Highlights the progress made in finding new and exciting metalloproteins

10 years after the original publication of the Handbook of Metalloproteins Volumes 1 & 2, and following publication of Volume 3 in 2004, comes the latest two volumes...

Presents detailed descriptions of the most exciting newly discovered metalloproteins, including:

• New metalloproteins involved in photosynthesis, e.g. photosystem I and II, cytochromes
• New Copper Metalloproteins involved in the formation of Alzheimer’s disease and are leads to new medication
• New metalloproteins essential in understanding the function of nerves and muscles

 Researching the structure and function of metalloproteins is one of the biggest challenges in modern biological chemistry – and several Nobel Prizes have been awarded to research in the field, including to the Co-Editor Robert Huber in 1988.

Volumes 4 & 5 help bring together the very latest new and exciting metalloproteins in two volumes to help keep you up-to-date in this continually expanding field, including:

• New metalloproteins involved in photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is vital for life on earth. Contributions on photosystem I and II as well as on cytochrome b6f, which are main components of the oxygenic photosynthetic machinery in plants, algae and cyanobacteria, unravel the role of metals and metal cofactors in this fascinating fundamental process

• New Copper Metalloproteins

The role of copper in connection with the amyloid precursor protein for Alzheimer’s disease

• New metalloproteins essential in understanding the function of nerves and muscles

Contributions on Mg²⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺ channels/transporters have been included to highlight their formidable significance in biological systems. Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase is e.g. very abundant in heart muscle tissues and represents the target for drugs against heart insufficiency like digitalis drugs

• Metalloproteins used in metal ion transport and storage

Metal ion transport, storage and incorporation have been deeper considered in a row of new articles. The metal ions include iron, zinc, nickel and copper.

• Factor VIII

Factor VIII is an essential blood clotting factor. Some defects might cause a lack of this factor and result in hemophelia A.

The new two volumes contain articles published online in the Handbook of Metalloproteins (HMET) from 2007 – 2010, these cover a wide range of newly discovered and exciting metalloproteins since publication of HMET in 2006.

These new additional volumes will provide essential reading to all experienced researchers in bioinorganic chemistry and should give the newcomer a good entry into the field in the following areas: Metalloproteins, Proteins, Proteomics, Coordination Chemistry, Bioinorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Drug Development, Enzymology.

Professor Dr. Albrecht Messerschmidt is group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Marinsried, Germany. His main reserach interest is in the determination of X-ray structures of metalloproteins and -enzymes, PLP-dependent enzymes, CoA-transferases and other proteins. His group is part of the department of X-ray structure determination of proteins headed by nobel laureate Robert Huber.