Copper homeostasis protein CutC was originally thought to be involved in copper tolerance in Escherichia coli, as mutation in the corresponding gene lead to an increased copper sensitivity [1]. However, this phenotype has been later reported to depen ...
Copper homeostasis protein CutC was originally thought to be involved in copper tolerance in Escherichia coli, as mutation in the corresponding gene lead to an increased copper sensitivity [1]. However, this phenotype has been later reported to depend on the levels of he mRNA-interfering complementary RNA regulator MicL, which is transcribed from a promoter located within the coding sequence of the cutC gene in enterobacteria [2]. In the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa, this protein has been reported as specific for copper efflux [3]. The structure of this protein in the bacteria Shigella flexneri showed a monomer structure that adopts a common TIM beta/alpha barrel with eight beta strands surrounded by eight alpha-helices [4]. The human homologue of this protein, whose structure showed a potential copper-binding site, has an important role in intracellular copper homeostasis [5,6].
