title: The structure and function of frataxin.
abstract: Frataxin, a highly conserved protein found in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, is required for efficient regulation of cellular iron homeostasis. Humans with a frataxin deficiency have the cardio- and neurodegenerative disorder Friedreich's ataxia, commonly resulting from a GAA trinucleotide repeat expansion in the frataxin gene. While frataxin's specific function remains a point of controversy, the general consensus is that the protein assists in controlling cellular iron homeostasis by directly binding iron. This review focuses on the structural and biochemical aspects of iron binding by the frataxin orthologs and outlines molecular attributes that may help explain the protein's role in different cellular pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
authors.forename: Krisztina Z
authors.initials: KZ
authors.lastname: Bencze
authors.forename: Kalyan C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Kondapalli
authors.forename: Jeremy D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Millán-Pacheco
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pastor
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Stemmler
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005621:Friedreich Ataxia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006418:Heme / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D000096923:Frataxin
chemical_list: D006418:Heme; D007501:Iron; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D000096923:Frataxin