Iron-sulfur Protein
Iron-sulfur proteins are proteins characterized by the presence of iron-sulfur clusters containing sulfide-linked di-, tri-, and tetrairon centers in variable oxidation states. Iron-sulfur clusters are found in a variety of metalloproteins, such as the ferredoxins, as well as NADH dehydrogenase, hydrogenases, Coenzyme Q - cytochrome c reductase, Succinate - coenzyme Q reductase and nitrogenase. Iron-sulfur clusters are best known for their role in the oxidation-reduction reactions of mitochondrial electron transport. Both Complex I and Complex II of oxidative phosphorylation have multiple Fe-S clusters. They have many other functions including catalysis as illustrated by aconitase, generation of radicals as illustrated by SAM-dependent enzymes, and as sulfur donors in the biosynthesis of lipoic acid and biotin. Additionally some Fe-S proteins regulate gene expression. Fe-S proteins are vulnerable to attack by biogenic nitric oxide.
The prevalence of these proteins on the metabolic pathways of most organisms lead some scientists to theorize that iron-sulfur compounds had a significant role in the origin of life in the Iron-sulfur world theory.
Read more about Iron-sulfur Protein: Structural Motifs, Biosynthesis, Synthetic Analogues
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