Stellacyanin is a subclass of phytocyanins, a plant type I copper protein
Stellacyanin is a subclass of the phytocyanins, a ubiquitous family of plant cupredoxins. Stellacyanin is involved in electron transfer reactions with the Cu center transitioning between the oxidized Cu(II) form and the reduced Cu(I) form. The copper is tetrahedrally coordinated by a cysteine, 2 histidines, and a glutamine residue. The glutamine residue substitutes for a methione ligand typically found in other blue copper proteins. The exact function of stellacyanin is unknown. However, stellacyanin appears to be associated with the plant cell wall; it may be involved in oxidative reactions to build polymeric material making up the cell wall.