A combination of techniques to separate and quantify the native proteins associated with a particular transition metal ion from a cellular system has been developed. The procedure involves four steps: (1) labeling of the target proteins with a suitable short-lived radioisotope (suitable isotopes are 64 Cu,

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Oxo-anion binding properties of the thermostable enzyme ferritin from Pyrococcus furiosus were characterized with radiography. Radioisotopes (32)P and (76)As present as oxoanions were used to measure the extent and the rate of their absorption by the ferritin. Thermostable ferritin proved to be an excellent system for rapid phosphate and arsenate removal from aqueous solutions down to residual concentrations at the picomolar level. These very low concentrations make thermostable ferritin a potential tool to considerably mitigate industrial biofouling by phosphate limitation or to remove arsenate from drinking water.

The microbial metalloproteome has been largely unexplored. Using the metalloproteomics approach MIRAGE (Metal Isotope native RadioAutography in Gel Electrophoresis) we have been able to explore the soluble Fe and Zn metalloproteome of Escherichia coli. The protein identification by MS/MS typically resulted in several overlapping proteins for each metal containing spot. Using the E. coli genome annotation the proteins relevant to the iron and zinc proteome were selected. Superoxide dismutase (SodB) was found to be the major iron protein after cultivation with a normal iron concentration of 6 μM. Upon an elevated iron concentration of 40 μM, ferritin (FtnA) became dominant. Under both conditions 90% of the iron was associated with just three different proteins: superoxide dismutase (SodB), ferritin (FtnA) and bacterioferritin (Bfr). The uncharacterized proteins YgfK and XdhD were found to be significant iron containing proteins under elevated iron conditions. The zinc proteome of E. coli experiencing zinc stress was dominated by ZraP, a putative zinc storage protein.

The tungsten metallome of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus has been investigated using electroanalytical metal analysis and native-native 2D-PAGE with the radioactive tungsten isotope 187 W (t 1/2 = 23.9 h). P. furiosus cells have an intracellular tungsten concentration of 29 mM, of which ca. 30% appears to be free tungsten, probably in the form of tungstate or polytungstates. The remaining 70% is bound by five different tungsten enzymes: formaldehyde ferredoxin oxidoreductase, aldehyde ferredoxin oxidoreductase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ferredoxin oxidoreductase and the tungsten-containing oxidoreductases WOR4 and WOR5. The membrane proteome of P. furiosus is devoid of tungsten. The differential expression, as measured by the tungsten level, of the five soluble tungsten enzymes when the cells are subjected to a cold-shock shows a strong correlation with previously published DNA microarray analyses.