title: A tetranuclear Cu(I) cluster in the metallochaperone protein CopZ.
abstract: Copper trafficking proteins and copper-sensitive regulators are often found to be able to bind multiple Cu(I) ions in the form of Cu(I) clusters. We have determined the high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of an Atx1-like copper chaperone protein from Bacillus subtilis containing a novel tetranuclear Cu(I) cluster. The identities and oxidation states of the cluster ions were established unambiguously by refinement of X-ray energy-dependent anomalous scattering factors. The [Cu(4)(S-Cys)(4)(N-His)(2)] cluster geometry provides new structural insights into not only the binding of multiple cuprous ions by metallochaperones but also protein-associated tetranuclear Cu(I) clusters, including those found in eukaryotic copper-responsive transcription factors.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hearnshaw
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Chloe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Singleton
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kihlken
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Strange
authors.forename: Nick E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Le Brun
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hemmings
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D019281:Dimerization; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008667:Metalloproteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D003300:Copper