Abstract
Rhamnogalacturonan lyases degrade rhamnogalacturonan I, a major component of pectin, through a beta-elimination reaction. YesW from Bacillus subtilis strain 168 is a novel rhamnogalacturonan lyase classified into polysaccharide lyase family 11 (PL-11). The enzyme was crystallized at 293 K using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method with 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol (MPD) as a precipitant. Preliminary X-ray analysis revealed that the YesW crystals belong to space group P2(1) and diffract to 2.40 angstroms resolution, with unit-cell parameters a = 56.7, b = 105.6, c = 101.4 A, beta = 94.9 degrees. This is the first report on the crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a family PL-11 rhamnogalacturonan lyase.