Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction of the RNA demethylase ALKBH5.

N(6)-methyladenosine (m6A) is a ubiquitous modification found in mammalian mRNA and long noncoding RNA. ALKBH5 is a member of the iron(II)- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent AlkB oxygenase family and has been shown to catalyze the oxidative demethylation of N(6)-methyladenosine in RNA. The ALKBH5 protein was purified and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals diffracted to 2.4 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation. The crystals belonged to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 57.456, b = 83.406, c = 92.909 Å, α = β = γ = 90.00° and one molecule in the asymmetric unit.