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Published on: August 25, 2020
Fe-S Clusters Emerging as Targets of Therapeutic Drugs
Laurence Vernis1,2,3, Nadine El Banna1,2,3, Dorothée Baïlle1,2,3
1CNRS UMR 3348, Centre Universitaire, 91405 Orsay, France.
Abstract:
Fe-S centers exhibit strong electronic plasticity, which is of importance for insuring fine redox tuning of protein biological properties. In accordance, Fe-S clusters are also highly sensitive to oxidation and can be very easily altered in vivo by different drugs, either directly or indirectly due to catabolic by-products, such as nitric oxide species (NOS) or reactive oxygen species (ROS). In case of metal ions, Fe-S cluster alteration might be the result of metal liganding to the coordinating sulfur atoms, as suggested for copper. Several drugs presented through this review are either capable of direct interaction with Fe-S clusters or of secondary Fe-S clusters alteration following ROS or NOS production. Reactions leading to Fe-S cluster disruption are also reported. Due to the recent interest and progress in Fe-S biology, it is very likely that an increasing number of drugs already used in clinics will emerge as molecules interfering with Fe-S centers in the near future. Targeting Fe-S centers could also become a promising strategy for drug development.
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