title: Metal transport across biomembranes: emerging models for a distinct chemistry.
abstract: Transition metals are essential components of important biomolecules, and their homeostasis is central to many life processes. Transmembrane transporters are key elements controlling the distribution of metals in various compartments. However, due to their chemical properties, transition elements require transporters with different structural-functional characteristics from those of alkali and alkali earth ions. Emerging structural information and functional studies have revealed distinctive features of metal transport. Among these are the relevance of multifaceted events involving metal transfer among participating proteins, the importance of coordination geometry at transmembrane transport sites, and the presence of the largely irreversible steps associated with vectorial transport. Here, we discuss how these characteristics shape novel transition metal ion transport models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, USA. arguello@wpi.edu
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Argüello
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raimunda
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Guerrero
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D002621:Chemistry / Q000379:methods*; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D006706:Homeostasis; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D028561:Transition Elements / Q000737:chemistry; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D008670:Metals; D011506:Proteins; D028561:Transition Elements; D003300:Copper; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D015032:Zinc