Optimized schemes for expression, purification, and ATPase-assay of hexa-histidine (His)-tagged KaiC. (a) Overview of the protocol. (b) Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis of His-tagged KaiC during its purification. Lane 1, molecular mass makers; lane 2, the pre-purified glutathione S-transferase (GST)-tagged KaiC; lane 3, the supernatant fraction after sonication; lane 4, the pellet fraction after sonication; lane 5, the proteins enriched on Ni-Separose affinity column and then eluted; lane 6; the main fraction eluted from Resource Q column; lane 7, the main fraction separated by Superdex 200 column. (c) Pseudo-parallel treatment of three sets of two KaiC mutants to achieve six KaiC mutants per week.