Abstract

Thaumatin is a plant protein that in the mature form contains 8 disulfide bonds and 207 amino acids. Several forms of this protein occur naturally and each elicits an intense sweetness sensation when tasted in microgram quantities. The two major forms of thaumatin are easily separable by ion exchange chromatography. Crystals of the two proteins (designated here A and B) have been grown by vapor equilibration from solutions containing polyethylene glycol and examined by X-ray diffraction. The thaumatin A crystals are of space group P2₁2₁2₁ with a=44.3Å, b=63.7Åand c=72.7A. The crystals of thaumatin B are of space group C2 with a = 117.7Å, b=44.9Å, and c=38.0Å and β=94.0°. Both crystals diffract to well beyond 2.3Å and appear suitable for high resolution structure analysis. Four heavy atom derivatives of thaumatin B have been generated and diffraction data to 4Å resolution have been collected. This work is designed to provide a basis for studying the 3-dimensional structure of more than 100 genetically generated thaumatin derivatives, several of which show enhanced stability and improved taste characteristics.