Crystallization of carbohydrate oxidase from Microdochium nivale

Microdochium nivale carbohydrate oxidase was produced by heterologous recombinant expression in Aspergillus oryzae, purified and crystallized. The enzyme crystallizes with varying crystal morphologies depending on the crystallization conditions. Several different crystal forms were obtained using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method, two of which were used for diffraction measurements. Hexagon-shaped crystals (form I) diffracted to 2.66 A resolution, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 55.7, c = 610.4 A and apparent space group P6(2)22. Analysis of the data quality showed almost perfect twinning of the crystals. Attempts to solve the structure by molecular replacement did not give satisfactory results. Recently, clusters of rod-shaped crystals (form II) were grown in a solution containing PEG MME 550. These crystals belonged to the monoclinic system C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 132.9, b = 56.6, c = 86.5 A, beta = 95.7 degrees . Data sets were collected to a resolution of 2.4 A. The structure was solved by the molecular-replacement method. Model refinement is currently in progress.