Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the haem-binding protein HemS from Yersinia enterocolitica.

Bacteria have evolved strategies to acquire iron from their environment. Pathogenic microbes rely on specialized proteins to ;steal' haem from their host and use it as an iron source. HemS is the ultimate recipient of a molecular-relay system for haem uptake in Gram-negative species, functioning as the cytosolic carrier of haem. Soluble expression and high-quality diffraction crystals were obtained for HemS from Yersinia enterocolitica. Crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group I222, with unit-cell parameters a = 74.86, b = 77.45, c = 114.09 A, and diffract X-rays to 2.6 A spacing in-house. Determination of the structure of the haem-HemS complex will reveal the molecular basis of haem binding.