Cupredoxin

Patent Pending Type I copper centres (T1Cu) are characterized by a single copper atom coordinated by two histidine residues and a cysteine residue in a trigonal planar structure, and a variable axial ligand. In class I T1Cu proteins (e.g. amicyanin, plastocyanin and pseudoazurin) the axial ligand is the sulfur of methionine, whereas aminoacids other than methionine (e.g. glutamine) give rise to class II T1Cu copper proteins. Azurins contain the third type of T1Cu centres: besides a methionine in one axial position, they contain a second axial ligand (a carbonyl group of a glycine residue). T1Cu-containing proteins are usually called "cupredoxins", and show similar three-dimensional structures, relatively high reduction potentials (> 250 mV), and strong absorption near 600 nm (due to S→Cu charge transfer), which usually gives rise to a blue colour.