title: A role for the protein in internal electron transfer to the catalytic center of cytochrome c oxidase.
abstract: Internal electron transfer (ET) to heme a(3) during anaerobic reduction of oxidized bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) was studied under conditions where heme a and Cu(A) were fully reduced by excess hexaamineruthenium. The data show that ET to heme a(3) is controlled by the state of ionization of a single protolytic residue with a pK(a) of 6.5 +/- 0.2. On the basis of the view that ET to the catalytic site is limited by coupled proton transfer, this pK(a) was attributed to Glu60 which is located at the entrance of the proton-conducting K channel on the matrix side of CcO. It is proposed that Glu60 controls proton entry into the channel. However, even with this channel open, there is the second factor that regulates ET, and this is ascribed to the rate of proton diffusion in the channel. In addition, it is concluded that proton transfer in the K channel is reversibly inhibited by the detergent Triton X-100. It is also found that the rate of ET to heme a(3) in the as-isolated resting enzyme and in CcO "activated" by reaction of fully reduced enzyme with O(2) is the same, implying that the catalytic sites of these two forms of oxidized enzyme are essentially identical.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, MS 140, Rice University, 6100 Main, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antalik
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jancura
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D002417:Cattle; D003902:Detergents / Q000737:chemistry; D004579:Electron Transport; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000737:chemistry*; D004583:Electrons; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006418:Heme / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D017136:Ion Transport; D007700:Kinetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D011522:Protons; C027728:heme a; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006418:Heme; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV