Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of heparinase II from Pedobacter heparinus

Heparinase II from Pedobacter heparinus (formerly Flavobacterium heparinum), which acts on both heparin and heparan sulfate, is one of several glycosaminoglycan-degrading enzymes produced by this organism. This enzyme, with a molecular weight of 84 kDa, utilizes a lytic mechanism to cleave the alpha(1-4) glycosidic bond between hexosamine (D-glucosamine) and L-iduronic or D-glucuronic acid, resulting in a product with an unsaturated sugar ring at the non-reducing end. The enzyme was crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belong to orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and diffract to 2 Angstrom resolution. There are two molecules in the asymmetric unit, consistent with the finding that recombinant heparinase II functions as a dimer in solution.