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Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of human growth and differentiation factor 5 (GDF-5)
Thomas D Mueller1, Maike Gottermeier, Walter Sebald
1Lehrstuhl für Physiologische Chemie II, Theodor-Boveri Institut für Biowissenschaften (Biozentrum), Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. mueller@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
Abstract:
Growth and differentiation factor 5 (GDF-5) belongs to the large TGF-beta superfamily of secreted signalling proteins and plays a pivotal role in skeletal development during embryogenesis. The gene for human GDF-5 was cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Crystals were obtained that diffracted to 2.2 A resolution. A native data set was acquired, showing that the crystals belong to a trigonal space group, i.e. P3(1)21 or P3(2)21, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 97.1, c = 48.3 A. Initial analysis suggest the presence of only one monomer in the asymmetric unit, resulting in a high solvent content of 72% in the crystal.
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