Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of Rhagium inquisitor antifreeze protein.

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are a specialized evolutionary adaptation of a variety of bacteria, fish, arthropods and other organisms to inhibit ice-crystal growth for survival in harsh subzero environments. The recently reported novel hyperactive AFP from Rhagium inquisitor (RiAFP) is the second distinct type of AFP in beetles and its structure could reveal important molecular insights into the evolution of AFPs. For this purpose, RiAFP was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized at 293 K using a combination of 23% PEG 3350 and 0.2 M ammonium sulfate as a precipitant. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 1.3 Å resolution using a synchrotron-radiation source. The crystals belonged to the trigonal space group P3(1)21 (or P3(2)21), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 46.46, c = 193.21 Å.