Sunday, January 22, 2023

Protoporphyrin IX Binds to Iron(II)-Loaded and to Zinc-Loaded Human Frataxin

Bernardo-Seisdedos G, Schedlbauer A, Pereira-Ortuzar T, Mato JM, Millet O.; Life (Basel). 2023 Jan 12;13(1):222. doi: 10.3390/life13010222. PMID: 36676171. 

We demonstrate that frataxin also binds Zn2+ in a structurally similar way to Fe2+, but with lower affinity. In turn, both Fe2+-loaded and Zn2+-loaded frataxins specifically associate to protoporphyrin IX with micromolar affinity, while apo-frataxin does not bind to the porphyrin. Protoporphyrin IX association to metal-loaded frataxin shares the binding epitope with ferrochelatase.