Expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of thioredoxin glutathione reductase from Schistosoma japonicum in complex with FAD

Thioredoxin glutathione reductase from Schistosoma japonicum (SjTGR), a multifunctional enzyme, plays a vital role in antioxidant pathways and is considered to be a potential drug target for the development of antischistosomal chemotherapy. In this study, two constructs of a truncated form of SjTGR without the last two residues (Sec597–Gly598) were cloned, overexpressed and purified using wild-type and codon-optimized genes. Only SjTGR from the wild-type gene was found to form a complex with flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), which could be crystallized in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁, with unit-cell parameters a = 84.185, b = 86.47, c = 183.164 Å, at 295 K using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. One dimer was present in the crystallographic asymmetric unit and the calculated Matthews coefficient (V_M) and solvent content were 2.6 ų Da⁻¹ and 52.8%, respectively. Structural determination of SjTGR is in progress using the molecular-replacement method.