Metallochaperones

Metallochaperones are a distinct class of molecular chaperones that facilitate the intracellular transport of metal ions to different metalloproteins, e.g., metalloenzymes, in cells through specific protein-protein interactions.^[1] In this way, for example, the proteins ensure that the correct metal ion cofactor is acquired by its corresponding metalloenzyme.^[2] Metallochaperones are essential to the proper functioning of cells, playing a vital role in a large number of biological processes including, for example, respiration, photosynthesis, neurotransmission, and protein folding.^[3]

Prior to the discovery of metallochaperones in the late 1990s, biologists believed that metal ions freely diffused within cells without the aid of auxiliary proteins.^[2] Today, it is well established that these special molecules contribute to the intracellular homeostatic control of biometal ions.^[3]