EisenSchwefelCluster
EisenSchwefelCluster, usually called an iron-sulfur cluster, denotes a class of inorganic cofactors built from iron ions bridged by sulfide ligands and embedded in proteins. These clusters are widespread in biological systems and play essential roles in electron transfer, redox chemistry, and catalysis. The most common cores are [2Fe-2S], [3Fe-4S], and [4Fe-4S], each of which can participate in multiple oxidation states and be stabilized by cysteine thiolate ligands from the surrounding protein.
Structural features: Iron-sulfur clusters typically feature iron centers coordinated by cysteine residues, sometimes histidines, with inorganic
Biogenesis and protection: In bacteria and mitochondria, dedicated assembly pathways (Isc, Suf, Nif systems) build and
Function and significance: Iron-sulfur clusters occur in ferredoxins, hydrogenases, nitrogenase components, and several oxidoreductases, supporting energy