title: Organization of iron-sulfur clusters in respiratory complex I.
abstract: Complex I of respiratory chains plays a central role in bioenergetics and is implicated in many human neurodegenerative diseases. An understanding of its mechanism requires a knowledge of the organization of redox centers. The arrangement of iron-sulfur clusters in the hydrophilic domain of complex I from Thermus thermophilus has been determined with the use of x-ray crystallography. One binuclear and six tetranuclear clusters are arranged, maximally 14 angstroms apart, in an 84-angstrom-long electron transfer chain. The binuclear cluster N1a and the tetranuclear cluster N7 are not in this pathway. Cluster N1a may play a role in the prevention of oxidative damage. The structure provides a framework for the interpretation of the large amounts of data accumulated on complex I.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council (MRC) Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, Wellcome Trust/MRC Building, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2XY, UK.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hinchliffe
authors.forename: Leonid A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sazanov
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D004579:Electron Transport; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D005486:Flavin Mononucleotide / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry*; D016963:Thermus thermophilus / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D021122:Protein Subunits; D009243:NAD; D013455:Sulfur; D005486:Flavin Mononucleotide; D007501:Iron; D042967:Electron Transport Complex I