The role of chaperones in iron sulfur cluster biogenesis

Iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis is a complex process mediated by numerous proteins among which two chaperones, called HscB and HscA in bacteria. They are highly conserved up to eukaryotes and homologous to DnaJ and DnaK respectively but with specific differences. As compared to other chaperones, HscB and HscA have escaped attention and relatively little is known about their functions. After briefly introducing chaperones, we reviewed here the current structural and functional knowledge on these proteins and our understanding on their role in cluster formation. We critically evaluated the literature and highlighted the weak aspects which will require more attention in the future. We sincerely hope that this study will inspire new interest on this important and interesting system. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.