Comparisons of adenylate kinases have revealed a particular divergence in the active site lid. In some organisms, particularly the Gram-positive bacteria, residues in the lid domain have been mutated to cysteines and these cysteine residues are responsible for the binding of a zinc ion. The bound zinc ion in the lid domain, is clearly structurally homologous to Zinc-finger domains. However, it is unclear whether the adenylate kinase lid is a novel zinc-finger DNA/RNA binding domain, or that the lid bound zinc serves a purely structural function [1].

1: Crystal structures of Bacillus stearothermophilus adenylate kinase with bound Ap5A, Mg2+ Ap5A, and Mn2+ Ap5A reveal an intermediate lid position and six coordinate octahedral geometry for bound Mg2+ and Mn2+. Berry MB, Phillips GN Jr; Proteins 1998;32:276-288. PMID:9715904