Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of a cobalt-substituted derivative of the iron-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase from Zymomonas mobilis

The iron-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase from Zymomonas mobilis has been crystallized in a form suitable for X-ray diffraction studies. The crystals grew in hanging drops by vapor diffusion, equilibrating with a solution comprising 25-27% methoxypolyethylene glycol 5000 and 1 mM Co²⁺ in a 0.2 M succinic acid/potassium hydroxide buffer at pH 5.5-5.7 at 281 K. Crystals are tetragonal, P4₁22 (or P4₃22), with unit-cell dimensions a = b = 125.7, c = 248.1 Å. Four molecules comprise the asymmetric unit, and a self-rotation function indicates twofold local symmetry perpendicular to the unique axis and 15° from a crystallographic twofold axis. Diffraction data to 3.0 Å have been collected.