# Metadata Source URL:: https://lcbc-epfl.github.io/metal-site-prediction/ --- # Gradio ## Highlights > [!quote]+ Updated on 240822_195705 > > Metal ions are essential cofactors for many proteins. In fact, currently, about half of the structurally > characterized proteins contain a metal ion. Metal ions play a crucial role for many applications such as enzyme > design or design of protein-protein interactions because they are biologically abundant, tether to the protein > using strong interactions, and have favorable catalytic properties e.g. as Lewis acid > [!quote]+ Updated on 240822_195726 > > Metalloproteins are ubiquitous in nature and are present in all major enzyme families.1,2The metals predominantly found in biological systems are the > first and second row alkali and earth alkali metals and the first row transition metals such as zinc and copper. > Zinc is the most common transition metal (present in ~10% of deposited structures) and can fulfill both a > structural (e.g. in zinc finger proteins) or a catalytic role in up to trinuclear active sites. Zn2+ > is an excellent Lewis acid and is most often found in tetrahedral, pentavalent, or octahedral coordination. > About 10 % of all reactions catalyzed by enzymes use zinc as cofactor3