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Metalloproteins

A switch for blue copper proteins?

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Nitric oxide (NO) has important functions in all forms of life and serves, for example, as a signalling molecule in mammals. Now, two complementary studies have uncovered how NO binds to blue copper proteins. This research suggests a mechanism by which NO could regulate the activity of blue copper proteins involved in denitrification.

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Figure 1: Reaction of NO with blue copper centres.
Figure 2: Reversible formation of an S–nitrosothiol adduct.

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Correspondence to Nicolai Lehnert.

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Samanta, S., Lehnert, N. A switch for blue copper proteins?. Nature Chem 8, 639–641 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2561

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