Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of C-reactive protein from rat

Crystals of C-reactive protein from rat have been grown both with and without calcium. Two major components of the protein have been resolved on the basis of their calcium-dependent fine specificity for monophosphate esters. Crystals grown without calcium are tetragonal, space group P42(1)2 with unit cell parameters a = b = 163.81(9)A and c = 125.21(6)A, and diffract X-rays to 3.0 A resolution. The rotation function specifies a molecular 5-fold symmetry axis at 24 degrees away from c in the (110) plane.