ABSTRACT
Advances in structural and mechanistic work on proteins has provided insight into the roles of metal ions in the diverse biological functions of proteins [1]. Structural issues in this broad category of metal ionprotein complexes have been approached successfully by methods such as X-ray crystallography. Spectroscopic approaches used in modern in organic chemistry [2] (e.g., NMR, EPR, CD, MCD, EXAFS, IR, and resonance Raman), however, continue to provide a means to obtain infor mation regarding structure and function of metal ion-protein complexes, albeit on a less global scale than that provided by crystallographic methods. These spectroscopic methods also provide an independent way for corroboration of results from other structural investigations. The spectroscopic approaches have been aided by advances in instru mentation and methodologies that allow more detailed interpretationsin many cases at atomic resolution.
