Chemistry of the Transport of Nutrient Copper in Biological Cells

有营养的微量金属，如铜，是生物体所需的酶，但过量是有毒的。铜代谢缺陷导致人类Menkes和Wilson病，并与神经退行性疾病（如阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病、克雅氏病、运动神经元病）有直接联系。了解健康细胞如何控制有毒但必需的铜是至关重要的，因此当铜代谢紊乱成为病理性时，开明的干预是可能的。将研究关键分子的化学性质，以揭示其基本性质，从而了解铜相关疾病的分子基础。

Nutrient trace metals such as copper are needed for enzymes by living organisms but are toxic in excess. Defects in copper metabolism cause Menkes and Wilson diseases in humans and there are direct connections to neurodegenerative diseases (eg, Alzheimer, Parkinson, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, motor neuron diseases). It is crucial to understand how healthy cells control toxic but essential copper so that enlightened intervention is possible when disturbances of copper metabolism become pathological. The chemistry of key molecules will be studied to reveal their essential properties and thereby to understand the molecular basis of the copper-linked diseases.