Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a native human tRNA synthetase whose allelic variants are associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) is one of a group of enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of aminoacyl-tRNAs for translation. Mutations of human and mouse GlyRSs are causally associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, the most common genetic disorder of the peripheral nervous system. As the first step towards a structure-function analysis of this disease, native human GlyRS was expressed, purified and crystallized. The crystal belonged to space group P4(3)2(1)2 or its enantiomorphic space group P4(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 91.74, c = 247.18 A, and diffracted X-rays to 3.0 A resolution. The asymmetric unit contained one GlyRS molecule and had a solvent content of 69%.