Severe diffraction anisotropy, rotational pseudosymmetry and twinning complicate the refinement of a pentameric coiled-coil structure of NSP4 of rotavirus.

The crystal structure of the region spanning residues 95-146 of the rotavirus nonstructural protein NSP4 from the asymptomatic human strain ST3 was determined at a resolution of 2.5 Å. Severe diffraction anisotropy, rotational pseudosymmetry and twinning complicated the refinement of this structure. A systematic explanation confirming the crystal pathologies and describing how the structure was successfully refined is given in this report.