An unexpected all-metal aromatic tetranuclear silver cluster in human copper chaperone Atox1. Issue 24 (7th June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Xiuxiu; Han, Zong-Chang; Wei, Wei; Hu, Hanshi; Li, Pengfei; Sun, Peiqing; Liu, Xiangzhi; Lv, Zhijia; Wang, Feng; Cao, Yi; Guo, Zijian; Li, Jun; Zhao, Jing
• Is Part Of: Chemical science. Volume 13:Issue 24(2022)
• Page Start: 7269
• Page End: 7275
• Publication Date: 2022-06-07
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/d1sc07122j
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2041-6520

Abstract

Abstract : Metal clusters, such as iron–sulfur clusters, play key roles in sustaining life and are intimately involved in the functions of metalloproteins. Abstract : Metal clusters, such as iron–sulfur clusters, play key roles in sustaining life and are intimately involved in the functions of metalloproteins. Herein we report the formation and crystal structure of a planar square tetranuclear silver cluster when silver ions were mixed with human copper chaperone Atox1. Quantum chemical studies reveal that two Ag 5s 1 electrons in the tetranuclear silver cluster fully occupy the one bonding molecular orbital, with the assumption that this Ag4 cluster is Ag4 2+, leading to extensive electron delocalization over the planar square and significant stabilization. This bonding pattern of the tetranuclear silver cluster represents an aromatic all-metal structure that follows a 4 n + 2 electron counting rule ( n = 0). This is the first time an all-metal aromatic silver cluster was observed in a protein.