CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Transition metals are essential components of important biomolecules and their homeostasis is central to many life processes. Transmembrane transporters are key elements controlling the distribution of metals in various compartments. However, the chemical properties of transition elements require functional and structural characteristics distinct from previously described alkali and alkali earth ion transport mechanisms. Emerging structural information and functional studies have revealed distinctive features of metal transport. Among these are the relevance of multifaceted events involving metal transfer among participating proteins, the importance of coordination geometry at transmembrane transport sites, and the presence of the largely irreversible steps associated with vectorial transport. Here, we discuss how these characteristics shape novel transition metal ion transport models.