Proton pumping by cytochrome c oxidase is coupled to peroxidase half of its catalytic cycle.

AbstractThe four-electron reaction cycle of cytochrome oxidase is comprised of an eu-oxidase phase in which the enzyme receives the first two electrons and reduces oxygen to bound peroxide and a peroxidase phase in which the peroxy state formed in the eu-oxidase half of the cycle is reduced by the 3rd and 4th electrons to the ferryl-oxo state and oxidized form, respectively. Here we show that the ferrocyanide-peroxidase activity of cytochrome c oxidase incorporated in phospholipid vesicles is coupled to proton pumping. The H+/e− ratio for the ferrocyanide-peroxidase partial reaction is twice higher than for the overall ferrocyanide-oxidase activity and is close to 2. These results show that proton pumping by COX is confined to the peroxidase part of the enzyme catalytic cycle (transfer of the 3rd and 4th electron) whereas the eu-oxidase part (transfer of the first two electrons) may not be proton pumping

pH changes associated with cytochrome c oxidase reaction with H2O2. Protonation state of the peroxy and oxoferryl intermediates.

AbstractpH changes associated with the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase reaction with H2O2 have been studied. In the presence of forricyanide or Tris-phenanthroline complex of CoIII as electron acceptors, reaction or H2O2 with the oxidized cytochrome oxidase is accompanied by a steady proton release with a rate constant of ca. 3 M−1 s−1 at pH 6.8. The acidification is completely inhibited by superoxide dismutase and its pro-steady-state kinetics correlates with that of the oxoferryl compound (F) accumulation. Apparently, the proton release is linked to superoxide generation by cytochrome oxidase under these conditions. In the presence of superoxide dismutase and without the electron acceptors, the H2O2-induced transitions of cytochrome oxidase from the oxidized to the peroxy (P) and from the peroxy to the oxoferryl state are not associated with any significant proton release or uptake. The results point to the following mechanism of O−2 generation and protonation states of the cytochrome oxidase compounds P and F:

Redox-linked protolytic reactions in soluble cytochrome-c oxidase from beef-heart mitochondria: redox Bohr effects.

AbstractA study is presented of co-operative redox-linked protolytic reactions (redox Bohr effects) in soluble cytochrome-c oxidase purified from bovine-heart mitochondria. Bohr effects were analyzed by direct measurement, with accurate spectrophotometric and potentiometric methods, of H+ uptake and release by the oxidase associated with reduction and oxidation of hemes a and a3, CuA and CuB in the unliganded and in the CN- or CO-liganded enzyme. The results show that there are in the bovine oxidase four protolytic groups undergoing reversible pK shifts upon oxido-reduction of the electron transfer metals. Two groups with pKox and pKred values around 7 and >12 respectively appear to be linked to redox transitions of heme a3. One group with pKox and pKred around 6 and 7 is apparently linked to CuB, a fourth one with pKox and pKred of 6 and 9 appears to be linked to heme a. The possible nature of the amino acids involved in the redox Bohr effects and their role in H+ translocation is discussed