Expression, purification and crystallization of the FP domain of the human F-box protein Fbxo7

Fbxo7 is a conserved protein in higher eukaryotes that belongs to the F-box protein family. Fbxo7 is the substrate-recognition component of the SCFFbxo7 (Skp1-Cul1-Fbox protein) E3 ubiquitin ligase. Besides the F-box motif, Fbxo7 also contains a C-terminal proline-rich region, an N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain and a novel FP (Fbxo7/PI31) domain preceding the F-box motif. The FP domains of Fbxo7 and the PI31 proteasome inhibitor mediate interaction between the two proteins. For structure determination of the FP domain of Fxbo7, a protein construct (amino acids 181-335) corresponding to the FP domain was expressed, purified and crystallized. The native and selenomethionine-labeled proteins crystallized in different crystal forms. Native and single-wavelength anomalous dispersion data sets with diffraction to 2.1 and 2.0 Å resolution, respectively, have been collected and structure determination is in progress.