Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of a novel sphingomyelinase D from Loxosceles gaucho venom

Brown spider envenomation results in dermonecrosis, intravascular coagulation, haemolysis and renal failure, mainly owing to the action of sphingomyelinases D (SMases D), which catalyze the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin to produce ceramide 1-phosphate and choline or the hydrolysis of lysophosphatidylcholine to produce lysophosphatidic acid. Here, the heterologous expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of LgRec1, a novel SMase D from Loxosceles gaucho venom, are reported. The crystals belonged to space group P2₁2₁2, with unit-cell parameters a = 52.98, b = 62.27, c = 84.84 Å and diffracted to a maximum resolution of 2.6 Å.