Role for zinc(II) in the copper(I) regulated protein CopY

Despite the importance of copper-thiolate clusters in the regulation of copper metabolism the formation chemistry of these clusters in proteins is not well understood. The number of Cu(I) ions that can be incorporated within a given molecule and their coordination number varies. CopY is a repressor protein from Enterococcus hirae which utilises a copper-thiolate cluster in the regulation of the copper homeostasis genes. Physical, biological assays of purified native reconstituted apoCopY suggest that the formation of a Zn(II)-protein prior to Cu(I) incorporation is necessary to achieve the native Cu(I)-S cluster. In this protein the Zn(II) is readily displaced by the Cu(I). CopY proteins with homologous metal binding motifs are being used to investigate cluster formation stabilisation.