title: Definition of the catalytic site of cytochrome c oxidase: specific ligands of heme a and the heme a3-CuB center.
abstract: The three-subunit aa3-type cytochrome c oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1) of Rhodobacter sphaeroides is structurally and functionally homologous to the more complex mitochondrial oxidase. The largest subunit, subunit I, is highly conserved and predicted to contain 12 transmembrane segments that provide all the ligands for three of the four metal centers: heme a, heme a3, and CuB. A variety of spectroscopic techniques identify these ligands as histidines. We have used site-directed mutagenesis to change all the conserved histidines within subunit I of cytochrome c oxidase from Rb. sphaeroides. Analysis of the membrane-bound and purified mutant proteins by optical absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopy indicates that His-102 and His-421 are the ligands of heme a, while His-284, His-333, His-334, and His-419 ligate the heme a3-CuB center. To satisfy this ligation assignment, helices II, VI, VII, and X, which contain these histidine residues, must be in close proximity. These data provide empirical evidence regarding the three-dimensional protein structure at the catalytic core of cytochrome c oxidase.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Shapleigh
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hosler
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Tecklenburg
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Babcock
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gennis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferguson-Miller
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000737:chemistry*; D006418:Heme / Q000737:chemistry*; D006639:Histidine / Q000737:chemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012242:Rhodobacter sphaeroides / Q000201:enzymology*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D006418:Heme; D006639:Histidine; D003300:Copper; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV