Crystallization and preliminary X-ray investigation of a recombinant form of rat catechol O-methyltransferase.

Rat catechol O-methyltransferase cDNA was introduced into an E. coli expression vector pKEX14, which utilizes the inducible T7 promoter. Active and soluble recombinant catechol O-methyltransferase was produced in bacteria and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by chromatographic procedures. The purified enzyme has been crystallized by the method of vapor diffusion using polyethylene glycol as precipitant. The space group is P3(1)21 or P3(2)21 with a = b = 51.3 A and c = 168.5 A and one molecule in the asymmetric unit. The crystals diffract beyond 3.2 A and are suitable for three-dimensional X-ray structure determination.