Radicals in Biology: Your Life Is in Their Hands
JoAnne Stubbe, Daniel G. Nocera
Abstract
Radicals in biology, once thought to all be bad actors, are now known to play a central role in many enzymatic reactions. Of the known radical-based enzymes, ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are pre-eminent as they are essential in the biology of all organisms by providing the building blocks and controlling the fidelity of DNA replication and repair. Intense examination of RNRs has led to the development of new tools and a guiding framework for the study of radicals in biology, pointing the way to future frontiers in radical enzymology.
Topics & Concepts
RadicalChemistryDNA replicationRibonucleotideRibonucleotide reductaseChemical biologyDNABiochemistryProtein subunitGeneNucleotideMetal-Catalyzed Oxygenation MechanismsMetalloenzymes and iron-sulfur proteinsMetal complexes synthesis and properties