Iron-sulfur flavoenzymes: the added value of making the most ancient redox cofactors and the versatile flavins work together

Abstract

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) flavoproteins form a broad and growing class of complex, multi-domain and often multi-subunit proteins coupling the most ancient cofactors (the Fe-S clusters) and the most versatile coenzymes (the flavin coenzymes, FMN and FAD). These enzymes catalyse oxidoreduction reactions usually acting as switches between donors of electron pairs and acceptors of single electrons, and vice versa. Through selected examples, the enzymes' structure−function relationships with respect to rate and directionality of the electron transfer steps, the role of the apoprotein and its dynamics in modulating the electron transfer process will be discussed.

Keywords

• flavin coenzymes
• iron-sulfur clusters
• oxido-reduction
• electron transport
• enzymes