Pulsed ELDOR Determination of the Intramolecular Distance between the Metal Binding Sites in Dicupric Human Serum Transferrin and Lactoferrin

摘要

Serum transferrin (Tf) and lactoferrin (Lf) are members of an important group of iron-binding and transport proteins. A single polypeptide folds into two lobes of similar structure, each binding a single Fe~(3+) ion. The iron can be removed and replaced by a number of other metal ions, while retaining the overall protein structure. Of great interest is how these proteins interact with their bacterial and mammalian receptors and how changes to the tertiary structure upon binding ultimately lead to iron release.