Comparative Structural Analysis of Escherichia Coli Cyay at Room and Cryogenic Temperatures Using Macromolecular and Serial Crystallography

Abstract

Frataxin is a 23 kDa mitochondrial iron-binding protein involved in the biogenesis of iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters. Deficiency in frataxin is associated with Friedreich's ataxia, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. CyaY, the bacterial ortholog of eukaryotic frataxin, is believed to function as an iron donor in Fe-S cluster assembly, making it a key target for structural and functional studies. In this work, a comprehensive structural analysis of the Escherichia coli CyaY protein is presented, comparing its structure at room temperature and cryogenic conditions. Notably, the first room-temperature structures are obtained using the Turkish Light Source "Turkish DeLight" X-ray diffractometer and serial synchrotron X-ray crystallography, marking a significant step forward in understanding CyaY under near-physiological conditions.