Evidence for discrete Cd(SCys)4 units in cadmium phytochelatin complexes from EXAFS spectroscopy
Abstract
The principal structural features of multinuclear complexes of cadmium(II) with the plant-peptide phytochelatin have been deduced from Cd-EXAFS (EXAFS = extended X-ray absorption fine structure) data: (i) Cd(SCys)4 coordination, (ii) in contrast to Cd-metallothioneins, no formation of cadmium ‘clusters’ and (iii) non-coordinating carboxylate groups.