Effect of Molybdenum on The Activity of Molybdoenzymes

Abstract

The soil is a reservoir of various contaminants with heavy metals and has a strong cation exchange property. Among these heavy metals, molybdenum is an essential element that is required in small quantities for optimal plant growth and development. This useful heavy metal performs several biochemical and physiological tasks in plants and is also considered as an important component of various cellular enzymes and is actively involved in redox reactions. Mononuclear molybdenum-containing enzymes, as a rule, have a certain conserved metal center, coordinated by one or two pyranopterins. The pyranopterin fragment plays a key role in the properties of the metal site in the group of mononuclear enzymes of molybdenum with various functions: coordination; stabilization and modulation of the redox transitions of the center, acting as a redox buffer; and for redox regulation/compliance in a variety of catalytic reactions. The coordination sphere of the metal is equipped with oxygen and/or sulfur, selenium atoms in various forms. Tungsten is an antagonist of molybdenum and inhibits molybdoenzymes. In the current review we elaborately reviewed various studies regarding heavy metals - molybdenum and tungsten, their uptake mechanism, essential transporters, and also discuss about the destructive properties of heavy metals in response to their concentration.