Crystallization of calcium-calmodulin-trifluoperazine complex and an attempt at crystallizing calcium-free calmodulin

Crystals suitable for X-ray structure analysis were obtained for CaM complexed with both calcium ions and a phenothiazine drug, trifluoperazine (TFP). The TFP/CaM binding ratio in crystals was experimentally determined to be nearly 1. An attempt at crystallizing calcium-free calmodulin (CaM) resulted in rigid but non-birefringent solids which exhibited no X-ray reflections.