Iron protein tertiary structure

In all cases, the active site is defined by an iron center coordinated by four nitrogen atoms provided by one heme group. At least another base is found in another coordination site. The type of function is determined by the protein tertiary structure. 

Three core oxidation states are known for protein-bound [Fe4-S4(S.Cys)4]3+ clusters as illustrated in Figure 2.9. Native proteins exhibit either the [Fe4-S4]2+ + or the [Fe4-S4]3+,2+ redox couple, with proteins involved in the latter couple being referred to historically as HiPIP (high-potential iron protein). The three oxidation states have not been traversed in one protein unless its tertiary structure is significantly perturbed. 

Hemerythrin is a respiratory protein isolated from sipun-culids (marine worms). All sipunculids examined have, in the coelomic fluid, erythrocytes loaded with the protein which in most species so far examined is octameric, but sometimes tri-meric (18, 19) and in one instance dimeric and tetrameric (20, 21). From the retractor muscle of Themiste zostericola, the protein has been characterized as a monomer (22). The monomer (23) and the subunits of the trimer (24) and octamer (25) are remarkably similar in tertiary structure, having a M.W. of about 13,500 daltons. Each subunit contains one binuclear iron site. There is no porphyrin ring and the irons are coordinated only to amino acids, some of which, as well as probably an oxy group, form the binding atoms (26). 

High-potential iron proteins, 45 313-314, 344 cluster stability, 45 324-332 function, 45 315-316 residues, 45 322-344 structure and, 45 317-322 redox properties, 45 333-344 solvent accessibility, 45 330, 332-333 source and function, 45 314-316 structure, 45 316-322 hydrogen bonding and, 45 321-322 intermolecular aggregation, 45 322 primary, 45 317-318 secondary and tertiary, 45 318-321... 

FIGURE 8.3 A hypothetical series of isomorphous heavy atom derivatives for a crystalline macromolecule, represented here by the polypeptide backbone of rubredoxin. (a) The apo-protein, stripped of its metal ion, provides native structure factors />, shown in vector and waveform on the right (b) the protein with its naturally bound iron atom and FHi, the first derivative structure factor (c) the protein with its iron plus an attached mercury atom, and the resultant structure factor Fm from the double derivative (d) a second multiply substituted derivative formed by attachment of a gold atom to the protein-iron complex. This last derivative is only marginally useful, however, since the reaction with gold also produces a modification in the tertiary structure of the protein (denoted by an arrow). Since this non-isomorphism is equivalent to introducing a nonnative structure factor contribution, the observed F s cannot be properly accounted for, and an erroneous heavy atom contribution / results. This final derivative will yield an inaccurate phase estimate 0v for the native protein. 

Now that it is substantiated that the [2Fe 2S] domain of the Rieske iron-sulfur protein is not static but moves between domains of cytochrome-c, and cytochrome-/ subunits, and that it is likely that such movement may provide a novel mechanism to allow catalysis of all the reactions involved in the oxidation of hydroquinone at the Qo site and the subsequent bifurcated pathway of electron transfer. It has been found that during the movement, the mobile [2Fe 2S] domain retains essentially the same tertiary structure, and the anchoring N-terminal tail of the R-ISP molecule remains in the same fixed position. The movement occurs through an extension of a helical segment in the short linking span. 

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