Structure of recombinant human carboxylesterase 1 isolated from whole cabbage looper larvae

Acta Cryst. (2012). F68, 269-272 (http://doi.org/hxs)

Overlay of the hexameric asymmetric unit of 2h7c (red C^α trace) with the hexamer of rhCES1 (green).

Human carboxylesterase 1 (rhCES1) has been produced in and isolated from whole cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) larvae using an orally active baculovirus expression system. The isolated rhCES1 protein was both biochemically active and readily crystallized; its structure was determined at high (2.2 Å) resolution via X-ray diffraction. The structure appears to be virtually identical to that previously determined for CES1 from cultured insect cells, validating the use of the whole insect system as a source for recombinant proteins in structure determination studies and other applications.