Waldron Kevin J, Rutherford Julian C, Ford Dianne, Robinson Nigel J
Cell & Molecular Biosciences, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE2 4HH, UK.
Nature. 2009 Aug 13;460(7257):823-30. doi: 10.1038/nature08300.
Almost half of all enzymes must associate with a particular metal to function. An ambition is to understand why each metal-protein partnership arose and how it is maintained. Metal availability provides part of the explanation, and has changed over geological time and varies between habitats but is held within vital limits in cells. Such homeostasis needs metal sensors, and there is an ongoing search to discover the metal-sensing mechanisms. For metalloproteins to acquire the right metals, metal sensors must correctly distinguish between the inorganic elements.
几乎所有酶的一半都必须与特定金属结合才能发挥作用。一个目标是了解每种金属 - 蛋白质伙伴关系为何产生以及如何维持。金属的可利用性提供了部分解释，它在地质时间上发生了变化，并且在不同栖息地之间有所不同，但在细胞内保持在至关重要的限度内。这种稳态需要金属传感器，目前正在进行探索以发现金属传感机制。为了使金属蛋白获得合适的金属，金属传感器必须正确区分无机元素。
