亜鉛を含む酵素,タンパク質に関する研究:現状と展望

抄録

Zinc is one of the essential micronutrients for all organisms, including microorganisms, plants, and animals. There are more than 300 zinc enzymes that use zinc as a cofactor, and zinc is thought to be required for enzyme activi- ty, structural maintenance, and function as a signaling factor. Some zinc enzymes have been characterized in detail, including the structure around the zinc, which generally forms a tetrahedral structure in which His, Glu, Asp, and Cys bind to the zinc and activate it. Zinc enzymes are valuable therapeutic targets because they exhibit important physiological functions, and the development of drugs and inhibitors has been investigated. However, the function, crystal structure, and chemistry of many zinc enzymes remain unexplored. In this mini-review, we describe the distribution of zinc-containing enzymes and proteins and their reaction mech- anisms, the role of zinc, and its pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications to clarify the important points to be clarified in this research area.