Purple Mixed-Valent Copper A.

CuA is a binuclear copper center acting as an electron transfer hub in terminal oxidases such as cytochrome c oxidase and nitrous oxide reductase. Its unique electronic structure is intimately linked to its function and has puzzled the community of biological inorganic chemistry for decades. Here we review the insights provided by different spectroscopic techniques of CuA centers, and the different experimental approaches to tackle its study, that encompass the synthesis of model compounds as well as protein engineering efforts. The contribution of the electronic structure to the thermodynamic and kinetic of electron transfer is extensively discussed. We also describe the proposed mechanism of CuAassembly in different organisms. The recent discovery of a novel CuA site opens new perspectives to this field.