Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of a vancomycin-N-acetyl-D-Ala-D-Ala complex

A vancomycin-N-acetyl-D-Ala-D-Ala complex has been crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method using imidazole maleic buffer at pH 7.6. The novel crystals obtained belong to the space group P6322 with unit-cell parameters a = b = 73.43 (1), c = 277.17 (4) A, gamma = 120 degrees. The crystal density was determined as 1. 106 g cm-3 which gives a supercell of 24 molecules (12 dimers) per asymmetric unit for an acceptable Matthews number and an estimated solvent content of 42%. Data were collected at room temperature to 2. 8 A.