title: Cytochrome c oxidase--structure, function, and physiology of a redox-driven molecular machine.
abstract: Cytochome c oxidase is the terminal member of the electron transport chains of mitochondria and many bacteria. Providing an efficient mechanism for dioxygen reduction on the one hand, it also acts as a redox-linked proton pump, coupling the free energy of water formation to the generation of a transmembrane electrochemical gradient to eventually drive ATP synthesis. The overall complexity of the mitochondrial enzyme is also reflected by its subunit structure and assembly pathway, whereas the diversity of the bacterial enzymes has fostered the notion of a large family of heme-copper terminal oxidases. Moreover, the successful elucidation of 3-D structures for both the mitochondrial and several bacterial oxidases has greatly helped in designing mutagenesis approaches to study functional aspects in these enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, J.W. Goethe-Universität, Marie-Curie-Str. 9, 60439 Frankfurt, Germany. O.M.Richter@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors.forename: O-M H
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ludwig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D004579:Electron Transport; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010231:Paracoccus denitrificans / Q000201:enzymology*; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011522:Protons; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D021122:Protein Subunits; D011522:Protons; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV