title: CO-sensing mechanisms.
abstract: Carbon monoxide (CO) has long been known to have dramatic physiological effects on organisms ranging from bacteria to humans, but recently there have a number of suggestions that organisms might have specific sensors for CO. This article reviews the current evidence for a variety of proteins with demonstrated or potential CO-sensing ability. Particular emphasis is placed on the molecular description of CooA, a heme-containing CO sensor from Rhodospirillum rubrum, since its biological role as a CO sensor is clear and we have substantial insight into the basis of its sensing ability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, 420 Henry Mall, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA. groberts@bact.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Gary P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Hwan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kerby
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006420:Hemeproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C108776:CooA protein, Rhodospirillum rubrum; D006420:Hemeproteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D002248:Carbon Monoxide