Commentary abstract
Nature Chemical Biology 4, 145 - 147 (2008)
doi:10.1038/nchembio0308-145
Assembling the pieces
Dennis J Thiele1 & Jonathan D Gitlin1
- Dennis J. Thiele is in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Research Drive, LSRC C351, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. e-mail: dennis.thiele@duke.edu
- Jonathan D. Gitlin is in the Edward Mallinckrodt Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Box 8208, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA. e-mail: gitlin@wustl.edu
Abstract
Transition metals function as cofactors in specific proteins, catalyzing electron exchange reactions, binding substrates and stabilizing protein structure. Studies of human diseases and of model organisms have defined many of the molecular details of metal uptake, trafficking, and excretion. The current challenge is to integrate these details into a systematic view of metal content, speciation, localization and use within organisms and ecosystems.
