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Journal ArticleDOI

Kinetic coupling between electron and proton transfer in cytochrome c oxidase: simultaneous measurements of conductance and absorbance changes

TL;DR: The data show that the rate of one of these electron-transfer reactions, from cytochrome a3 to a on a millisecond time scale, is controlled by a proton-transfer reaction, and possible candidates for L and a physiological role for L are discussed.
Abstract: Bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase is an electron-current driven proton pump. To investigate the mechanism by which this pump operates it is important to study individual electron- and proton-transfer reactions in the enzyme, and key reactions in which they are kinetically and thermodynamically coupled. In this work, we have simultaneously measured absorbance changes associated with electron-transfer reactions and conductance changes associated with protonation reactions following pulsed illumination of the photolabile complex of partly reduced bovine cytochrome c oxidase and carbon monoxide. Following CO dissociation, several kinetic phases in the absorbance changes were observed with time constants ranging from approximately 3 microseconds to several milliseconds, reflecting internal electron-transfer reactions within the enzyme. The data show that the rate of one of these electron-transfer reactions, from cytochrome a3 to a on a millisecond time scale, is controlled by a proton-transfer reaction. These results are discussed in terms of a model in which cytochrome a3 interacts electrostatically with a protonatable group, L, in the vicinity of the binuclear center, in equilibrium with the bulk through a proton-conducting pathway, which determines the rate of proton transfer (and indirectly also of electron transfer). The interaction energy of cytochrome a3 with L was determined independently from the pH dependence of the extent of the millisecond-electron transfer and the number of protons released, as determined from the conductance measurements. The magnitude of the interaction energy, 70 meV (1 eV = 1.602 x 10(-19) J), is consistent with a distance of 5-10 A between cytochrome a3 and L. Based on the recently determined high-resolution x-ray structures of bovine and a bacterial cytochrome c oxidase, possible candidates for L and a physiological role for L are discussed.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The structure of the oxygen intermediates, proton-transfer pathways, and the much-debated issue of how electron transfer in the enzyme might be coupled to proton translocation are focused on.
Abstract: Cytochrome c oxidase, the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chains of mitochondria and aerobic bacteria, catalyzes electron transfer from cytochrome c to molecular oxygen, reducing the latter to water. Electron transfer is coupled to proton translocation across the membrane, resulting in a proton and charge gradient that is then employed by the F0F1-ATPase to synthesize ATP. Over the last years, substantial progress has been made in our understanding of the structure and function of this enzyme. Spectroscopic techniques such as EPR, absorbance and resonance Raman spectroscopy, in combination with site-directed mutagenesis work, have been successfully applied to elucidate the nature of the cofactors and their ligands, to identify key residues involved in proton transfer, and to gain insight into the catalytic cycle and the structures of its intermediates. Recently, the crystal structures of a bacterial and a mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase have been determined. In this review, we provide an overview of the crystal structures, summarize recent spectroscopic work, and combine structural and spectroscopic data in discussing mechanistic aspects of the enzyme. For the latter, we focus on the structure of the oxygen intermediates, proton-transfer pathways, and the much-debated issue of how electron transfer in the enzyme might be coupled to proton translocation.

426 citations


Cites background from "Kinetic coupling between electron a..."

  • ...Somewhat differently,̈Adelroth et al (1) and Hallen et al (28), studying the hemea3–hemea backward electron transfer (after flashing off CO from the mixed-valence enzyme) by following conductance and/or absorbance changes, identified a protonatable group close to the binuclear site to which they assigned pKs of 9....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The electrostatic potential and interaction energies of ionizable groups and the response of the protein environment to redox changes in Paracoccus denitrificans cytochrome c oxidase are analyzed by using a continuum dielectric model and finite difference technique.

152 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results from recent kinetic studies of electron and proton-transfer reactions in wild-type and mutant forms of cytochrome c oxidase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides indicate that the pathway through K(I-362)/T (I-359) is used for proton transfer to a protonatable group interacting electrostatically with heme a3, i.e., upon reduction of the binuclear center.
Abstract: During the last few years our knowledge of the structure and function of heme copper oxidases has greatly profited from the use of site-directed mutagenesis in combination with biophysical techniques. This, together with the recently-determined crystal structures of cytochrome c oxidase, has now made it possible to design experiments aimed at targeting specific pump mechanisms. Here, we summarize results from our recent kinetic studies of electron and proton-transfer reactions in wild-type and mutant forms of cytochrome c oxidase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. These studies have made it possible to identify amino acid residues involved in proton transfer during specific reaction steps and provide a basis for discussion of mechanisms of electron and proton transfer in terminal oxidases. The results indicate that the pathway through K(I-362)/T(I-359), but not through D(I-132)/E(I-286), is used for proton transfer to a protonatable group interacting electrostatically with heme a3, i.e., upon reduction of the binuclear center. The pathway through D(I-132)/E(I-286) is used for uptake of pumped and substrate protons during the pumping steps during O2 reduction.

147 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results indicate that the K-pathway is used during oxygen reduction and that K(I-362) is charged at pH ≈ 7.5, in contrast to what has been assumed previously.
Abstract: Cytochrome c oxidase is a membrane-bound enzyme that catalyzes the four-electron reduction of oxygen to water. This highly exergonic reaction drives proton pumping across the membrane. One of the key questions associated with the function of cytochrome c oxidase is how the transfer of electrons and protons is coupled and how proton transfer is controlled by the enzyme. In this study we focus on the function of one of the proton transfer pathways of the R. sphaeroides enzyme, the so-called K-proton transfer pathway (containing a highly conserved Lys(I-362) residue), leading from the protein surface to the catalytic site. We have investigated the kinetics of the reaction of the reduced enzyme with oxygen in mutants of the enzyme in which a residue [Ser(I-299)] near the entry point of the pathway was modified with the use of site-directed mutagenesis. The results show that during the initial steps of oxygen reduction, electron transfer to the catalytic site (to form the “peroxy” state, Pr) requires charge compensation through the proton pathway, but no proton uptake from the bulk solution. The charge compensation is proposed to involve a movement of the K(I-362) side chain toward the binuclear center. Thus, in contrast to what has been assumed previously, the results indicate that the K-pathway is used during oxygen reduction and that K(I-362) is charged at pH ≈ 7.5. The movement of the Lys is proposed to regulate proton transfer by “shutting off” the protonic connectivity through the K-pathway after initiation of the O2 reduction chemistry. This “shutoff” prevents a short-circuit of the proton-pumping machinery of the enzyme during the subsequent reaction steps.

135 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
24 May 1996-Science
TL;DR: Two possible proton pathways for pumping, each spanning from the matrix to the cytosolic surfaces, were identified, including hydrogen bonds, internal cavities likely to contain water molecules, and structures that could form hydrogen bonds with small possible conformational change of amino acid side chains.
Abstract: The crystal structure of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase at 2.8 A resolution with an R value of 19.9 percent reveals 13 subunits, each different from the other, five phosphatidyl ethanolamines, three phosphatidyl glycerols and two cholates, two hemes A, and three copper, one magnesium, and one zinc. Of 3606 amino acid residues in the dimer, 3560 have been converged to a reasonable structure by refinement. A hydrogen-bonded system, including a propionate of a heme A (heme a), part of peptide backbone, and an imidazole ligand of CuA, could provide an electron transfer pathway between CuA and heme a. Two possible proton pathways for pumping, each spanning from the matrix to the cytosolic surfaces, were identified, including hydrogen bonds, internal cavities likely to contain water molecules, and structures that could form hydrogen bonds with small possible conformational change of amino acid side chains. Possible channels for chemical protons to produce H2O, for removing the produced water, and for O2, respectively, were identified.

2,053 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
24 Aug 1995-Nature
TL;DR: The crystal structure at 2.8 Å resolution of the four protein subunits containing cytochrome c oxidase from the soil bacterium Paracoccus denitrificans, complexed with an antibody Fv fragment, is described and mechanisms for proton pumping are discussed.
Abstract: The crystal structure at 2.8 A resolution of the four protein subunits containing cytochrome c oxidase from the soil bacterium Paracoccus denitrificans, complexed with an antibody Fv fragment, is described. Subunit I contains 12 membrane-spanning, primarily helical segments and binds haem a and the haem a3-copper B binuclear centre where molecular oxygen is reduced to water. Two proton transfer pathways, one for protons consumed in water formation and one for 'proton pumping', could be identified. Mechanisms for proton pumping are discussed.

1,926 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
26 Mar 1992-Nature
TL;DR: The molecular mechanism of 02 reduction and its linkage to H+ translocation are now emerging and the bimetallic haem iron–copper reaction centre in this family of enzymes is the critical structure for catalysis of both these processes.
Abstract: Many of the membrane-associated oxidases that catalyse respiratory reduction of O2 to water simultaneously couple this exergonic reaction to the translocation of protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane, or the cell membrane in prokaryotes, a process by which metabolic energy is conserved for subsequent synthesis of ATP. The molecular mechanism of O2 reduction and its linkage to H+ translocation are now emerging. The bimetallic haem iron-copper reaction centre in this family of enzymes is the critical structure for catalysis of both these processes.

1,060 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Mar 1977-Nature
TL;DR: It is reported here that the redox activity of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase is coupled to the translocation of hydrogen ions across the inner mitochondrial membrane, which may be a clue to the role of cy tochrome oxidase in energy conservation.
Abstract: CYTOCHROME c oxidase is an important enzyme of aerobic metabolism, catalysing electron transport between cytochrome c and molecular oxygen. Apart from this essential redox reaction the enzyme must be involved in conservation of the released redox energy for utilisation in ATP synthesis at the socalled third site of oxidative phosphorylation. I report here that the redox activity of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase is coupled to the translocation of hydrogen ions across the inner mitochondrial membrane. This finding may be a clue to the role of cytochrome oxidase in energy conservation.

662 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Several possible mechanisms for proton transfer are consistent with the observed experimental results and proposed proton pathways and involve proton transfers from individual amino acid residues or internal water molecules either as single steps or in a concerted fashion.
Abstract: Proton transfer in the bacterial RC associated with the reduction of the bound QB to the dihydroquinone is an important step in the energetics of photosynthetic bacteria. The binding of two protons by the quinone is associated with the transfer of the second electron to QB at a rate of ca. 10(3) s-1 (pH 7). Mutation of three protonatable residues, GluL212, SerL223, and AspL213, located near QB to nonprotonatable residues (Gln, Ala, and Asn, respectively) resulted in large reductions (by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude) in the rate or proton transfer to QB. These mutations can be grouped into two classes: those that blocked both proton transfer and electron transfer (SerL223, and AspL213) and those that blocked only proton transfer (GluL212). These results were interpreted in terms of a pathway for proton transport in which uptake of the first proton, required for the transfer of the second electron, occurs through a pathway involving AspL213 and SerL223. Uptake of the second proton, which follows electron transfer, occurs through a pathway involving GluL212 and possibly AspL213. Acidic residues near QB affect electron transfer rates via electrostatic interactions. One residue, with a pKa of ca. 10 interacting strongly with the charge on QB (delta pKa greater than 2), was shown to be GluL212. A second residue with a pKa of ca. 6, which interacts more weakly with the charge on QB (delta pK approximately 1), could be either AspL210 or AspL213. Several possible mechanisms for proton transfer are consistent with the observed experimental results and proposed proton pathways. These involve proton transfers from individual amino acid residues or internal water molecules either as single steps or in a concerted fashion. The determination of the dominant mechanism will require evaluation of the energetics of the various steps.

315 citations