Purification, characterization, and crystallization of membrane bound Escherichia coli tyrosine kinase

In this study, an efficient protocol to produce full length Etk solubilized in n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside has been established with high yield. We have determined that detergent solubilized Etk retains kinase activity, but the protein is prone to aggregation, degradation, and has been unsuccessful in protein crystallization trials. In response, we designed and characterized truncations of Etk that do not aggregate and have led to successful crystallization experiments. In this article, we discuss our optimized expression and purification protocol for Etk, the design of Etk protein truncations, and the behavior of Etk during purification in a range of stabilizing detergents. These efforts have successfully produced protein suitable for crystallization. Our results will be a useful guide for future structural and functional studies of the bacterial tyrosine kinase family.
Source: Protein Expression and Purification - Category: Biochemistry Source Type: research