Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) from Oryza sativa L. japonica

Abstract

Dehydroascorbate reductase from <em>Oryza sativa </em>L<em>. japonica</em> (OsDHAR), a key enzyme in the regeneration of vitamin C, maintains reduced pools of ascorbic acid to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS). In previous studies, the overexpression of OsDHAR in transgenic rice increased grain yield and biomass as well as the amount of ascorbate, suggesting that ascorbate levels are directly associated with crop production in rice. Hence, the increased level of antioxidants generated by OsDHAR has been speculated to protect rice from oxidative damage and increase the yield of germination. However, the crystal structure and detailed mechanisms of this important enzyme need to be further elucidated. In this study, recombinant OsDHAR protein was purified and crystallized using the sitting-drop vapor diffusion method at pH 8.0 and 298 K. Plate-shape crystals were obtained using 0.15 M potassium bromide and 30% (w/v) PEG MME 2000 as a precipitant, and the crystals diffracted to a resolution of 1.9 A at beamline 5C of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory. The X-ray diffraction data indicated that the crystal contained one OsDHAR molecule in the asymmetric unit with the space group P21 (unit-cell parameters, a = 47.03, b = 48.38, c = 51.83 A, and β = 107.41°).