Effects of subunit V antibodies on the topology of the subunit and the activity of beef heart cytochrome-c oxidase

The effect of antibodies to subunit V of cytochrome oxidase on cyanide inhibition of electron transfer

Binding of antibodies raised against subunit V of mammalian cytochrome oxidase to the intact membranous enzyme is redox-sensitive, suggesting the existence of 'open' and 'closed' protein conformers (Freedman, J.A., Cooper, C.E., Leece, B., Nicholls, P. and Chan, S.H.P. (1988) Biochem. Cell Biol. 66, 1210-1217). Similar open and closed states for the oxygen-reacting site have been proposed to explain cyanide binding kinetics (Jensen, P., Wilson, M.T., Aasa, R. and Malmström, B.G. (1984) Biochem. J. 224, 829-837). We therefore examined cyanide inhibition of oxidase activity polarographically and spectrophotometrically using soluble oxidase preincubated with and without anti-subunit V or non-immune rabbit gamma-globulin. The subunit-specific antibody decreased the cyanide 'on' rate and essentially eliminated the rapid phase of cyanide binding. We conclude that (i), bound antibody blocks HCN binding; (ii), antibody and HCN probably bind to the same conformation of the oxidase and (iii), the 'open'-'closed' conformation change that modulates binding of HCN may be similar to that which modulates antibody binding. The results are consistent with some reciprocating models of electron transfer and energy transduction by the oxidase (cf., Wikström, M.K.F., Krab, K. and Saraste, M. (1981) Cytochrome Oxidase: A Synthesis).

Kinetics of inhibition of purified and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase by psychosine (beta-galactosylsphingosine)

1. Psychosine (beta-galactosylsphingosine) is the toxic agent in Krabbe's disease (globoid cells leukodystrophy). It inhibits purified bovine heart mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase; there is a rapid phase of inhibition (complete within 10-15 s) and a slower phase (complete within 10-15 min). Both phases are also seen in rat liver mitochondria. IC50 is about 200 microM psychosine in the purified enzyme and less than 20 microM in mitochondria. Psychosine inhibition is due to binding to cytochrome oxidase, not cytochrome c. 2. Bovine heart submitochondrial particles show inhibition similar to rat liver mitochondria. However, although proteoliposomes containing bovine heart cytochrome oxidase show an identical fast phase, they have no noticeable slow phase of inhibition. Addition of phospholipid liposomes to submitochondrial particles relieved the majority of psychosine inhibition, consistent with the removal of those molecules binding in the slow phase. Psychosine can inhibit cytochrome oxidase molecules facing in either direction in proteoliposomes and submitochondrial particles, suggesting that it can rapidly interact with both sides of a membrane when added externally. 3. At high ionic strength, the presence of psychosine decreases the Vmax. of cytochrome oxidase with little effect on the Km for cytochrome c. This non-competitive inhibition suggests that the psychosine-enzyme complex is kinetically inactive and not labile over the time course of the assay. Psychosine does not inhibit the reduction of haem a or haem a3 by artificial electron donors, but does inhibit the reduction of haem a by cytochrome c.

Cytochrome oxidase immunohistochemistry in rat brain and dorsal root ganglia: visualization of enzyme in neuronal perikarya and in parvalbumin-positive neurons

Histochemical detection of cytochrome oxidase activity has been widely used to deduce patterns of neuronal electrical activity in the CNS. Here we investigated the utility of cytochrome oxidase localization by immunohistochemistry and compared immunostaining with histochemical staining patterns in dorsal root ganglia of the rat. In addition, a limited survey of cytochrome oxidase immunostaining density within what are thought to be highly active parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons was conducted. The immunohistochemical approach produced granular cytoplasmic immunolabelling in neuronal cell bodies and allowed identification of individual labelled cells in all brain regions including those within dense immunoreactive networks of neuropil. Neuronal somata exhibited a wide range of staining densities which were particularly evident in the hippocampus and dorsal root ganglia. The distribution of neurons intensely immunoreactive for cytochrome oxidase within various structures was consistent with previous histochemical descriptions of enzyme activity. Densitometric measurements of immunohistochemical reaction product in individual neurons of hippocampus, substantia nigra, cerebellum and dorsal root ganglia showed that the rate of product deposition was linear with time under conditions chosen for comparisons of staining density. Quantitative analysis of cytochrome oxidase immunohistochemical and histochemical staining densities within the same cells in adjacent sections of dorsal root ganglion gave a correlation coefficient of r = 0.75 (P less than 0.001). In sections processed immunohistochemically for both cytochrome oxidase and parvalbumin, most but not all parvalbumin-containing cells displayed dense cytochrome oxidase immunolabelling. Conversely, many examples were found of neurons that were densely stained for cytochrome oxidase, but lacked parvalbumin. Immunohistochemistry for cytochrome oxidase reveals the enzyme in neuronal cell bodies with a clarity not usually seen with the histochemical method. Combination of this immunohistochemical approach with simultaneous immunolabelling of other neuronal markers, as shown here in the case of parvalbumin, is expected to assist the elucidation of patterns of activity in neurochemically identified cell types and anatomically defined neural systems.

Modulation of cytochrome oxidase kinetics by indirect antibody action

Polyclonal antibodies raised against isolated subunit V from beef heart cytochrome oxidase or against the intact enzyme increase its apparent affinity for the substrate cytochrome c at the high-affinity site while diminishing the turnover at that site. At the low-affinity site the major action of both types of antibody is to reduce the apparent affinity for cytochrome c. At high ionic strengths the kinetic effect of anti-subunit V is very small although it still binds to the enzyme. The results are interpreted in terms of a model for the enzyme in which antibodies can modulate cytochrome oxidase kinetics by affecting the binding of cytochrome c, even if the antibody-binding site is on a subunit not directly involved in substrate binding.