New Iron–Sulfur Clusters Help Hydrogenases Tolerate Oxygen

Dienstag, 21. Februar 2012

Nature publication of Oliver Lenz and Bärbel Friedrich has been highlighted in Angwandte Chemie Internationl Edition

One S less: Recent crystallographic studies have revealed a new, oxygen-tolerant kind of iron–sulfide cluster [4Fe-3S], which contains only three rather than four sulfur atoms in its cage (see picture; yellow=S, red=Fe, blue=N, green=cysteine).

It is proposed that the cluster’s ability to transfer multiple electrons increases the oxygen tolerance by enabling the enzyme to reduce O2 rapidly, converting the dioxygen into harmless water before it can damage the protein.

Katarzyna Grubel and Prof. Patrick L. Holland on nature paper  of Dr. Oliver Lenz, Dr. Patrik Scheerer, and Prof. Bärbel Friedrich
See also online at Angewandte Chemie.