Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of membrane-bound respiratory [NiFe] hydrogenase from Hydrogenovibrio marinus

Membrane-bound respiratory [NiFe] hydrogenase is an H-2-uptake enzyme found in the periplasmic space of bacteria that plays a crucial role in energy-conservation processes. The heterodimeric unit of the enzyme from Hydrogeno-vibrio marinus was purified to homogeneity using chromatographic procedures. Crystals were grown using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method at room temperature. Preliminary crystallographic analysis revealed that the crystals belonged to space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 75.72, b = 116.59, c = 113.40 angstrom, beta = 91.3 degrees, indicating that two heterodimers were present in the asymmetric unit.