Modeling the Zn and Cd metalation mechanism in mammalian metallothionein 1a

Mammalian metallothioneins (MTs) are a family of small cysteine rich proteins believed to have a number of physiological functions, including both metal ion homeostasis and toxic metal detoxification. Mammalian MTs bind 7 Zn²⁺ or Cd²⁺ ions into two distinct domains: an N-terminal β-domain that binds 3 Zn²⁺ or Cd²⁺, and a C-terminal α-domain that binds 4 Zn²⁺ or Cd²⁺. Although stepwise metalation to the saturated M₇-MT (where M = Zn²⁺ or Cd²⁺) species would be expected to take place via a noncooperative mechanism involving the 20 cysteine thiolate ligands, literature reports suggest a cooperative mechanism involving cluster formation prior to saturation of the protein. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) provides this sensitivity through delineation of all species (M_n-MT, n = 0-7) coexisting at each step in the metalation process. We report modeled ESI-mass spectral data for the stepwise metalation of human recombinant MT 1a (rhMT) and its two isolated fractions for three mechanistic conditions: cooperative (where the binding affinities are: K₁ < K₂ < K₃ < ··· < K₇), weakly cooperative (where K₁ = K₂ = K₃ = ··· = K₇), and noncooperative, (where K₁ > K₂ > K₃ > ··· > K₇). Detailed ESI-MS metalation data of human recombinant MT 1a by Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ are also reported. Comparison of the experimental data with the predicted mass spectral data provides conclusive evidence that metalation occurs in a noncooperative fashion for Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ binding to rhMT 1a.     

锌7与镉7－金属硫蛋白清除羟自由基的比较

分离及纯化兔肝金属硫蛋白.制备去金属金属硫蛋白、锌₇与镉₇金属硫蛋白．在不同pH条件下,比较后二者清除羟自由基能力;在pH6条件下,比较锌₇－金属硫蛋白与有关蛋白和无机锌盐清除羟自由基效果．结论是在近生理pH条件下锌₇－金属硫蛋白清除羟自由基能力远强于镉₇－金属硫蛋白．金属硫蛋白清除羟自由基的能力主要来源于蛋白中处于还原态的流基．     

The crystal structures of human S100B in the zinc- and calcium-loaded state at three pH values reveal zinc ligand swapping

S100B is a homodimeric zinc-, copper-, and calcium-binding protein of the family of EF-hand S100 proteins. Zn²⁺ binding to S100B increases its affinity towards Ca²⁺ as well as towards target peptides and proteins. Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ bind presumably to the same site in S100B. We determined the structures of human Zn²⁺- and Ca²⁺-loaded S100B at pH 6.5, pH 9, and pH 10 by X-ray crystallography at 1.5, 1.4, and 1.65 Å resolution, respectively. Two Zn²⁺ ions are coordinated tetrahedrally at the dimer interface by His and Glu residues from both subunits. The crystal structures revealed that ligand swapping occurs for one of the four ligands in the Zn²⁺-binding sites. Whereas at pH 9, the Zn²⁺ ions are coordinated by His15, His25, His 85′, and His 90′, at pH 6.5 and pH 10, His90′ is replaced by Glu89′. The results document that the Zn²⁺-binding sites are flexible to accommodate other metal ions such as Cu²⁺. Moreover, we characterized the structural changes upon Zn²⁺ binding, which might lead to increased affinity towards Ca²⁺ as well as towards target proteins. We observed that in Zn²⁺-Ca²⁺-loaded S100B the C-termini of helix IV adopt a distinct conformation. Zn²⁺ binding induces a repositioning of residues Phe87 and Phe88, which are involved in target protein binding. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 11th European Symposium on Calcium.     

Preparation and reactivity of a tetranuclear Fe(II) core in the metallothionein α-domain

Metallothioneins (MTs) are small cysteine-rich proteins which exhibit high affinities for various metal ions and play roles in storage of essential metals and detoxification of toxic metals. Studies on the redox properties of MTs have been quite limited. Recently, we focused on the α-domain of MT (MTα) as a protein matrix and incorporated a tetranuclear metal cluster as a reductant. UV-visible, CD and MS data indicate the formation of the stable tetranuclear metal-cysteine cluster in the MTα matrix with Fe^II₄-MTα and Co^II₄-MTα species existing in water. Furthermore, the Fe^II₄-MTα species was found to promote the reduction of met-myoglobin and azobenzene derivatives under mild conditions. Particularly, the stoichiometric reduction of methyl red with Fe^II₄-MTα (1:1) was found to proceed with a conversion of 98% over a period of 6 h at 25 °C. This indicates that all of the four Fe(II) cores contribute to the reduction. In this paper, we describe the preparation and reactivity of the tetranuclear iron cluster in the protein matrix.     

Is Ag(I) an adequate probe for Cu(I) in structural copper–metallothionein studies?

The binding abilities of silver(I) to mammalian MT 1 have been studied and compared with those of copper(I), recently reported [Bofill et al. (2001) J Biol Inorg Chem 6:408–417], with the aim of analyzing the suitability of Ag(I) as a Cu(I) probe in Cu–MT studies. The Zn/Ag replacement in recombinant mouse Zn₇–MT 1 and corresponding Zn₄-MT 1 and Zn₃-MT 1 fragments, as well as the stepwise incorporation of Ag(I) to the corresponding apo-MTs, have been followed in parallel by various spectroscopic techniques including electronic absorption (UV–vis), circular dichroism (CD) and electrospray mass spectrometry coupled to capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE-ESI-MS). A comparative analysis of the sets of data obtained in the titration of Zn₇–MT 1, Zn₄–MT 1 and Zn₃-MT 1 with AgClO₄ at pH 7.5 and 2.5 has led to the reaction pathways followed during the incorporation of silver to these proteins under these specific conditions, disclosing unprecedented stoichiometries and structural features for the species formed. Thus, the Zn/Ag replacement in Zn₇–MT 1 at pH 7.5 has revealed the subsequent formation of Ag₄Zn₅–MT, Ag₇Zn₃–MT, Ag₈Zn₃–MT, Ag₁₀Zn₂–MT, Ag₁₂Zn₁–MT, Ag_x–MT, x=14–19, whose structure consists of two additive domains only if Zn(II) remains coordinated to the protein. A second structural role for Zn(II) has been deduced from the different folding found for the Ag_x–MT species of the same stoichiometry formed at pH 7.5 or 2.5. Comparison of the binding features of Cu(I) and Ag(I) to the entire MT at pH 7.5 shows that, among all the _xZn_y–MT (0y<7) species found, only M^I₄Zn₅–MT [(Zn₄)(₄Zn₁)] and M^I₇Zn₃–MT [(₃Zn₂)(₄Zn₁)], which form during the first stages of the Zn(II)/M(I) metal replacement, show comparable 3D structures; thus, they are the only species where Ag(I) ions can be predicted to be an adequate probe for Cu(I).Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at .     

Transition metal ions and selenite modulate the methylation of arsenite by the recombinant human arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (hAS3MT)

This report demonstrates that transition metal ions and selenite affect the arsenite methylation by the recombinant human arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (hAS3MT) in vitro. Co²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Zn²⁺ inhibited the arsenite methylation by hAS3MT in a concentration-dependent manner and the kinetics indicated Co²⁺ and Mn²⁺ to be mixed (competitive and non-competitive) inhibitors while Zn²⁺ to be a competitive inhibitor. However, only a high concentration of Fe²⁺ could restrain the methylation. UV-visible, CD and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to study the interactions between the metal ions above and hAS3MT. Further studies showed that neither superoxide anion nor hydrogen peroxide was involved in the transition metal ion or selenite inhibition of hAS3MT activity. The inhibition of arsenite methylating activity of hAS3MT by selenite was reversed by 2 mM DTT (dithiothreitol) but neither by cysteine nor by β-mercaptoethanol. Whereas, besides DTT, cysteine can also prevent the inhibition of hAS3MT activity by Co²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Zn²⁺. Free Cys residues were involved in the interactions of transition metal ions or selenite with hAS3MT. It is proposed that the inhibitory effect of the ions (Co²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Zn²⁺) or selenite on hAS3MT activity might be via the interactions of them with free Cys residues in hAS3MT to form inactive protein adducts.     

Calcium enhances the proteolytic activity of BACE1: An in vitro biophysical and biochemical characterization of the BACE1-calcium interaction

BACE1 is a novel type I transmembrane aspartyl protease that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein by the β-secretase, BACE1, is the first step in the production of the Aβ peptide and is a prime target for therapeutic intervention. Using circular dichroism, we reveal that the secondary structure of BACE1 in a membrane environment is significantly different from what was determined from the previously resolved crystal structure, and, we provide the first evidence that show differences in stability between the active (pH 4.8) and inactive (pH 7.4) forms of BACE1. In this study we have also examined Ca²⁺ binding to BACE1, the effect of this binding on the secondary and tertiary structural characteristics of BACE1, and the influence of this binding on the specific activity of the purified protein. Circular dichroism and endogenous tryptophan fluorescence measurements demonstrated that the secondary and tertiary structures, respectively, are sensitive to increasing concentrations of Ca²⁺. Isothermal titration calorimetry was then used to characterize the Ca²⁺-BACE1 interaction in more detail. Our results suggest that there is a high affinity of binding (k_d = 2.0 × μM) between Ca²⁺ and BACE1 and that the binding process was exothermic (ΔH = − 3.5 kcal/mol). We also could demonstrate that low concentrations of Ca²⁺ (μM range) significantly increased the proteolytic activity of BACE1. Collectively, these results identify a direct interaction between BACE1 and Ca²⁺ and suggest that under physiological conditions, the function(s) of BACE1 must also be influenced by Ca²⁺.     

Effect of Zinc (II) on the interactions of bovine serum albumin with flavonols bearing different number of hydroxyl substituent on B-ring

The impact of Zn²⁺ ion on interactions of flavonols galangin (Gal), kaempferol (Kae), quercetin (Que) and myricetin (Myr) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in aqueous solution were studied by fluorescence quenching technique. The results exhibited that Zn²⁺ ion affected significantly the interactions and the effect was distinct for the flavonol bearing different number of B-ring hydroxyl. Each flavonol can quench the fluorescence of BSA, displaying a quenching extent of Myr > Que > Kae > Gal, which is in good agreement with the number variation of the B-ring hydroxyl. The presence of Zn²⁺ ion promoted the quenching for the flavonols, exhibiting an extent of Que > Myr > Kae > Gal. The values of K_a for Kae, Que and Myr decreased whereas K_SV and k_q for Gal, Kae and Que increased with the number of B-ring hydroxyl. The type of BSA fluorescence quenching for Gal, Kae and Que hardly changed but the preference of static quenching increased. The values of K_SV and k_q for Myr remarkably decreased and the fluorescence quenching of BSA alternatively occurred via both static and dynamic type instead of only one (static or dynamic). The results suggest the key role of the B-ring hydroxyl and the distinct effect of its number in the interactions. Each flavonol may capture the BSA-bound Zn^II in the solution, forming Zn^II-flavonol complex that is possibly responsible for BSA fluorescence quenching. The B-ring hydroxyl could establish hydrogen bonds with BSA in the absence of Zn²⁺ and act as donors for chelating in the presence of Zn²⁺. The formation of dinuclear Zn^II-Myr complex together with the hydrogen bonds between the free B-ring hydroxyl and BSA may contribute to the exceptional behavior of Myr.     

Inhibition of membrane-bound cytochrome c oxidase by zinc ions: High-affinity Zn-binding site at the P-side of the membrane

In the presence of the uncoupler, external zinc ions inhibit rapidly turnover of cytochrome c oxidase reconstituted in phospholipid vesicles or bound to the membrane of intact mitochondria. The effect is promoted by electron leaks into the oxidase during preincubation with Zn²⁺. Inhibition of liposome-bound bovine cytochrome oxidase by external Zn²⁺ titrates with a K_i of 1 ± 0.3 μM. Presumably, the Zn²⁺-binding group at the positively charged side is not reactive in the oxidized enzyme, but becomes accessible to the cation in some partially reduced state(s) of the oxidase; reduction of Cu_B is tentatively proposed to be responsible for the effect.     

Rational design, synthesis and evaluation of first generation inhibitors of the Giardia lamblia fructose-1,6-biphosphate aldolase

Inhibitors of the Giardia lamblia fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (GlFBPA), which transforms fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) to dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, were designed based on 3-hydroxy-2-pyridone and 1,2-dihydroxypyridine scaffolds that position two negatively charged tetrahedral groups for interaction with substrate phosphate binding residues, a hydrogen bond donor to the catalytic Asp83, and a Zn²⁺ binding group. The inhibition activities for the GlFBPA catalyzed reaction of FBP of the prepared alkyl phosphonate/phosphate substituted 3-hydroxy-2-pyridinones and a dihydroxypyridine were determined. The 3-hydroxy-2-pyridone inhibitor 8 was found to bind to GlFBPA with an affinity (K_i = 14 μM) that is comparable to that of FBP (K_m = 2 μM) or its inert analog TBP (K_i = 1 μM). The X-ray structure of the GlFBPA-inhibitor 8 complex (2.3 Å) shows that 8 binds to the active site in the manner predicted by in silico docking with the exception of coordination with Zn²⁺. The observed distances and orientation of the pyridone ring O=C-C-OH relative to Zn²⁺ are not consistent with a strong interaction. To determine if Zn²⁺coordination occurs in the GlFBPA-inhibitor 8 complex in solution, EXAFS spectra were measured. A four coordinate geometry comprised of the three enzyme histidine ligands and an oxygen atom from the pyridone ring O=C-C-OH was indicated. Analysis of the Zn²⁺ coordination geometries in recently reported structures of class II FBPAs suggests that strong Zn²⁺ coordination is reserved for the enediolate-like transition state, accounting for minimal contribution of Zn²⁺ coordination to binding of 8 to GlFBPA.     

The Zinc Center Influences the Redox and Thermodynamic Properties of Escherichia coli Thioredoxin 2

Thioredoxins are small, ubiquitous redox enzymes that reduce protein disulfide bonds by using a pair of cysteine residues present in a strictly conserved WCGPC catalytic motif. The Escherichia coli cytoplasm contains two thioredoxins, Trx1 and Trx2. Trx2 is special because it is induced under oxidative stress conditions and it has an additional N-terminal zinc-binding domain. We have determined the redox potential of Trx2, the pK_a of the active site nucleophilic cysteine, as well as the stability of the oxidized and reduced form of the protein. Trx2 is more oxidizing than Trx1 (-221 mV versus -284 mV, respectively), which is in good agreement with the decreased value of the pK_a of the nucleophilic cysteine (5.1 versus 7.1, respectively). The difference in stability between the oxidized and reduced forms of an oxidoreductase is the driving force to reduce substrate proteins. This difference is smaller for Trx2 (ΔΔG°_H2O = 9 kJ/mol and ΔT_m = 7. 4 °C) than for Trx1 (ΔΔG°_H2O = 15 kJ/mol and ΔT_m = 13 °C). Altogether, our data indicate that Trx2 is a significantly less reducing enzyme than Trx1, which suggests that Trx2 has a distinctive function. We disrupted the zinc center by mutating the four Zn²⁺-binding cysteines to serine. This mutant has a more reducing redox potential (-254 mV) and the pK_a of its nucleophilic cysteine shifts from 5.1 to 7.1. The removal of Zn²⁺ also decreases the overall stability of the reduced and oxidized forms by 3.2 kJ/mol and 5.8 kJ/mol, respectively. In conclusion, our data show that the Zn²⁺-center of Trx2 fine-tunes the properties of this unique thioredoxin.     

Arsenic-metalation of triple-domain human metallothioneins: Support for the evolutionary advantage and interdomain metalation of multiple-metal-binding domains

Metallothionein (MT) is a prominent metal-binding protein and in mammalian systems contains a two-domain βα motif, while in lower life forms MT often consists of only a single-domain structure. There are also unusual MTs from American oysters that consist of multiple domains (from one to four α domains). This report details the study of the As³⁺-metalation to two different concatenated triple β and α domain MTs using time-resolved electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS). Analysis of kinetic ESI MS data show that ααα human MT and βββ human MT bind As³⁺ in a noncooperative manner and involves up to 11 sequential bimolecular reactions. We report the complete progress of the reactions for the As³⁺-metalation of both triple-domain MTs from zero and up to 9 (βββ) or 10 As³⁺ ions (ααα). The rate constants for the As³⁺-metalation are reported for both the βββ and ααα human MT. At room temperature (298 K) and pH 3.5, the sequential individual rate constants, k_n (n = 1-9) for the As³⁺-metalation of βββhMT starting at k_1βββ are 40, 36, 37, 26, 27, 17, 12, 6, and 1 M⁻¹ s⁻¹; while at room temperature (298 K) and pH 3.5, the sequential individual rate constants, k_n (n = 1-10) for the As³⁺-metalation of αααhMT starting at k_1ααα are 52, 45, 46, 42, 38, 36, 29, 25, 14, and 6 M⁻¹ s⁻¹. The trend in the rate constant values reported for these two triple-domain MT proteins supports our previous proposal that the rate constant values are proportionally related to the total number of equivalent binding sites. The rate of binding for the 1st As³⁺ is the fastest we have determined for any MT to date. Additionally, we propose that the data show for the first time for any MT species, that interdomain metalation occurs in the binding of the 10th and 11th As³⁺ to αααhMT.     

High affinity Zn2+ inhibitory site(s) for the trypsin-like peptidase of the 20S proteasome

The effect of Zn²⁺ on three major peptidase activities of the 20S proteasome purified from Xenopus oocytes was kinetically investigated. An extremely low concentration of Zn²⁺ (μM range) strongly inhibited the trypsin-like activity of the 20S proteasome which was fully recoverable by the addition of EDTA. The concentration of Zn²⁺ for half-maximum inhibition (K_0.5) was 0.60 μM which was at least 10 times lower than that of any other divalent cation tested and essentially the same as for proteasomes purified from various other organisms indicating that the inhibition is highly Zn²⁺-specific, reversible, and common to the proteasome regardless of its source. Zn²⁺ at concentrations below 100 μM instantaneously activated the chymotrypsin-like and PGPH activities, and the Zn²⁺ concentration for half-maximum activation was found to be 42-48 μM. These activities were time-dependently inactivated by submillimolar concentrations of Zn²⁺. The inactivation rates were dependent on the concentration of Zn²⁺ and reached a maximum of 1.60-2.40 min⁻¹ for the three peptidase activities under the conditions used. The Zn²⁺ concentration for half-maximum inactivation was found to be 0.70-1.23 mM. This time-dependent inactivation was not reversed by the addition of EDTA or DTT and might not be accompanied by the dissociation of subunits of the 20S proteasome indicating that all activities are inactivated by an identical phenomenon. These results reveal the three types of effects of Zn²⁺ on the 20S proteasome.     

Fasciola gigantica: purification and characterization of adenosine deaminase

Nucleotidase cascades (apyrase, 5′ nucleotidase, and adenosine deaminase (ADA) were investigated in the parasitic trematode Fasciola gigantica. ADA had the highest activity in the nucleotidase cascades. Adenosine deaminase was purified from F. gigantica through acetone precipitation and chromatography on CM-cellulose. Two forms of enzyme (ADAI, ADAII) were separated. ADAII was purified to homogeneity after chromatography on Sephacryl S-200. The molecular mass was 29 KDa for the native and denatured enzyme using gel filtration and SDS-PAGE, respectively. The enzyme (ADAII) had a pH optimum at 7.5 and a K_m 1.0 mM adenosine, a temperature optimum at 40 °C and heat stability up to 40 °C. The order of effectiveness of metals as inhibitors was found to be Hg²⁺ > Mn²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Ba²⁺.     

Divalent metal ion complexes of S100B in the absence and presence of pentamidine

As part of an effort to inhibit S100B, structures of pentamidine (Pnt) bound to Ca²⁺-loaded and Zn²⁺,Ca²⁺-loaded S100B were determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.15 Å (R_free = 0.266) and 1.85 Å (R_free = 0.243) resolution, respectively. These data were compared to X-ray structures solved in the absence of Pnt, including Ca²⁺-loaded S100B and Zn²⁺,Ca²⁺-loaded S100B determined here (1.88 Å; R_free = 0.267). In the presence and absence of Zn²⁺, electron density corresponding to two Pnt molecules per S100B subunit was mapped for both drug-bound structures. One Pnt binding site (site 1) was adjacent to a p53 peptide binding site on S100B (± Zn²⁺), and the second Pnt molecule was mapped to the dimer interface (site 2; ± Zn²⁺) and in a pocket near residues that define the Zn²⁺ binding site on S100B. In addition, a conformational change in S100B was observed upon the addition of Zn²⁺ to Ca²⁺-S100B, which changed the conformation and orientation of Pnt bound to sites 1 and 2 of Pnt-Zn²⁺,Ca²⁺-S100B when compared to Pnt-Ca²⁺-S100B. That Pnt can adapt to this Zn²⁺-dependent conformational change was unexpected and provides a new mode for S100B inhibition by this drug. These data will be useful for developing novel inhibitors of both Ca²⁺- and Ca²⁺,Zn²⁺-bound S100B.     

Macrocyclic complexes of scandium radionuclides as precursors for diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals

The aim of this study was to evaluate new ligands which can be applied for labeling biomolecules with scandium radionuclides. Two radionuclides of scandium, ⁴⁷Sc and ⁴⁴Sc, are perspective radioisotopes for radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging. ⁴⁷Sc decays with a half-life of 3.35 days and a maximum β⁻ energy of 600 keV and could be an alternative to carrier added ¹⁷⁷Lu radionuclide for targeted radionuclide therapy. Another scandium radionuclide ⁴⁴Sc (t_1/2 = 3.92 h) is an ideal β⁺ emitter for PET diagnosis. It can be obtained as a daughter of the long-lived ⁴⁴Ti (t_1/2 = 60.4 y) from ⁴⁴Ti/⁴⁴Sc generator. For complexation of scandium radionuclides macrocyclic ligands having a cavity size similar to Sc³⁺ ionic radius were selected: 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7 triacetic acid (NOTA), 1,4,7-triazacyclodecane-1,4,7 triacetic acid and 1,4,7-triazacycloundecane triacetic acid, and analogs of NOTA with 10, 11 and 12 atoms of the carbon in the ring. Our results have shown that from the studied macrocyclic ligands studied DOTA is most efficient for binding scandium radionuclides ⁴⁴Sc and ⁴⁷Sc to biomolecules. The determined stability constant of Sc-DOTA complex logK = 27.0 is comparable with stability constants for Y³⁺ and heaviest lanthanides but is higher than those for In³⁺ and Ga³⁺. Also ⁴⁶Sc-DOTATATE conjugate exhibits high stability in-vitro studies. The ¹³C NMR studies have shown that Sc-DOTA like Lu-DOTA forms in solution complexes with eight-coordination geometry. The lipophilicity of Sc-DOTATATE is nearly identical to that of Lu-DOTATATE, which suggests similar receptor affinity of both radioconjugates.     

The metal-binding sites of the zinc-transporting P-type ATPase of Escherichia coli. Lys and Asp in the seventh and eighth transmembrane segments of ZntA contribute to the coupling of metal binding and ATPase activity

ZntA is a P-type ATPase which transports Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ out of the cell. Two cysteine-containing motifs, CAAC near the N-terminus and CPC in transmembrane helix 6, are involved in binding of the translocated metal. We have studied these motifs by mutating the cysteines to serines. The roles of two other possible metal-binding residues, K⁶⁹³ and D⁷¹⁴, in transmembrane helices 7 and 8, were also addressed. The mutation CAAC → SAAS reduces the ATPase activity by 50%. The SAAS mutant is phosphorylated with ATP almost as efficiently as the wild type. However, its phosphorylation with P_i is poorer than that of the wild type and its dephosphorylation rate is faster than that of the wild type ATPase. The CPC → SPS mutant is inactive but residual phosphorylation with ATP could still be observed. The most important findings of this work deal with the prospective metal-binding residues K⁶⁹³ and D⁷¹⁴: the substitution K693N eliminates the Zn²⁺-stimulated ATPase activity completely, although significant Zn²⁺-dependent phosphorylation by ATP remains. The K693N ATPase is hyperphosphorylated by P_i. ZntA carrying the change D714M has strong metal-independent ATPase activity and is very weakly phosphorylated both by ATP and P_i. In conclusion, K⁶⁹³ and D⁷¹⁴ are functionally essential and appear to contribute to the metal specificity of ZntA, most probably by being parts of the metal-binding site made up by the CPC motif.