scholarly journals Control by cytochrome c oxidase of the cellular oxidative phosphorylation system depends on the mitochondrial energy state

2006 ◽  
Vol 396 (3) ◽  
pp. 573-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Piccoli ◽  
Rosella Scrima ◽  
Domenico Boffoli ◽  
Nazzareno Capitanio

Recent measurements of the flux control exerted by cytochrome c oxidase on the respiratory activity in intact cells have led to a re-appraisal of its regulatory function. We have further extended this in vivo study in the framework of the Metabolic Control Analysis and evaluated the impact of the mitochondrial transmembrane electrochemical potential (ΔμH+) on the control strength of the oxidase. The results indicate that, under conditions mimicking the mitochondrial State 4 of respiration, both the flux control coefficient and the threshold value of cytochrome oxidase are modified with respect to the uncoupled condition. The results obtained are consistent with a model based on changes in the assembly state of the oxidative phosphorylation enzyme complexes and possible implications in the understanding of exercise-intolerance of human neuromuscular degenerative diseases are discussed.

1998 ◽  
Vol 201 (8) ◽  
pp. 1129-1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Gnaiger ◽  
B Lassnig ◽  
A Kuznetsov ◽  
G Rieger ◽  
R Margreiter

The oxygen affinity of the enzyme system involved in mitochondrial respiration indicates, in relation to intracellular oxygen levels and interpreted with the aid of flux control analysis, a significant role of oxygen supply in limiting maximum exercise. This implies that the flux control coefficient of mitochondria is not excessively high, based on a capacity of mitochondrial oxygen consumption that is slightly higher than the capacity for oxygen supply through the respiratory cascade. Close matching of the capacities and distribution of flux control is consistent with the concept of symmorphosis. Within the respiratory chain, however, the large excess capacity of cytochrome c oxidase, COX, appears to be inconsistent with the economic design of the respiratory cascade. To address this apparent discrepancy, we used three model systems: cultured endothelial cells and mitochondria isolated from heart and liver. Intracellular oxygen gradients increase with oxygen flux, explaining part of the observed decrease in oxygen affinity with increasing metabolic rate in cells. In addition, mitochondrial oxygen affinities decrease from the resting to the active state. The oxygen affinity in the active ADP-stimulated state is higher in mitochondria from heart than in those from liver, in direct relationship to the higher excess capacity of COX in heart. This yields, in turn, a lower turnover rate of COX even at maximum flux through the respiratory chain, which is necessary to prevent a large decrease in oxygen affinity in the active state. Up-regulation of oxygen affinity provides a functional explanation of the excess capacity of COX. The concept of symmorphosis, a matching of capacities in the respiratory cascade, is therefore complemented by 'synkinetic' considerations on optimum enzyme ratios in the respiratory chain. Accordingly, enzymatic capacities are matched in terms of optimum ratios, rather than equal levels, to meet the specific kinetic and thermodynamic demands set by the low-oxygen environment in the cell.


2014 ◽  
Vol 117 (12) ◽  
pp. 1424-1430 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Wilson ◽  
David K. Harrison ◽  
Andrei Vinogradov

Cytochrome c oxidase is the enzyme responsible for oxygen consumption by mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and coupling site 3 of oxidative phosphorylation. In this role it determines the cellular rate of ATP synthesis by oxidative phosphorylation and is the key to understanding how energy metabolism is regulated. Four electrons are required for the reduction of oxygen to water, and these are provided by the one-electron donor, cytochrome c. The rate of oxygen consumption (ATP synthesis) is dependent on the fraction of cytochrome c reduced (fred), oxygen pressure (pO2), energy state ([ATP]/[ADP][Pi]), and pH. In coupled mitochondria (high energy state) and pO2 >60 torr, the rate increases in an exponential-like fashion with increasing fred. When the dependence on fred is fitted to the equation rate = a(fred)b, a decreased from 100 to near 20, and b increased from 1.3 to 4 as the pH of the medium increased from 6.5 to 8.3. During oxygen depletion from the medium fred progressively increases and the rate of respiration decreases. The respiratory rate falls to ½ (P50) by about 1.5 torr, at which point fred is substantially increased. The metabolically relevant dependence on pO2 is obtained by correcting for the increase in fred, in which case the P50 is 12 torr. Adding an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation eliminates the dependence of the cytochrome c oxidase activity on pH and energy state. The respiratory rate becomes proportional to fred and the P50 decreases to less than 1 torr.


2000 ◽  
Vol 275 (36) ◽  
pp. 27741-27745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfram S. Kunz ◽  
Alexei Kudin ◽  
Stefan Vielhaber ◽  
Christian E. Elger ◽  
Giuseppe Attardi ◽  
...  

1975 ◽  
Vol 150 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Collins ◽  
R H Brown ◽  
M J Merrett

Mitochondria were isolated by gradient centrifugation on linear sucrose gradients from broken cell suspensions of phototrophically grown Euglena gracilis. An antimycin A-sensitive but rotenone-insensitive glycollate-dependent oxygen uptake was demonstrated in isolated mitochondria. The partial reactions of glycollate-cytochrome c oxidoreductase and cytochrome c oxidase were demonstrated by using Euglena cytochrome c as exogenous electron acceptor/donor. Isolated mitochondria contain glycollate dehydrogenase and glyoxylate-glutamate aminotransferase and oxidize exogenous glycine. A P:O ratio of 1.7 was obtained for glycollate oxidation, consistent with glycollate electrons entering the Euglena respiratory chain at the flavoprotein level. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to photorespiration in algae.


1995 ◽  
Vol 307 (3) ◽  
pp. 657-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Prieto ◽  
F Bouillaud ◽  
E Rial

We have recently reported that ATP induces an uncoupling pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondria [Prieto, Bouillaud, Ricquier and Rial (1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 208, 487-491]. The presence of this pathway would explain the reported low efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation in S. cerevisiae, and may represent one of the postulated energy-dissipating mechanisms present in these yeasts. In this paper we demonstrate that ATP exerts its action in two steps: first, at low ATP/Pi ratios, it increases the respiratory-chain activity, probably by altering the kinetic properties of cytochrome c oxidase. Second, at higher ATP/Pi ratios, an increase in membrane permeability leads to a collapse in membrane potential. The ATP effect on cytochrome c oxidase corroborates a recent report showing that ATP interacts specifically with yeast cytochrome oxidase, stimulating its activity [Taanman and Capaldi (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 18754-18761].


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document