This volume provides an up-to-date, in-depth overview of the methods that have been applied to studying the complex metalloproteins at a molecular level. Chapters cover a wide range of approaches focusing on genetic, biochemical, spectroscopic, chemical methods, and theoretical calculations. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Metalloproteins: Methods and Protocols aims to be useful for anyone who is interested in metalloprotein research and wants to address the unanswered mechanistic and biosynthetic questions of these fascinating enzyme systems.

This volume on iron-sulfur proteins includes chapters that describe the initial discovery of iron-sulfur proteins in the 1960s to elucidation of the roles of iron sulfur clusters as prosthetic groups of enzymes, such as the citric acid cycle enzyme, aconitase, and numerous other proteins, ranging from nitrogenase to DNA repair proteins. The capacity of iron sulfur clusters to accept and delocalize single electrons is explained by basic chemical principles, which illustrate why iron sulfur proteins are uniquely suitable for electron transport and other activities. Techniques used for detection and stabilization of iron-sulfur clusters, including EPR and Mossbauer spectroscopies, are discussed because they are important for characterizing unrecognized and elusive iron sulfur proteins. Recent insights into how nitrogenase works have arisen from multiple advances, described here, including studies of high-resolution crystal structures.