Molybdenum cofactor

Molybdenum cofactor (Moco) is a metal-containing prosthetic group common to nearly all molybdoenzymes and is ubiquitous to all kingdoms of life. Moco-dependent enzymes play central roles in many biologically important processes such as purine and sulfur catabolism in mammals, anaerobic respiration in bacteria, and nitrate assimilation in plants. In humans, Moco deficiency results in the pleiotropic loss of activity of enzymes such as sulfite oxidase, xanthine oxidoreductase, and aldehyde oxidase, which in turn causes neurological abnormalities and early childhood death.