title: Import of cytochrome c into mitochondria: reduction of heme, mediated by NADH and flavin nucleotides, is obligatory for its covalent linkage to apocytochrome c.
abstract: The covalent attachment of heme to apocytochrome c, and therefore the import of cytochrome c into mitochondria, is dependent on both NADH plus a cytosolic cofactor that has been identified to be FMN or FAD. NADH in concert with flavin nucleotides mediates the reduction of heme. Heme in the reduced state is a prerequisite for its covalent attachment to apocytochrome c by the enzyme cytochrome c heme lyase and thus for subsequent translocation of cytochrome c across the outer mitochondrial membrane during import.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Universität München, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Neupert
mesh_terms: D001059:Apoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism*; D045304:Cytochromes c; D004227:Dithionite / Q000494:pharmacology; D005486:Flavin Mononucleotide / Q000378:metabolism*; D005182:Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide / Q000378:metabolism*; D006418:Heme / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008190:Lyases / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001059:Apoproteins; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D009243:NAD; D005182:Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide; D004227:Dithionite; D006418:Heme; D005486:Flavin Mononucleotide; D045304:Cytochromes c; D008190:Lyases; C031581:cytochrome C synthetase