title: Molecular recognition in copper trafficking.
abstract: From the basic export of unwanted metal ions in simple organisms to the complex orchestration of metal handling and usage in higher eukaryotes, cellular systems are based on a variety of molecular mechanisms that constrain the right metal to bind to the right protein partner at the right time when needed. A failure to overcome the challenges inherent in this task can lead to pathological states that compromise the life of the cell. This is indeed the case with copper, a metal ion that is essential but which can however also create toxic effects when its intracellular concentration and distribution are not properly controlled. Research in this field increasingly indicates that a subtle interplay between metal coordination chemistry and protein-protein interactions finely tunes molecular recognition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Fiorentino, Italy. banci@cerm.unifi.it
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Banci
authors.forename: Ivano
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bertini
authors.forename: Kathleen S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: McGreevy
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosato
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D003300:Copper