Interplay between glutathione, Atx1 and copper: X-ray absorption spectroscopy determination of Cu(I) environment in an Atx1 dimer

X-ray absorption techniques have been used to characterise the primary coordination sphere of Cu(I) bound to glutathionate (GS(-)), to Atx1 and in Cu-2(I)(GS(-))(2) (Atx1)(2), a complex recently proposed as the major form of Atx1 in the cytosol. In each complex, Cu(I) was shown to be triply coordinated. When only glutathione is provided, each Cu(I) is triply coordinated by sulphur atoms in the binuclear complex Cu-2(I)(GS-)(5), involving bridging and terminal thiolates. In the presence of Atx1 and excess of glutathione, under conditions where Cu-2(I)(GS(-))(2)(Atx1)(2) is formed, each Cu(I) is triply coordinated by sulphur atoms. Given these constraints, there are two different ways for Cu(I) to bridge the Atx1 dimer: either both Cu(I) ions contribute to bridging the dimer, or only one Cu(I) ion is responsible for bridging, the other one being coordinated to two glutathione molecules. These two models are discussed as regards Cu(I) transfer to Ccc2a.