New study shows why heme-copper oxidases prefer copper over iron
Thursday, November 24, 2016 - 09:31
in Biology & Nature
(Phys.org)—A family of enzymes known as heme-copper oxidases (HCOs) plays a pivotal role in the reduction of oxygen into water during cellular respiration. One mystery surrounding heme-copper oxidases is why the non-heme metal center tends to be copper rather than iron.