Selecting Temperature for Protein Crystallization Screens Using the Temperature Dependence of the Second Virial Coefficient

Abstract

Protein crystals usually grow at a preferable temperature which is however not known for a new protein. By taking advantage of the correlation between the temperature dependence of the second virial coefficient (B(22)) and the solubility of protein, we measured the temperature dependence of B(22) to predict the temperature dependence of the solubility. Using information about solubility versus temperature, a preferred crystallization temperature can be proposed. If B(22) is a positive function of the temperature, a lower crystallization temperature is recommended; if B(22) shows opposite behavior with respect to the temperature, a higher crystallization temperature is preferred. Otherwise, any temperature in the tested range can be used.

The article is published online in PLos ONE and is free to access.