Iron-sulphur ([Fe-S]) clusters are simple inorganic prosthetic groups that are contained in a variety of proteins having functions related to electron transfer, gene regulation, environmental sensing and substrate activation. In spite of their simple structures, biological [Fe-S] clusters are not formed spontaneously. Rather, a consortium of highly conserved proteins is required for both the formation of [Fe-S] clusters and their insertion into various protein partners. Among the [Fe-S] cluster biosynthetic proteins are included a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme (NifS) that is involved in the activation of sulphur from L-cysteine, and a molecular scaffold protein (NifU) upon which [Fe-S] cluster precursors are formed. The formation or transfer of [Fe-S] clusters appears to require an electron-transfer step. Another complexity is that molecular chaperones homologous to DnaJ and DnaK are involved in some aspect of the maturation of [Fe-S]-cluster-containing proteins. It appears that the basic biochemical features of [Fe-S] cluster formation are strongly conserved in Nature, since organisms from all three life Kingdoms contain the same consortium of homologous proteins required for [Fe-S] cluster formation that were discovered in the eubacteria.
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Conference Article|
August 01 2002
Biosynthesis of iron-sulphur clusters is a complex and highly conserved process
J. Frazzon;
J. Frazzon
*Department of Food Sciences, ICTA, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Allegre, RS, 91051-970, Brazil
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J. R. Fick;
J. R. Fick
†Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0346, U.S.A.
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D. R. Dean
D. R. Dean
1
†Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0346, U.S.A.
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed (e-mail deandr@vt.edu)
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
April 10 2002
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© 2002 Biochemical Society
2002
Biochem Soc Trans (2002) 30 (4): 680–685.
Article history
Received:
April 10 2002
Citation
J. Frazzon, J. R. Fick, D. R. Dean; Biosynthesis of iron-sulphur clusters is a complex and highly conserved process. Biochem Soc Trans 1 August 2002; 30 (4): 680–685. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bst0300680
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