A preliminary X-ray study of D,D-heptose-1,7-bisphosphate phosphatase from Burkholderia thailandensis E264.

D,D-Heptose-1,7-bisphosphate phosphatase (GmhB), which is involved in the third step of the NDP-heptose biosynthesis pathway, converts D,D-heptose-1,7-bisphosphate to D,D-heptose-1-phosphate. This biosynthesis pathway is a target for new antibiotics or antibiotic adjuvants for Gram-negative pathogens. Burkholderia thailandensis is a useful surrogate organism for studying the pathogenicity of melioidosis owing to its extensive genomic similarity to B. pseudomallei. Melioidosis caused by B. pseudomallei is a serious invasive disease of animals and humans in tropical and subtropical areas. In this study, GmhB has been cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized. X-ray data have also been collected to 2.50 A resolution using synchrotron radiation. The crystal belonged to space group P6, with unit-cell parameters a = 243.2, b = 243.2, c = 41.1 A.