Conformational Change Induced by Metal Ions Through Coordination

Abstract The structure of a metal complex may be determined by the structure of the ligand or by the electronic configuration of the metal. In the latter case, the metal can induce a conformational change in the ligand. Such a conformational change is a usual result in coordination reactions, and is particularly significant in biological macromolecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins, and enzymes. We have recently obtained evidence for a mechanism that involves a metal participating in conformational changes that occur in both enzyme and substrate simultaneously.