Ribonucleotide reductases: radical enzymes with suicidal tendencies

Abstract

Ribonucleotide reductases catalyze a key step in DNA biosynthesis, using a diverse array of unprecedented metallo-cofactors to generate a transient protein radical that initiates nucleotide reduction. The new understanding of the chemistry and biochemistry of the system has allowed rational design of inhibitors of this process, which function as antitumor and antiviral agents.