Mechanism of Cu(A) assembly.
Abriata, L.A., Banci, L., Bertini, I., Ciofi-Baffoni, S., Gkazonis, P., Spyroulias, G.A., Vila, A.J., Wang, S.(2008) Nat Chem Biol 4: 599-601
- PubMed: 18758441 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.110
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
2K6V, 2K6W, 2K6Y, 2K6Z, 2K70 - PubMed Abstract: 
Copper is essential for proper functioning of cytochrome c oxidases, and therefore for cellular respiration in eukaryotes and many bacteria. Here we show that a new periplasmic protein (PCu(A)C) selectively inserts Cu(I) ions into subunit II of Thermus thermophilus ba(3) oxidase to generate a native Cu(A) site. The purported metallochaperone Sco1 is unable to deliver copper ions; instead, it works as a thiol-disulfide reductase to maintain the correct oxidation state of the Cu(A) cysteine ligands.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, (S2002LRK) Rosario, Argentina.