Bacterial Cu⁺-ATPases: models for molecular structure–function studies

The early discovery of the human Cu⁺-ATPases and their link to Menkes and Wilson's diseases brought attention to the unique role of these transporters in copper homeostasis. The characterization of bacterial Cu⁺-ATPases has significantly furthered our understanding of the structure, selectivity and transport mechanism of these enzymes, as well as their interplay with other elements of Cu⁺ distribution networks. This review focuses on the structural–functional insights that have emerged from studies of bacterial Cu⁺-ATPases at the molecular level and how these observations have contributed to drawing up a comprehensive picture of cellular copper homeostasis.