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Leguto AJ, Smith MA, Morgada MN, Zitare UA, Murgida DH, Lancaster KM, Vila AJ. Dramatic Electronic Perturbations of Cu A Centers via Subtle Geometric Changes. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:1373-1381. [PMID: 30582893 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b12335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
CuA is a binuclear copper site acting as electron entry port in terminal heme-copper oxidases. In the oxidized form, CuA is a mixed valence pair whose electronic structure can be described using a potential energy surface with two minima, σu* and πu, that are variably populated at room temperature. We report that mutations in the first and second coordination spheres of the binuclear metallocofactor can be combined in an additive manner to tune the energy gap and, thus, the relative populations of the two lowest-lying states. A series of designed mutants span σu*/πu energy gaps ranging from 900 to 13 cm-1. The smallest gap corresponds to a variant with an effectively degenerate ground state. All engineered sites preserve the mixed-valence character of this metal center and the electron transfer functionality. An increase of the Cu-Cu distance less than 0.06 Å modifies the σu*/πu energy gap by almost 2 orders of magnitude, with longer distances eliciting a larger population of the πu state. This scenario offers a stark contrast to synthetic systems, as model compounds require a lengthening of 0.5 Å in the Cu-Cu distance to stabilize the πu state. These findings show that the tight control of the protein environment allows drastic perturbations in the electronic structure of CuA sites with minor geometric changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alcides J Leguto
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas , Universidad Nacional de Rosario and CONICET , 2000 Rosario , Argentina
| | - Meghan A Smith
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States
| | - Marcos N Morgada
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas , Universidad Nacional de Rosario and CONICET , 2000 Rosario , Argentina
| | - Ulises A Zitare
- Instituto de Química Física de los Materiales, Medio Ambiente y Energía (INQUIMAE), Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales , Universidad de Buenos Aires and CONICET , 1428 Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - Daniel H Murgida
- Instituto de Química Física de los Materiales, Medio Ambiente y Energía (INQUIMAE), Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales , Universidad de Buenos Aires and CONICET , 1428 Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - Kyle M Lancaster
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States
| | - Alejandro J Vila
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas , Universidad Nacional de Rosario and CONICET , 2000 Rosario , Argentina
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Clark KM, Tian S, van der Donk WA, Lu Y. Probing the role of the backbone carbonyl interaction with the Cu A center in azurin by replacing the peptide bond with an ester linkage. Chem Commun (Camb) 2016; 53:224-227. [PMID: 27918029 PMCID: PMC5253137 DOI: 10.1039/c6cc07274g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The role of a backbone carbonyl interaction with an engineered CuA center in azurin was investigated by developing a method of synthesis and incorporation of a depsipeptide where one of the amide bonds in azurin is replaced by an ester bond using expressed protein ligation. Studies by electronic absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques indicate that, while the substitution does not significantly alter the geometry of the site, it weakens the axial interaction to the CuA center and strengthens the Cu-Cu bond, as evidenced by the blue shift of the near-IR absorption that has been assigned to the Cu-Cu ψ → ψ* transition. Interestingly, the changes in the electronic structure from the replacement did not result in a change in the reduction potential of the CuA center, suggesting that the diamond core structure of Cu2SCys2 is resistant to variations in axial interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Clark
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Shiliang Tian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Wilfred A van der Donk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA. and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA. and Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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3
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Chakraborty S, Polen MJ, Chacón KN, Wilson TD, Yu Y, Reed J, Nilges MJ, Blackburn NJ, Lu Y. Binuclear Cu(A) Formation in Biosynthetic Models of Cu(A) in Azurin Proceeds via a Novel Cu(Cys)2His Mononuclear Copper Intermediate. Biochemistry 2016; 54:6071-81. [PMID: 26352296 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cu(A) is a binuclear electron transfer (ET) center found in cytochrome c oxidases (CcOs), nitrous oxide reductases (N₂ORs), and nitric oxide reductase (NOR). In these proteins, the Cu(A) centers facilitate efficient ET (kET > 10⁴s⁻¹) under low thermodynamic driving forces (10-90 mV). While the structure and functional properties of Cu(A) are well understood, a detailed mechanism of the incorporation of copper into the protein and the identity of the intermediates formed during the Cu(A) maturation process are still lacking. Previous studies of the Cu(A) assembly mechanism in vitro using a biosynthetic model Cu(A) center in azurin (Cu(A)Az) identified a novel intermediate X (Ix) during reconstitution of the binuclear site. However, because of the instability of Ix and the coexistence of other Cu centers, such as Cu(A)' and type 1 copper centers, the identity of this intermediate could not be established. Here, we report the mechanism of Cu(A) assembly using variants of Glu114XCuAAz (X = Gly, Ala, Leu, or Gln), the backbone carbonyl of which acts as a ligand to the Cu(A) site, with a major focus on characterization of the novel intermediate Ix. We show that Cu(A) assembly in these variants proceeds through several types of Cu centers, such as mononuclear red type 2 Cu, the novel intermediate Ix, and blue type 1 Cu. Our results show that the backbone flexibility of the Glu114 residue is an important factor in determining the rates of T2Cu → Ix formation, suggesting that Cu(A) formation is facilitated by swinging of the ligand loop, which internalizes the T2Cu capture complex to the protein interior. The kinetic data further suggest that the nature of the Glu114 side chain influences the time scales on which these intermediates are formed, the wavelengths of the absorption peaks, and how cleanly one intermediate is converted to another. Through careful understanding of these mechanisms and optimization of the conditions, we have obtained Ix in ∼80-85% population in these variants, which allowed us to employ ultraviolet-visible, electron paramagnetic resonance, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic techniques to identify the Ix as a mononuclear Cu(Cys)(2)(His) complex. Because some of the intermediates have been proposed to be involved in the assembly of native Cu(A), these results shed light on the structural features of the important intermediates and mechanism of Cu(A) formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumen Chakraborty
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Michael J Polen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Kelly N Chacón
- Institute of Environmental Health, Oregon Health & Sciences University , Portland, Oregon 97239, United States
| | - Tiffany D Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Julian Reed
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mark J Nilges
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Ninian J Blackburn
- Institute of Environmental Health, Oregon Health & Sciences University , Portland, Oregon 97239, United States
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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4
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Liu J, Chakraborty S, Hosseinzadeh P, Yu Y, Tian S, Petrik I, Bhagi A, Lu Y. Metalloproteins containing cytochrome, iron-sulfur, or copper redox centers. Chem Rev 2014; 114:4366-469. [PMID: 24758379 PMCID: PMC4002152 DOI: 10.1021/cr400479b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 560] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics
and Computational
Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Saumen Chakraborty
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics
and Computational
Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Parisa Hosseinzadeh
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics
and Computational
Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics
and Computational
Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Shiliang Tian
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics
and Computational
Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Igor Petrik
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics
and Computational
Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Ambika Bhagi
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics
and Computational
Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics
and Computational
Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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5
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Yu F, Cangelosi VM, Zastrow ML, Tegoni M, Plegaria JS, Tebo AG, Mocny CS, Ruckthong L, Qayyum H, Pecoraro VL. Protein design: toward functional metalloenzymes. Chem Rev 2014; 114:3495-578. [PMID: 24661096 PMCID: PMC4300145 DOI: 10.1021/cr400458x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 340] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fangting Yu
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Alison G. Tebo
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | | | - Leela Ruckthong
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Hira Qayyum
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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6
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Wilson TD, Yu Y, Lu Y. Understanding copper-thiolate containing electron transfer centers by incorporation of unnatural amino acids and the CuA center into the type 1 copper protein azurin. Coord Chem Rev 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2012.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Wilson TD, Savelieff MG, Nilges MJ, Marshall NM, Lu Y. Kinetics of Copper Incorporation into a Biosynthetic Purple CuA Azurin: Characterization of Red, Blue, and a New Intermediate Species. J Am Chem Soc 2011; 133:20778-92. [DOI: 10.1021/ja205281t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany D. Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Masha G. Savelieff
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mark J. Nilges
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Nicholas M. Marshall
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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8
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A theoretical investigation of the functional role of the axial methionine ligand of the Cu(A) site in cytochrome c oxidase. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2011; 1807:1314-27. [PMID: 21745457 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2011.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2011] [Revised: 05/29/2011] [Accepted: 06/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The functional roles of the amino acid residues of the Cu(A) site in bovine cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) were investigated by utilizing hybrid quantum mechanics (QM)/molecular mechanics (MM) calculations. The energy levels of the molecular orbitals (MOs) involving Cu d(zx) orbitals unexpectedly increased, as compared with those found previously with a simplified model system lacking the axial Met residue (i.e., Cu(2)S(2)N(2)). This elevation of MO energies stemmed from the formation of the anti-bonding orbitals, which are generated by hybridization between the d(zx) orbitals of Cu ions and the p-orbitals of the S and O atoms of the axial ligands. To clarify the roles of the axial Met ligand, the inner-sphere reorganization energies of the Cu(A) site were computed, with the Met residue assigned to either the QM or MM region. The reorganization energy slightly increased when the Met residue was excluded from the QM region. The existing experimental data and the present structural modeling study also suggested that the axial Met residue moderately increased the redox potential of the Cu(A) site. Thus, the role of the Met may be to regulate the electron transfer rate through the fine modulation of the electronic structure of the Cu(A) "platform", created by two Cys/His residues coordinated to the Cu ions. This regulation would provide the optimum redox potential/reorganization energy of the Cu(A) site, and thereby facilitate the subsequent cooperative reactions, such as the proton pump and the enzymatic activity, of CcO. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Allosteric cooperativity in respiratory proteins.
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9
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Savelieff MG, Lu Y. CuA centers and their biosynthetic models in azurin. J Biol Inorg Chem 2010; 15:461-83. [DOI: 10.1007/s00775-010-0625-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2009] [Accepted: 01/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Experimental evidence for a link among cupredoxins: red, blue, and purple copper transformations in nitrous oxide reductase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:7919-24. [PMID: 18535143 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0711316105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cupredoxin fold is an important motif in numerous proteins that are central to several critical cellular processes ranging from aerobic and anaerobic respiration to catalysis and iron homeostasis. Three types of copper sites have been found to date within cupredoxin folds: blue type 1 (T1) copper, red type 2 (T2) copper, and purple Cu(A). Although as much as 90% sequence difference has been observed among some members of this superfamily of proteins that span several kingdoms, sequence alignment and phylogenic trees strongly suggest an evolutionary link and common ancestry. However, experimental evidence for such a link has been lacking. We report herein the observation of pH-dependent transformation between blue T1 copper, red T2 copper, and the native purple Cu(A) centers of nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR) from Paracoccus denitrificans. The blue and red copper centers form initially before they are transformed into purple Cu(A) center. This transformation process is pH-dependent, with lower pH resulting in fewer trapped T1 and T2 coppers and faster transition to purple Cu(A). These observations suggest that the purple Cu(A) site contains the essential elements of T1 and T2 copper centers and that the Cu(A) center is preferentially formed at low pH. Therefore, this work provides an underlying link between the various cupredoxin copper sites and possible experimental evidence in vitro for the evolutionary relationship between the cupredoxin proteins. The findings also lend physiological relevance to cupredoxin site biosynthesis.
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11
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pH dependent copper binding properties of a CuA azurin variant with both bridging cysteines replaced with serines. Inorganica Chim Acta 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ica.2007.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Lu Y. Metalloprotein and metallo-DNA/RNAzyme design: current approaches, success measures, and future challenges. Inorg Chem 2007; 45:9930-40. [PMID: 17140190 PMCID: PMC2533576 DOI: 10.1021/ic052007t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Specific metal-binding sites have been found in not only proteins but also DNA and RNA molecules. Together these metalloenzymes consist of a major portion of the enzyme family and can catalyze some of the most difficult biological reactions. Designing these metalloenzymes can be both challenging and rewarding because it can provide deeper insights into the structure and function of proteins and cheaper and more stable alternatives for biochemical and biotechnological applications. Toward this goal, both rational and combinatorial approaches have been used. The rational approach is good for designing metalloenzymes that are well characterized, such as heme proteins, while the combinatorial approach is better at designing those whose structures are poorly understood, such as metallo-DNA/RNAzymes. Among the rational approaches, de novo design is at its best when metal-binding sites reside in a scaffold whose structure has been designed de novo (e.g., alpha-helical bundles). Otherwise, design using native scaffolds can be equally effective, allowing more choices of scaffolds whose structural stability is often more resistant to multiple mutations. In addition, computational and empirical designs have both enjoyed successes. Because of the limitation in defining structural parameters for metal-binding sites, a computational approach is restricted to mostly metal-binding sites that are well defined, such as mono- or homonuclear centers. An empirical approach, even though it is less restrictive in the metal-binding sites to be designed, depends heavily on one's knowledge and choice of templates and targets. An emerging approach is a combination of both computational and empirical approaches. The success of these approaches can be measured not only by three-dimensional structural comparison between the designed and target enzymes but also by the total amount of insight obtained from the design process and studies of the designed enzymes. One of the biggest advantages of designed metalloenzymes is the potential of placing two different metal-binding sites in the same protein framework for comparison. A final measure of success is how one can utilize the insight gained from the intellectual exercise to design new metalloenzymes, including those with unprecedented structures and functions. Future challenges include designing more complex metalloenzymes such as heteronuclear metal centers with strong nanomolar or better affinities. A key to meeting this challenge is to focus on the design of not only primary but also secondary coordination spheres using a combination of improved computer programs, experimental design, and high-resolution crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Lu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
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14
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Abstract
Inorganic chemistry and biology can benefit greatly from each other. Although synthetic and physical inorganic chemistry have been greatly successful in clarifying the role of metal ions in biological systems, the time may now be right to utilize biological systems to advance coordination chemistry. One such example is the use of small, stable, easy-to-make, and well-characterized proteins as ligands to synthesize novel inorganic compounds. This biosynthetic inorganic chemistry is possible thanks to a number of developments in biology. This review summarizes the progress in the synthesis of close models of complex metalloproteins, followed by a description of recent advances in using the approach for making novel compounds that are unprecedented in either inorganic chemistry or biology. The focus is mainly on synthetic "tricks" learned from biology, as well as novel structures and insights obtained. The advantages and disadvantages of this biosynthetic approach are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Lu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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