title: The proton pump of heme-copper oxidases.
abstract: Proton pumping heme-copper oxidases represent the terminal, energy-transfer enzymes of respiratory chains in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The CuB-heme a3 (or heme o) binuclear center, associated with the largest subunit I of cytochrome c and quinol oxidases, is directly involved in the coupling between dioxygen reduction and proton pumping. The role of the other subunits is less clear. The following aspects will be covered in this paper: i) the efficiency of coupling in the mitochondrial aa3 cytochrome c oxidase. In particular, the effect of respiratory rate and protonmotive force on the H+/e- stoichiometry and the role of subunit IV; ii) mutational analysis of the aa3 quinol oxidase of Bacillus subtilis addressed to the role of subunit III, subunit IV and specific residues in subunit I; iii) possible models of the protonmotive catalytic cycle at the binuclear center. The observations available suggest that H+/e- coupling is based on the combination of protonmotive redox catalysis at the binuclear center and co-operative proton transfer in the protein.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Chemistry, University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Capitanio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Villani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D002417:Cattle; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D008954:Models, Biological; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017494:Proton Pumps
chemical_list: D017494:Proton Pumps; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C020094:duroquinol oxidase; C024748:copper oxidase; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV