Mechanism, evolution and inhibition of Zn(II)-dependent lactamases: a new global threat

A. J. VILA

Chascomús

Encuentro; IV Latin American Meeting on Biological Inorganic Chemistry - V WOQUIBIO; 2014

10.2217/FMB.13.34 © 2013 Future Medicine Ltd ISSN 1746-0913 Future Microbiol. (2013) 8 (8), 947?949 Future Microbiology part of 947 Zn(II) is an essential metal ion in living organisms, playing a wide variety of roles as a structural, regulatory or catalytic cofactor in proteins, that is able to interact with approxi - mately 10% of the entire proteome in humans [1] . As is the case for most transition metal ions, high Zn(II) levels are toxic. Therefore, organ - isms have developed a series of mechanisms to regulate Zn(II) concentrations and to ensure proper metal uptake by metalloproteins [2] . These mechanisms involve specific metal sensor proteins, import and export machineries that allow subcellular compartmentalization and a pool of small molecules and/or proteins that are able to bind excess Zn(II) [2] . As a result, there is rarely free Zn(II) within cells and biological flu