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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Author Spotlight: High-Throughput Screening to Obtain Crystal Hits for Protein Crystallography
Published on: March 10, 2023
First Crystal Structure for a Gold Carbene-Protein Adduct
Giarita Ferraro1, Chiara Gabbiani2, Antonello Merlino1
1Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant'Angelo , Via Cintia, I-80126 Napoli, Italy.
Abstract:
The X-ray structure of the adduct formed in the reaction between the gold N-heterocyclic carbene compound Au(NHC)Cl (with NHC = 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazole-2-ylidene) and the model protein thaumatin is reported here. The structure reveals binding of Au(NHC)(+) fragments to distinct protein sites. Notably, binding of the gold compound occurs at lysine side chains and at the N-terminal tail; the metal binds the protein after releasing Cl(-) ligand, but retaining NHC fragment.
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