Preliminary crystallographic analysis of an enzyme involved in erythromycin biosynthesis: cytochrome P450eryF

Cytochrome P450eryF was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified in high yield. Crystals of the protein in the presence of the substrate, 6-deoxyerythronolide B, have been obtained by the hanging drop vapor diffusion method, using polyethylene glycol 4000 as a precipitant. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell dimensions of a = 54.16 A, b = 79.67 A, and c = 99.48 A and one molecule per asymmetric unit. A complete native data set has been collected to a resolution of 2.1 A, and anomalous dispersion difference Patterson maps have revealed the location of the single heme iron atom.