Crystallization and Preliminary X-Ray Crystallographic Studies of a Myotoxic Lys49-phospholipase A2 from Bothrops jararacussu Venom Complexed with -Tocopherol Inhibitor

Bothropstoxin I (BthTX-I), a non-catalytic and myotoxic Lys49-PLA2 from Bothrops jararacussu venom, has been crystallized alone and complexed with -tocopherol inhibitor. These crystals have been shown to diffract X-rays between 2.17 and 1.83 Å resolution. The BthTX-I/ -tocopherol complex crystals are not isomorphous with those of the native protein. This suggests the inhibitor binding has lead to changes in the quaternary structure and a different conformation may have been obtained.