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A Design for Life: Prokaryotic Metal-binding MerR Family Regulators

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Abstract

The MerR family of metal-binding, metal-responsive proteins is unique in that they activate transcription from unusual promoters and coordinate metals through cysteine (and in the case of ZntR, histidine) residues. They have conserved primary structures yet can effectively discriminate metals in vivo.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biosciences, The University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK

    Jon L. Hobman & Nigel L. Brown

  2. School of Chemistry, The University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK

    John Wilkie

  3. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Polaris House, SN1 2EU, Swindon, UK

    Nigel L. Brown

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  1. Jon L. Hobman
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  2. John Wilkie
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  3. Nigel L. Brown
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Correspondence to Jon L. Hobman.

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Hobman, J.L., Wilkie, J. & Brown, N.L. A Design for Life: Prokaryotic Metal-binding MerR Family Regulators. Biometals 18, 429–436 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-005-3717-7

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