Toward predicting silver ion binding in proteins

Abstract

The binding of metal ions in proteins is often crucial for their function and hence for life. Silver is known to possess antimicrobial properties, yet little is known about the exact molecular mechanism of action. Based on the silver binding tetrapeptide moieties HX₁X₂M, and MX₁X₂H found in the silver efflux pump protein SilE, we studied the influence of the individual amino acids X₁ and X₂ and found trends that may be important in general metal ion binding in proteins.