Crystals of ligand-free bovine neurophysin II.

A modified neurophysin, des 1-6 bovine neurophysin II, has been crystallized in the absence of bound hormone or hormone analogue. These crystals represent the first crystals of ligand-free neurophysin, and are essential for understanding neurophysin-hormone recognition as well as hormone-induced neurophysin dimerization. The crystals diffract to beyond 1.8 A resolution, belong to space group P3(1)21 (or P3(2)21) with a = 48.86, c = 78.61 A, and contain one molecule per asymmetric unit.