Recombinant formate dehydrogenase from Arabidopsis thaliana: Preparation, crystal growth in microgravity, and preliminary X-ray diffraction study

Crystals of high-purity recombinant NAD + -dependent formate dehydrogenase from the higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana ( Ara FDH) were grown in microgravity in the Modul’-1 protein crystallization apparatus on the International Space Station. The space-grown crystals have larger sizes than those grown on Earth. X-ray diffraction data suitable for determining the three-dimensional structure were collected from the space-grown crystals to a resolution of 1.22 Å using an X-ray synchrotron source. The crystals belong to sp. gr. P 4 3 2 1 2; the unit-cell parameters are a = b = 107.865 Å, c = 71.180 Å, α = β = γ = 90°.