Fungi structural characterization

In times of iron deficiency, many bacteria and fungi release low molecular weight chelators called siderophores (see Iron Transport Siderophores). These molecules bind ferric iron tightly and the ferric-siderophore complexes are then transported into the cell by a system of uptake proteins. The first stage in the uptake process involves an outer membrane receptor specific to each siderophore. One of the best characterized of these receptors is FhuA, the ferrichrome uptake receptor of E. coli, and we will describe this in detail. However, though other ferric-siderophore complexes are taken up by cells, and their iron released by systems similar to those of ferrichrome, their mechanisms may vary from those of ferrichrome in some respects. FepA and FecA" are two of the outer membrane ferric-siderophore receptors that have recently been structurally characterized. 

The aim of this chapter is to cover general aspects of glycolipid structural diversity and more specifically the structural characterization and possible biological functions of glycosphingolipids from fungi and protozoa. 

Purple acid phosphatase (PAP) or tartrate-resistant phosphatase is not thought to be a protein phosphatase but it has a very similar dimetallic active site structure to that found in protein phosphatases. PAPs have been identified in bacteria, plants, mammals, and fungi. The molecular weights (animal 35 kDa, plant 55 kDa) are different and they exhibit low sequence homology between kingdoms but the residues involved in coordination of the metal ions are invariant. " There has been considerable debate as to the identity of the metal ions in PAPs in vivo. Sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas, has been shown to possess two different PAP enzymes and the active site of one of them has been shown to contain one Fe and one Zn " " ion. Another report has established that the active site of a PAP from sweet potato contains one Fe " and one Mn +. The well-characterized red kidney bean enzyme and the soybean enzyme contain Fe " and Zn. Claims that PAP from sweet potato has 2Fe ions or 2Mn ions have been discussed elsewhere. One explanation is that these are different forms of the enzyme, another is that because the metal ions are labile and are rapidly incorporated into the active site, the enzyme contains a mixture of metal ions in vivo and the form isolated depends on the conditions of isolation. 

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