PMID: 23056231

Authors:

Zou Y, Weis WI, Kobilka BK

Title:

N-terminal t4 lysozyme fusion facilitates crystallization of a g protein coupled receptor.

Journal:

PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e46039. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046039. Epub 2012 Oct 4.

Abstract:

A highly crystallizable T4 lysozyme (T4L) was fused to the N-terminus of the beta(2) adrenergic receptor (beta(2)AR), a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) for catecholamines. We demonstrate that the N-terminal fused T4L is sufficiently rigid relative to the receptor to facilitate crystallogenesis without thermostabilizing mutations or the use of a stabilizing antibody, G protein, or protein fused to the 3rd intracellular loop. This approach adds to the protein engineering strategies that enable crystallographic studies of GPCRs alone or in complex with a signaling partner.