Functional conversion of nickel-containing metalloproteins via molecular design: from a truncated acetyl-coenzyme A synthase to a nickel superoxide dismutase.

Truncated acetyl-coenzyme A synthase (ACS) was successfully converted into functional nickel superoxide dismutase (Ni-SOD) by molecular design and the designed metalloproteins possess new spectroscopic, structural, and electrochemical characteristics required for catalyzing O-2(center dot-) disproportionation, and exhibit impressive Ni-SOD activity.