Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of human RANTES.

The chemotactic cytokine RANTES (Regulated on Activation, Normal T-cell Expressed and Secreted) is a potent chemoattractant and activator of a number of leukocytes, with a molecular mass of 8 kDa. Crystals of this protein have been grown from 100 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.6) containing 200 mM magnesium acetate, with 20% (w/v) PEG 4000 and 6% (v/v) glycerol. The crystals grow as thick rods, which diffract to at least 1.8 A resolution on a rotating anode X-ray source. The crystals belong to space group p2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell dimensions a = 95.14 A, b = 57.58 A and c = 24.01 A with alpha = beta = gamma = 90 degrees. The asymmetric unit contains two molecules of the RANTES monomer, with a VM of 2.0 A(3)/Da.