title: Ubiquinone at center N is responsible for triphasic reduction of cytochrome b in the cytochrome bc(1) complex.
abstract: We have examined the pre-steady state reduction kinetics of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cytochrome bc(1) complex by menaquinol in the presence and absence of endogenous ubiquinone to elucidate the mechanism of triphasic cytochrome b reduction. With cytochrome bc(1) complex from wild type yeast, cytochrome b reduction was triphasic, consisting of a rapid partial reduction phase, an apparent partial reoxidation phase, and a slow rereduction phase. Absorbance spectra taken by rapid scanning spectroscopy at 1-ms intervals before, during, and after the apparent reoxidation phase showed that this was caused by a bona fide reoxidation of cytochrome b and not by any negative spectral contribution from cytochrome c(1). With cytochrome bc(1) complex from a yeast mutant that cannot synthesize ubiquinone, cytochrome b reduction by either menaquinol or ubiquinol was rapid and monophasic. Addition of ubiquinone restored triphasic cytochrome b reduction, and the duration of the reoxidation phase increased as the ubiquinone concentration increased. When reduction of the cytochrome bc(1) complex through center P was blocked, cytochrome b reduction through center N was biphasic and was slowed by the addition of exogenous ubiquinone. These results show that ubiquinone residing at center N in the oxidized cytochrome bc(1) complex is responsible for the triphasic reduction of cytochrome b.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Trumpower
mesh_terms: D003573:Cytochrome b Group / Q000378:metabolism*; D003575:Cytochromes c1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology*; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000378:metabolism*; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003573:Cytochrome b Group; D014812:Vitamin K; D014451:Ubiquinone; D003575:Cytochromes c1; D014450:Electron Transport Complex III