Overview

 Some transition metal ions are widely distributed in biological systems in the form of metal-binding proteins and enzymes. They are involved in many important physiological actions such as metabolism of substances and energy, homeostasis of the cell, and so on. Biometal Science Laboratory have been studying to understand the action of the metal ions in metal-binding proteins/enzymes in molecular level on the basis of their molecular structures, which are determined by X-ray crystallography, Cryo-EM and spectroscopic methods, in combination with biochemical, molecular biological and chemical techniques. Currently we have specially focused on the metal-binding proteins/enzymes and metal transporters.

Research Targets

1. Enzyme with a metal as a catalyst of chemical reaction

  • Bacterial Nitric oxide reductase (membrane-integrated protein)
  • Bacterial enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of anti-tumor and antibiotics
  • Monooxygenase (Cytochromes P450)
  • Dioxygenase (Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase)
  • Globin protein (Myoglobin, Hemoglobin, Cytoglobin, Neuroglobin)

2. Transport of metals by membrane protein

  • Heme transporters (ABC transporter)
  • Ferric reductase, a membrane protein involved in iron absorption in human intestine

3. Application and development of new methods for structural analysis

  • Crystallographic and spectroscopic analysis of short-lived reaction intermediates of enzyme

Press release and recent topics