title: Cytochrome c oxidase: exciting progress and remaining mysteries.
abstract: Cytochrome c oxidase generates a proton motive force by two separate mechanisms. The first mechanism is similar to that postulated by Peter Mitchell, and is based on electrons and protons used to generate water coming from opposite sides of the membrane. The second mechanism was not initially anticipated, but is now firmly established as a proton pump. A brief review of the current state of our understanding of the proton pump of cytochrome oxidase is presented. We have come a long way since the initial observation of the pump by Mårten Wikström in 1977, but a number of essential questions remain to be answered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brzezinski
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gennis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004579:Electron Transport; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006418:Heme / Q000737:chemistry; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009154:Mutation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D017494:Proton Pumps / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018892:Proton-Motive Force; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D017494:Proton Pumps; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D006418:Heme; D003300:Copper; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV