Expression, purification, crystallization, and preliminary X-ray analysis of recombinant human saposin B.
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Ahn VE, Faull KF, Whitelegge JP, Higginson J, Fluharty AL, Prive GG
Expression, purification, crystallization, and preliminary X-ray analysis of recombinant human saposin B.
Protein Expr Purif. 2003 Jan;27(1):186-93.
- PubMed ID
- 12510003 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
Saposin B (also known as cerebroside sulfate activator or CSAct) is a small non-enzymatic glycoprotein required for the breakdown of cerebroside sulfates (sulfatides) in lysosomes. Saposin B contains three intramolecular disulfide bridges, exists as a dimer and is remarkably heat, protease, and pH stable. We have expressed the protein in a thioredoxin reductase deficient strain of Escherichia coli and purified the protein by heat treatment, followed by ion-exchange, gel filtration, and hydrophobic interaction chromatographies. The protein is properly folded as judged by the observed disulfide bond topology, the hydrogen-deuterium exchange rate, and the level of stimulation of sulfatide hydrolysis by arylsulfatase A. Crystals of human saposin B were grown by vapor diffusion and diffract to a resolution of 2.2A. Despite obtaining only merohedrally twinned P3(1) native crystals, an untwined seleomethionine-substituted crystal belonging to space group P3(1)21 was also grown. The three-dimensional structure of saposin B protein will provide insights into how this 79 amino acid protein is able to solubilize relatively large membrane-bound lipid ligands.