Crystal structures of human torsin-a and methods of determining and using the same

A method of determining the three dimensional structure of a crystallized protein composition to a resolution of about 1.4 Å or better,

• wherein the protein composition comprises a target protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in the SEQ ID NO:
• 2 or SEQ ID NO:
• 3, a modulator of the target protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in the SEQ ID NO:
• 4, and a nanobody specifically binds to at least one of the target protein and the modulator and having the amino acid sequence set forth in the SEQ ID NO:
• 5;
• and
• wherein the method comprises:
• preparing a first nucleotide sequence comprising the nucleic acid sequence set forth in the SEQ ID NO:
• 7 or the nucleic acid sequence set forth in the SEQ ID NO:
• 8, a second nucleotide sequence comprising the nucleic acid sequence set forth in the SEQ ID NO:
• 9, and a third nucleotide sequence comprising the nucleic acid sequence set forth in the SEQ ID NO:
• 10;
• cloning the first nucleotide sequence and the second nucleotide sequence to a first vector;
• cloning the third nucleotide sequence to a second vector;
• transforming bacteria using the first vector and the second vector;
• growing the bacteria that expressing the target protein, the modulator and the nanobody;
• purifying the target protein, the modulator and the nanobody together to obtain a protein composition;
• crystallizing the protein composition to obtain crystals;
• collecting x-ray data using one of the obtained crystals;
• and
• determining the three dimensional structure from the collected x-ray data.