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Escort proteins for cellular zinc ions

A metallochaperone protein that ensures that zinc ions are delivered to a crucial cellular enzyme has now been discovered. The finding underscores the subtleties of controlling cellular zinc allocation when the metal is scarce.
  1. Wolfgang Maret

    1. Wolfgang Maret is in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9NH, UK.

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Metal ions such as zinc are essential for proper cell function. At least 10% of human proteins contain zinc as a cofactor11, and zinc(ii) ions need to be correctly allocated to these proteins to prevent mismetallation of other proteins. However, the identity of proteins that could allocate zinc ions to the appropriate targets has been a mystery. Two groups — one writing in Cell2 and the other in Cell Reports3 — now identify one such protein.

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Nature 608, 38-39 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-01988-2

References

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Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

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