Unique roles of iron and zinc binding to the yeast Fe-S cluster scaffold assembly protein "Isu1".

Mitochondrial Fe-S cluster biosynthesis is accomplished within yeast utilizing the biophysical attributes of the "Isu1" scaffold assembly protein. As a member of a highly homologous protein family, Isu1 has sequence conservation between orthologs and a conserved ability to assemble [2Fe-2S] clusters. Regardless of species, scaffold orthologs have been shown to exist in both "disordered" and "structured" conformations, a structural architecture that is directly related to conformations utilized during Fe-S cluster assembly.

NMR assignments of a stable processing intermediate of human frataxin.

Frataxin, a nuclear encoded protein targeted to the mitochondrial matrix, has recently been implicated as an iron chaperone that delivers Fe(II) to the iron-sulfur assembly enzyme ISU. During transport across the mitochondrial membrane, the N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence of frataxin is cleaved in a two-step process to produce the "mature" protein found within the matrix; however, N-terminally extended forms of the protein have also been observed in vivo as a result of processing deficiencies. Structural characterization studies of the mature human frataxin ortholog suggest the protein's N-terminus is predominately unfolded, in contrast to what has been observed for the yeast ortholog.

Mapping iron binding sites on human frataxin: implications for cluster assembly on the ISU Fe-S cluster scaffold protein.

Frataxin is an iron binding mitochondrial matrix protein that has been shown to mediate iron delivery during iron-sulfur cluster and heme biosynthesis. There is a high degree of structural homology for frataxin proteins from diverse sources, and all possess an anionic surface defined by acidic residues. In the human protein these residues principally lie on a surface defined by the alpha1 helix and beta1 sheet and the impact of multiple substitutions of these carboxylate residues on iron binding is described.

N-terminal iron-mediated self-cleavage of human frataxin: regulation of iron binding and complex formation with target proteins.

Frataxin is an iron-binding mitochondrial matrix protein that has been shown to mediate iron delivery during iron-sulfur cluster and heme biosynthesis. Mitochondrial processing peptidase (MPP) yields a form of human frataxin corresponding to residues 56-210. However, structural and functional studies have focused on a core structure that results from an ill-defined cleavage event at the N-terminus.

Catalytic mechanism of S-ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS): direct observation of ketone intermediates by 13C NMR spectroscopy.

S-Ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS) catalyzes the cleavage of the thioether linkage of S-ribosylhomocysteine (SRH) to produce l-homocysteine and 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DHPD). This is a key step in the biosynthetic pathway of the type II autoinducer (AI-2) in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Previous studies demonstrated that LuxS contains a catalytically essential Fe2+ ion.

S-Ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS) is a mononuclear iron protein.

S-Ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS) catalyzes the cleavage of the thioether linkage of S-ribosylhomocysteine (SRH) to produce L-homocysteine and 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DHPD). This is a key step in the biosynthetic pathway of the type II autoinducer (AI-2) in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Previous studies demonstrated that LuxS contains a divalent metal cofactor, which has been proposed to be a Zn(2+) ion.