A tetranuclear Cu(I) cluster in the metallochaperone protein CopZ

The high-resolution X-ray crystal structure characterization of an Atx1-like copper chaperone protein from Bacillus subtilis containing a novel tetranuclear Cu(I) cluster is described. The findings for [[Cu.sub.4][(S-Cys).sub.4][(N-His).sub.2]] cluster geometry offered a new structural insights into the binding of multiple cuprous ions by metallochaperones as well as protein-associated tetranuclear Cu(I) clusters, including those found in eukaryotic copper-responsive transcription factors.