English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Structural information regarding metallothioneins (MTs) has been hard to come by due to its highly dynamic nature in the absence of metal-thiolate cluster formation and crystallization difficulties. Thus, typical spectroscopic methods for structural determination are limited in their usefulness when applied to MTs. Mass spectrometric methods have revolutionized our understanding of protein dynamics, structure, and folding. Recently, advances have been made in residue modification mass spectrometry in order to probe the hard-to-characterize structure of apo- and partially metalated MTs. By using different cysteine specific alkylation reagents, time dependent electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and step-wise "snapshot" ESI-MS, we are beginning to understand the dynamics of the conformers of apo-MT and related species. In this review we highlight recent papers that use these and similar techniques for structure elucidation and attempt to explain in a concise manner the data interpretations of these complex methods. We expect increasing resolution in our picture of the structural conformations of metal-free MTs as these techniques are more widely adopted and combined with other promising tools for structural elucidation.

Residue Modification and Mass Spectrometry for the Investigation of Structural and Metalation Properties of Metallothionein and Cysteine-Rich Proteins