Recombinant expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis ofHaemophilus influenzaeBamD and BamCD complex

Abstract

The Bam machinery, which is highly conserved from bacteria to humans, is well recognized as the apparatus responsible for the insertion and folding of most outer membrane proteins in Gram-negative bacteria. InEscherichia coli, the Bam machinery consists of five components (i.e.BamA, BamB, BamC, BamD and BamE). In comparison, there are only four partners inHaemophilus influenzae: a BamB homologue is not found in its genome. In this study, the recombinant expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis ofH. influenzaeBamD and BamCD complex are reported. The genes encoding BamC and BamD were cloned into a pET vector and expressed inE. coli. Affinity, ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography were used to obtain high-purity protein for further crystallographic characterization. Using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique, BamD and BamCD protein crystals of suitable size were obtained using protein concentrations of 70 and 50 mg ml−1, respectively. Preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the BamD crystals diffracted to 4.0 Å resolution and belonged to space groupP212121, with unit-cell parametersa= 54.5,b= 130.5,c= 154.7 Å. The BamCD crystals diffracted to 3.8 Å resolution and belonged to space groupI212121, with unit-cell parametersa= 101.6,b= 114.1,c= 234.9 Å.