetric unit, the Matthews coefficient and solvent content were calculated to be 2.45 Å3 Da−1 and 40%, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first structure determination study of a chitinase from a nematophagous fungus.