AI Article Synopsis

  • Copper is essential for human health, but also toxic, necessitating careful regulation of its intake, distribution, and elimination.
  • The study used advanced techniques like electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and all-atom simulations to explore how copper travels within the body.
  • Findings reveal that the copper-binding protein Atox1 interacts with a specific domain of ATP7B, suggesting that this binding occurs via weak, metal-stabilized interactions during the final stages of copper transport.

Article Abstract

Copper's essentiality and toxicity require a meticulous mechanism for its acquisition, cellular distribution and excretion, which remains hitherto elusive. Herein, we jointly employed electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and all-atom simulations to resolve the copper trafficking mechanism in humans considering the route travelled by Cu(i) from the metallochaperone Atox1 to the metal binding domains 3 and 4 of ATP7B. Our study shows that Cu(i) in the final part of its extraction pathway is most likely mediated by binding of Atox1 monomer to MBD4 of ATP7B. This interaction takes place through weak metal-stabilized protein-protein interactions.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9mt00067dDOI Listing

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