Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the glycerol-3-phosphate 1-acyltransferase from squash (Cucurbita moschata)

Glycerol-3-phosphate 1-acyltransferase (E.C. 2.3.1.15; G3PAT) catalyses the incorporation of an acyl group from either acyl-acyl carrier proteins (acylACPs) or acylCoAs into the sn-1 position of glycerol 3-phosphate to yield 1-acylglycerol 3-phosphate. Crystals of squash G3PAT have been obtained by the hanging-drop method of vapour diffusion using PEG 4000 as the precipitant. These crystals are most likely to belong to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with approximate unit-cell parameters a = 61.1, b = 65.1, c = 103.3 Angstrom, alpha = beta = gamma = 90 degrees and a monomer in the asymmetric unit. X-ray diffraction data to 1.9 Angstrom resolution have been collected in-house using a MAR 345 imaging-plate system.