Structural approaches to probing metal interaction with proteins

In this mini-review we focus on metal interactions with proteins with a particular emphasis on the evident synergism between different biophysical approaches toward understanding metallobiology. We highlight three recent examples from our own laboratory. Firstly, we describe metallodrug interactions with glutathione S-transferases, an enzyme family known to attack commonly used anti-cancer drugs. We then describe a protein target for memory enhancing drugs called insulin-regulated aminopeptidase in which zinc plays a role in catalysis and regulation. Finally we describe our studies on a protein, amyloid precursor protein, that appears to play a central role in Alzheimer's disease. Copper ions have been implicated in playing both beneficial and detrimental roles in the disease by binding to different regions of this protein. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.