Catalysis of iron core formation in Pyrococcus furiosus ferritin.

ABSTRACT: The hollow sphere-shaped 24-meric ferritin can store large amounts of iron as a ferrihydrite-like mineral core. In all subunits of homomeric ferritins and in catalytically active subunits of heteromeric ferritins a diiron binding site is found that is commonly addressed as the ferroxidase center (FC). The FC is involved in the catalytic Fe(II) oxidation by the protein; however, structural differences among different ferritins may be linked to different mechanisms of iron oxidation. Non-heme ferritins are generally believed to operate by the so-called substrate FC model in which the FC cycles by filling with Fe(II), oxidizing the iron, and donating labile Fe(III)-O-Fe(III) units to the cavity. In contrast, the heme-containing bacterial ferritin from Escherichia coli has been proposed to car

SUBMITTER: Honarmand Ebrahimi K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2771142 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature