Metalloenzyme

Dear Colleagues,

Metalloenzymes are proteins that bind heavy metal ions as active sites for enzymatic reactions and/or structural factors regulating protein stabilities. In many physiological processes, metalloenzymes play central roles, which are substantiated by the estimation that around 30% of the proteome are proteins binding heavy metal ions. In spite of structural, as well as functional, requirements of metal ions for metalloenzymes, heavy metal ions can exert toxicity: Indeed, there is no single metal ion (copper and zinc, in particular) that is freely available within cells. It is, hence, important to know how metal ions are delivered correctly to metal-requiring proteins in cells. Furthermore, functional and metabolic breakdowns of metalloenzymes are related to various diseases including anemia, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and diabetes, which further points to the relevance of metalloenzymes in our lives.

This Special Issue on “Metalloenzymes” will be comprised of original research papers and reviews covering various aspects of metalloenzymes. Contributions from research on the structure–function relationships of metalloenzymes and intracellular metabolism of heavy metal ions will be welcome. Studies on pathological roles of heavy metal ions and metalloenzymes will also be considered.

Dr. Yoshiaki Furukawa
Guest Editor

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