Metalloproteins

Fundamental processes need metals

30% of all proteins bind metals

More than 40% of all enzymes need metal for function

Ex. For replication, DNA polymerase needs Fe-S cluser

Metals needed in humans

Bulk

Trace

Na, K, Hg, Ca

V, Cr, Mo, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn

Metals constitute 1-2% of body weight

What do the metals do?

Metalloproteins

Dioxygen transport

Electron transport

Structural roles

Metalloenzymes

Communication Roles

Hydrolytic

Redox enzymes

Rearrangements

Fe3O4 magnetic "internal compass"

Na+, K+, Ca+ Cellular responses

Interaction with Nucleic Acids

Structure

Catalysis

Amino acids that regularly act as metal ligands in proteins are thiolates of cysteines, imidazoles of histidines, carboxylates of glutamic and aspartic acids, and phenolates of tyrosines

Redox-active metals

Iron, copper,

Oftenparticipate in electron transfer

Small redox-active metalloproteins facilitate electron-transfer reactions by alternately binding to specific integral membrane proteins that often contain several metal binding sites

Soluble redox-active metalloproteins

Iron-sulfur-cluster proteins

heme-binding cytochromes

blue-copper proteins