ISBN: 978-83-60043-10-3 - eurobic9

Eurobic9, 2-6 September, 2008, Wrocław, Poland
P76. Molecular Intelligence: Flexible Response of Zinc Fingers on Metal
Ion Supply
U. Heinz, L. Hemmingsen, H. W. Adolph
Department of Natural Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark,
e-mail: u.heinz@gmx.de, hwa@life.ku.dk
Zinc fingers are considered as small, independently folded protein domains that require coordinative binding of
zinc ions for structure stabilization, and serve in molecular recognition processes involving DNA, RNA, other
proteins or membranes. The present study demonstrates that both nature of and supply with metal ions determine
whether zinc fingers fold into the well-known, fully loaded structures or alternatively form complexes with
ligands for one metal ion contributed by different binding sites. The identification and characterization of such
adaptive and intelligent system changes in terms of alternative structural states of single proteins according to the
element-specific requirements of metal ions contributes to the understanding of zinc homeostasis, trafficking,
signalling and heavy metal toxicity. The prevailing view on molecular regulation in terms of "on and off control"
might be replaced by a more differentiated process - oriented view on complex adaptive systems.
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