Ferrocyanide as electron donor to cytochrome aa3. Cytochrome c requirement for oxygen uptake

Oxygen Activation and Energy Conservation by Cytochrome c Oxidase

This review focuses on the type A cytochrome c oxidases (CcO), which are found in all mitochondria and also in several aerobic bacteria. CcO catalyzes the respiratory reduction of dioxygen (O₂) to water by an intriguing mechanism, the details of which are fairly well understood today as a result of research for over four decades. Perhaps even more intriguingly, the membrane-bound CcO couples the O₂ reduction chemistry to translocation of protons across the membrane, thus contributing to generation of the electrochemical proton gradient that is used to drive the synthesis of ATP as catalyzed by the rotary ATP synthase in the same membrane. After reviewing the structure of the core subunits of CcO, the active site, and the transfer paths of electrons, protons, oxygen, and water, we describe the states of the catalytic cycle and point out the few remaining uncertainties. Finally, we discuss the mechanism of proton translocation and the controversies in that area that still prevail.

Direct regulation of cytochrome c oxidase by calcium ions

Cytochrome c oxidase from bovine heart binds Ca²⁺ reversibly at a specific Cation Binding Site located near the outer face of the mitochondrial membrane. Ca²⁺ shifts the absorption spectrum of heme a, which allowed previously to determine the kinetics and equilibrium characteristics of the binding. However, no effect of Ca²⁺ on the functional characteristics of cytochrome oxidase was revealed earlier. Here we report that Ca²⁺ inhibits cytochrome oxidase activity of isolated bovine heart enzyme by 50–60% with K_i of ∼1 µM, close to K_d of calcium binding with the oxidase determined spectrophotometrically. The inhibition is observed only at low, but physiologically relevant, turnover rates of the enzyme (∼10 s⁻¹ or less). No inhibitory effect of Ca²⁺ is observed under conventional conditions of cytochrome c oxidase activity assays (turnover number >100 s⁻¹ at pH 8), which may explain why the effect was not noticed earlier. The inhibition is specific for Ca²⁺ and is reversed by EGTA. Na⁺ ions that compete with Ca²⁺ for binding with the Cation Binding Site, do not affect significantly activity of the enzyme but counteract the inhibitory effect of Ca²⁺. The Ca²⁺-induced inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase is observed also with the uncoupled mitochondria from several rat tissues. At the same time, calcium ions do not inhibit activity of the homologous bacterial cytochrome oxidases. Possible mechanisms of the inhibition are discussed as well as potential physiological role of Ca²⁺ binding with cytochrome oxidase. Ca²⁺- binding at the Cation Binding Site is proposed to inhibit proton-transfer through the exit part of the proton conducting pathway H in the mammalian oxidases.

Lactic acidosis: recognition, kinetics, and associated prognosis

Lactic acidosis is a common condition encountered by critical care providers. Elevated lactate and decreased lactate clearance are important for prognostication. Not all lactate in the intensive care unit is due to tissue hypoxia or ischemia and other sources should be evaluated. Lactate, in and of itself, is unlikely to be harmful and is a preferred fuel for many cells. Treatment of lactic acidosis continues to be aimed the underlying source.

Ferrocyanide-peroxidase activity of cytochrome c oxidase

Redox interaction of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COX) with ferrocyanide/ferricyanide couple is greatly accelerated by polycations, such as poly-l-lysine [Musatov et al. (1991) Biological Membranes 8, 229-234]. This has allowed us to study ferrocyanide oxidation by COX at very high redox potentials of the ferrocyanide/ferricyanide couple either following spectrophotometrically ferricyanide accumulation or measuring proton uptake associated with water formation in the reaction. At low [ferrocyanide]/[ferricyanide] ratios (Eh values around 500 mV) and ambient oxygen concentration, the ferrocyanide-oxidase activity of COX becomes negligibly small as compared to the reaction rate observed with pure ferrocyanide. Oxidation of ferrocyanide under these conditions, is greatly stimulated by H2O2 or ethylhydroperoxide indicating peroxidatic reaction involved. The ferrocyanide-peroxidase activity of COX is strictly polylysine-dependent and is inhibited by heme a3 ligands such as KCN and NaN3. Apparently the reaction involves normal electron pathway, i.e. electron donation through CuA and oxidation via heme a3. The peroxidase reaction shows a pH-dependence similar to that of the cytochrome c oxidase activity of COX. When COX is preequilibrated with excess H2O2, addition of ferrocyanide shifts the initial steady-state concentrations of the Ferryl-Oxo and Peroxy compounds towards approximately 2:1 ratio of the two intermediates. It is suggested that in the peroxidase cycleferrocyanide donates electrons to both P and F intermediates with a comparable efficiency. Isolation of a partial redox activity of COX opens a possibility to study separately proton translocation coupled to the peroxidase half-reaction of the COX reaction cycle. Copyright 1998

Conformational change of cytochrome a3 induced by oxidized cytochrome c

Cyanide binding with the oxidized resting Yonetani-type cytochrome c-oxidase followed spectrophotometrically reveals a relatively rapid initial phase the rate of which shows saturation behaviour with respect to [HCN] and secondary slower absorption changes to a first approximation independent of the ligand concentration. Oxidized cytochrome c greatly accelerates the initial phase of cyanide binding but does not affect significantly contribution or rate constant of the slow phase. The same effect is exerted by poly-L-lysine. Within a framework of a reaction mechanism assuming Cu2+B to be the initial HCN-binding site, cytochrome c3+ and other polycations are likely to bring about a conformational-change of cytochrome oxidase resulting in an increased affinity of Cu2+B for HCN. This could occur by virtue of loosening a bond between Cu2+B and one of its endogenous ligands facilitating displacement of the latter by HCN.

Differential exposure of components of cytochrome b-c1 region in beef heart mitochondria and electron transport particles

The reduction of cyctochromes c + c1 by durohydroquinone and ferrocyanide in electron transport particles (ETP) and intact cytochrome c-depleted beef heart mitochondria has been studied. At least 94% of the ETP are in an inverted orientation. Durohydroquinone reduces 80% of c + c1 in ETP but less than 20% in mitochondria; sonication of mitochondria allows reduction of cytochromes c + c1 (80%). Addition of ferrocyanide (effective redox potential +245 mV) to electron transport particles results in 30% reduction of cytochromes c + c1. Addition of ferrocyanide to intact cytochrome c-depleted mitochondria does not reduce cytochrome c1; treatment with N,N,N',N'-tetramethylphenylenediamine, Triton X-100, or sonic oscillation results in 30% reduction of cytochromes c + c1. The Km value of ferrocyanide oxidase for K-ferrocyanide is pH-dependent in ETP only, increasing with increasing pH. The extent of reduction of cytochrome c1 is also pH-dependent in ETP only, the extent of reduction increasing with decreasing pH. On the basis of these data cytochrome c1 is exposed to the matrix face and cytochrome c is exposed to the cytoplasmic face. No redox center other than cytochrome c in the segment between the antimycin site and cytochrome c is exposed on the C-side.