The presence of a tightly bound zinc center is one of the most remarkable properties of the archaeal zinc-containing ferredoxins, but its structural similarity among different zinc-containing ferredoxins has not been investigated. Therefore, the coordination spheres of the zinc centers of T. acidophilum and Sulfolobus sp. 7Fe ferredoxins (1) are being investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. These spectroscopic data will be discussed with respect to the emerging common structural features and possible molecular evolution of the zinc-containing ferredoxin family of thermoacidophilic archaea.
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