A brief perspective of the determination of crystal structures of site-directed mutants of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase

Abstract

Rapid determination of the three-dimensional structures of mutant proteins is so highly embedded within the discipline of protein engineering that it almost seems a routine part of the process of analyzing mutant function. However, in the early days of protein engineering, the time and energy involved in determining mutant structures were substantial compared with today and the dividends unclear. Here is a brief perspective on the determination of the first crystal structures of site-directed mutants of the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase - an enzyme used to establish many of the early principles of protein engineering. 2010 © The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.