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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Copper Proteins with Dinuclear Active SitesBased in part on the article Copper Proteins with Dinuclear Active Sites by Konrad Lerch which appeared in theEncyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry, First Edition.

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Copper proteins with dinuclear active sites comprise proteins with different structures and functions. The phenoloxidase, tyrosinase, and catecholoxidase are responsible for browning by starting the synthesis of melanin. These enzymes are involved in the primary immune response in invertebrates, plants, fungi as well as in the sclerotization of arthropods. The respiratory proteins hemocyanins are responsible for oxygen transport in some arthropods and molluscs. However, they can be converted to enzymes exhibiting phenoloxidase activity. Based on X-ray structures of hemocyanins and a catecholoxidase, large parts of folding motifs are very similar although the sequence identities are far below 30%. A model for the activation process of phenoloxidase activity is presented. Keywords: hemocyanin; tyrosinase; catecholoxidase; phenoloxidase; mollusc; arthropod