title: Genetic defects of cytochrome c oxidase assembly.
abstract: Cytochrome c oxidase (COX), the terminal enzyme of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, is one of the key functional and regulatory sites of the mammalian energy metabolism. Owing to the importance of the enzyme, pathogenetic mutations affecting COX frequently result in severe, often fatal metabolic disorders. No satisfactory therapy is currently available so that the treatment remains largely symptomatic and does not improve the course of the disease. While only few genetic defects of COX are caused by mutations in mitochondrial genome, during the last five years a large number of pathogenetic mutations in nuclear genes have been discovered. All these mutations are located in genes encoding COX-specific assembly proteins including SURF1, SCO1, SCO2, COX10, and COX15. Despite the identification of increasing number of mutations, their precise etiopathogenetic mechanisms, which are necessary for the development of future therapeutic protocols, still remain to be elucidated. This review summarizes recent developments, including our efforts in elucidation of the molecular basis of human mitochondrial diseases due to specific defects of COX with special focus on SURF1 assembly protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioenergetics, Institute of Physiology and Center for Integrated Genomics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pecina
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Houstková
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hansíková
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Houstek
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D030401:Cytochrome-c Oxidase Deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000473:pathology; D028361:Mitochondrial Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D010100:Oxygen / Q000502:physiology; D017354:Point Mutation; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D011506:Proteins; C489345:SCO1 protein, human; C092928:Surf-1 protein; C490115:COX10 protein, human; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D010100:Oxygen