Abstract
Iron is a metal element indispensable for life. It usually plays important roles as reaction centers of the iron-containing proteins and enzymes, and is responsible for many physiological actions, e.g., conversion of bio-materials (biosynthesis and metabolism), bio-information (signal trasnduction) and bio-energy, through the ligand binding, acid-base and reductionoxidation reactions. Our group has had much interest in iron-containing proteins and enzymes, especially heme-containing proteins and enzymes (hemoproteins and heme-enzymes). Heme is a iron-porphyrin complexes. We are studying their molecular properties on the basis of their molecular structures, which can be crystallographycally determined using the SPring-8 Beam Lines. In this article, we focus on structure-function relationship of heme-containing oxygenases, oxygensensor proteins and nitric oxide reductases.
