title: Regulation of respiration and ATP synthesis in higher organisms: hypothesis.
abstract: The present view on the regulation of respiration and ATP synthesis in higher organisms implies only Michaelis-Menten type kinetics and respiratory control as regulatory principles. Recent experimental observations, suggesting further regulatory mechanisms at respiratory chain complexes, are reviewed. A new hypothesis is presented implying regulation of respiration and ATP synthesis in higher organisms mainly via allosteric modification of respiratory chain complexes, in particular of cytochrome c oxidase. The allosteric effectors, e.g., metabolites, cofactors, ions, hormones, and the membrane potential are suggested to change the activity and the coupling degree of cytochrome c oxidase by binding to specific sites at nuclear coded subunits. Recent results on the structure and activity of cytochrome c oxidase, supporting the hypothesis, are reviewed.
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active / Q000187:drug effects; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008433:Mathematics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D011522:Protons; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D011522:Protons; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV