Biochemistry
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The crystal structure of methemerythrin from Themiste dyscritum has been determined at 2.8-Angstrom resolution by single isomorphous replacement technique combined with anomalous scattering from a K2HgI4 derivative. Noncrystallographic symmetry relating the four subunits in the asymmetric unit was used to obtain an average electron density map of the hemerythrin monomer, and a computer graphics system was used to fit a polypeptide model to the electron density. ⋯ One of the mercury sites in the heavy atom derivative is located between two Cys-9 residues related by a noncrystallographic twofold axis, although no intersubunit disulfide bond is present in the native structure. The residues responsible for the binding of the subunits to form the octamer are identified.