Kinetics of ubiquinol-1-cytochrome c reductase in bovine heart mitochondria and submitochondrial particles

A kinetic study on ubiquinol-cytochrome f reductase (EC 1.10.2.2) has been undertaken either in situ in KCN-inhibited mitochondria and submitochondrial particles, or in the isolated cytochrome b-c₁ complex using ubiquinol-1 and exogenous cytochrome c as substrates. The steady-state two-substrate kinetics of the reductase appears to follow a general sequential mechanism, allowing calculation of a K_m for ubiquinol-1 of 13.4 μM in mitochondria and of 24.6 μM in the isolated cytochrome b-c₁ complex. At low concentrations of cytochrome c, however, the titrations as a function of quinol concentration appear biphasic both in mitochondria and in submitochondrial particles containing trapped cytochrome c inside the vesicle space, fitting two apparent K_m values for ubiquinol-1. Relatively high antimycin-sensitive rates of ubiquinol-1-cytochrome c reductase have been found in submitochondrial particles: both the V_max and the K_m for ubiquinol-1 are, however, affected by the overall orientation of the particle preparation, i.e., by the reactivity of cytochrome c with its proper site. The turnover numbers corrected for particle orientation with respect to cytochrome c interaction are at least 2-fold higher in submitochondrial particles than in mitochondria. This is particularly evident using inside-out particles containing trapped cytochrome c in the vesicle space (and therefore reacting with its physiological site). A diffusion step for the quinol substrate appears to be rate limiting in mitochondria and can be removed by addition of deoxycholate, suggesting that the oxidation site of ubiquinol may be more exposed to the matrix side of the inner mitochondrial membrane.     

Kinetics of cytochrome c oxidase from yeast. Membrane-facilitated electrostatic binding of cytochrome c showing a specific interaction with cytochrome c oxidase and inhibition by ATP (With an appendix on the occurrence of two-dimensional diffusion of cytochrome c on the membrane surface)

The steady-state kinetics of purified yeast cytochrome c oxidase were investigated at low ionic strength where the electrostatic interaction with cytochrome c is maximized. In 10 mM cacodylate/Tris (pH 6.5) the oxidation kinetics of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c were sigmoidal with a Hill coefficient of 2.35, suggesting cooperative binding. The half-saturation point was 1.14 μM. Horse cytochrome c exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a higher affinity (K_m = 0.35 μM) and a 100% higher maximal velocity.In 67 mM phosphate the Hill coefficient for yeast cytochrome c decreased to 1.42, and the species differences in Hill coefficients were lessened. Under the latter conditions, a yeast enzyme preparation partially depleted of phospholipids was activated on addition of diphosphatidylglycerol liposomes. When the enzyme was incorporated into sonicated yeast promitochondrial particles the apparent K_m for horse cytochrome c was considerably lower than the value for the isolated enzyme.ATP was found to inhibit both the isolated oxidase and the membrane-bound enzyme. With the isolated enzyme in 10 mM cacodylate/Tris, 3 mM ATP increased the half-saturation point with yeast cytochrome c 3-fold, without altering the maximal velocity or the Hill coefficient. 67 mM phosphate abolished the inhibition of the isolated oxidase by ATP.The increase in affinity for cytochrome c produced by binding the oxidase to the membrane was not observed in the presence of 3 mM ATP, with the result that the membrane-bound enzyme was more sensitive to inhibition by ATP. ADP was a less effective inhibitor than ATP, and did not prevent the inhibition by ATP.It is proposed that non-specific electrostatic binding of cytochrome c to phospholipid membranes, followed by rapid lateral diffusion, is responsible for the dependence of the affinity on the amount and nature of the phospholipids and on the ionic strength.ATP may interfere with the membrane-facilitated binding of cytochrome c by a specific electrostatic interaction with the membrane or by binding to cytochrome c.     

Respiration-dependent uncoupler-stimulated ATPase activity in castor bean endosperm mitochondria and submitochondrial particles

1. The uncoupler-stimulated ATPase activity of castor bean endosperm mitochondria and submitochondrial particles has been studied. The rate of ATP hydrolysis catalyzed by intact mitochondria was slow and little enhanced by addition of uncouplers at the concentration required for uncoupling the oxidative phosphorylation. ATPase activity was stimulated at higher concentrations of uncouplers.

2. 1-Anilinonaphthalene 8-sulfonate fluorescence was decreased when the mitochondria were oxidizing succinate. Carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone and antimycin reversed the succinate-induced fluorescence diminution. ATP did not induce the fluorescence response.

3. The addition of succinate, NADH or ascorbate/N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine as electron donor induced high ATPase activity in the presence of low concentrations of uncouplers. Stimulating effect of uncouplers was completely abolished by further addition of antimycin.

4. Submitochondrial particles were prepared by sonication. The particles catalyzed a rapid hydrolysis of ATP and carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone at 10^-8 M did not stimulate the ATPase activity. Addition of succinate induced uncoupler-stimulated ATPase activity. The effect of succinate was completely abolished by further addition of antimycin.

5. The treatment of submitochondrial particles by trypsin or high pH also induced uncoupler-stimulated ATPase activity.

6. The above results were interpreted to indicate that ATPase inhibitor regulated the back-flow reaction of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation.     

Catalytic activity of cytochromes c and c1 in mitochondria and submitochondrial particles.

1. Beef heart mitochondria have a cytochrome c1:c:aa3 ratio of 0.65:1.0:1.0 as isolated; Keilin-Hartree submitochondrial particles ahve a ratio of 0.65:0.4:1.0. More than 50% of the submitochondrial particle membrane is in the 'inverted' configuration, shielding the catalytically active cytochrome c. The 'endogenous' cytochrome c of particles turns over at a maximal rate between 450 and 550 s-1 during the oxidation of succinate or ascorbate plus TMPD; the maximal turnover rate for cytochrome c in mitochondria is 300-400 s-1, at 28 degrees-30 degrees C, pH 7.4. 2. Ascorbate plus N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylene diamine added to antimycin-treated particles induces anomalous absorption increases between 555 and 565 nm during the aerobic steady state, which disappear upon anaerobiosis; succinate addition abolishes this cycle and permits the partial resolution of cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c steady states at 552.5-547 nm and 550-556.5 nm, respectively. 3. Cytochrome c1 is rather more reduced than cytochrome c during the oxidation of succinate and of ascorbate + N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylene diamine in both mitochondria and submitochondrial particles; a near equilibrium condition exists between cytochromes c1 and c in the aerobic steady state, with a rate constant for the c1 leads to c reduction step greater than 10(3) s-1. 4. The greater apparent response of the c/aa3 electron transfer step to salts, the hyperbolic inhibition of succinate oxidation by azide and cyanide, and the kinetic behaviour of the succinate-cytochrome c reductase system, are all explicable in terms of a near-equilibrium condition prevailing at the c1/c step. Endogenous cytochrome c of mitochondria and submitochondrial particles is apparently largely bound to cytochrome aa3 units in situ. Cytochrome c1 can either reduce the cytochrome c-cytochrome aa3 complex directly, or requires only a small extra amount of cytochrome c to carry the full electron transfer flux.     

Cytochrome c1 exhibits two binding sites for cytochrome c in plants

In plants, channeling of cytochrome c molecules between complexes III and IV has been purported to shuttle electrons within the supercomplexes instead of carrying electrons by random diffusion across the intermembrane bulk phase. However, the mode plant cytochrome c behaves inside a supercomplex such as the respirasome, formed by complexes I, III and IV, remains obscure from a structural point of view. Here, we report ab-initio Brownian dynamics calculations and nuclear magnetic resonance-driven docking computations showing two binding sites for plant cytochrome c at the head soluble domain of plant cytochrome c₁, namely a non-productive (or distal) site with a long heme-to-heme distance and a functional (or proximal) site with the two heme groups close enough as to allow electron transfer. As inferred from isothermal titration calorimetry experiments, the two binding sites exhibit different equilibrium dissociation constants, for both reduced and oxidized species, that are all within the micromolar range, thus revealing the transient nature of such a respiratory complex. Although the docking of cytochrome c at the distal site occurs at the interface between cytochrome c₁ and the Rieske subunit, it is fully compatible with the complex III structure. In our model, the extra distal site in complex III could indeed facilitate the functional cytochrome c channeling towards complex IV by building a “floating boat bridge” of cytochrome c molecules (between complexes III and IV) in plant respirasome.     

Functional properties of type I and type II cytochromes c3 from Desulfovibrio africanus

Type I cytochrome c₃ is a key protein in the bioenergetic metabolism of Desulfovibrio spp., mediating electron transfer between periplasmic hydrogenase and multihaem cytochromes associated with membrane bound complexes, such as type II cytochrome c₃. This work presents the NMR assignment of the haem substituents in type I cytochrome c₃ isolated from Desulfovibrio africanus and the thermodynamic and kinetic characterisation of type I and type II cytochromes c₃ belonging to the same organism. It is shown that the redox properties of the two proteins allow electrons to be transferred between them in the physiologically relevant direction with the release of energised protons close to the membrane where they can be used by the ATP synthase.     

The oxidation-reduction kinetics of the reaction of cytochrome c1 with non-physiological redox agents

The kinetics of the oxidation-reduction reactions of cytochrome c₁ with ascorbate, ferricyanide, triphenanthrolinecobalt(III) and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) have been examined using the stopped-flow technique. The reduction of ferricytochrome c₁ by ascorbic acid is investigated as a function of pH. It is shown that at neutral and alkaline pH the reduction of the protein is mainly performed by the doubly deprotonated form of ascorbate. From the ionic-strength-dependence studies of the reactions of cytochrome c₁ with ascorbate, ferricyanide and triphenanthrolinecobalt(III), it is demonstrated that the reaction rate is governed by electrostatic interactions. The second-order rate constants for the reaction of cytochrome c₁ with ascorbate, ferricyanide, TMPD and triphenanthrolinecobalt(III) are 1.4·10⁴, 3.2·10³, 3.8·10⁴ and 1.3·10⁸ M^?1·s^?1 (pH 7.0, I = 0, 10°C), respectively. Application of the Debye-Hückel theory to the the ionic-strength-dependence studies of these redox reactions of cytochrome c₁ yielded for ferrocytochrome c₁ and ferricytochrome c₁ a net charge of ?5 and ?4, respectively. The latter value is close to that of ?3 for the oxidized enzyme, calculated from the amino acid sequence of the protein. This implies that not a local charge on the surface of the protein, but the overall net charge of cytochrome c₁ governs the reaction rate with small redox molecules.     

Thermodynamic and kinetic characterisation of individual haems in multicentre cytochromes c3

The characterisation of individual centres in multihaem proteins is difficult due to the similarities in the redox and spectroscopic properties of the centres. NMR has been used successfully to distinguish redox centres and allow the determination of the microscopic thermodynamic parameters in several multihaem cytochromes c₃ isolated from different sulphate-reducing bacteria. In this article we show that it is also possible to discriminate the kinetic properties of individual centres in multihaem proteins, if the complete microscopic thermodynamic characterisation is available and the system displays fast intramolecular equilibration in the time scale of the kinetic experiment. The deconvolution of the kinetic traces using a model of thermodynamic control provides a reference rate constant for each haem that does not depend on driving force and can be related to structural factors. The thermodynamic characterisation of three tetrahaem cytochromes and their kinetics of reduction by sodium dithionite are reported in this paper. Thermodynamic and kinetic data were fitted simultaneously to a model to obtain microscopic reduction potentials, haem-haem and haem-proton interacting potentials, and reference rate constants for the haems. The kinetic information obtained for these cytochromes and recently published data for other multihaem cytochromes is discussed with respect to the structural factors that determine the reference rates. The accessibility for the reducing agent seems to play an important role in controlling the kinetic rates, although is clearly not the only factor.     

Ferrocyanide as electron donor to cytochrome aa3. Cytochrome c requirement for oxygen uptake

1. In the absence of cytochrome c, ferrocyanide or ferrous sulphate reduces cytochrome c oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1), but no continuous oxygen uptake ensues, as it does with N,N,N′,N′-Tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine or reduced phenazine methosulphate as reductants, unless a substoichiometric amount of cytochrome c or an excess of clupein is present. Cytochrome c cannot be replaced by porphyrin cytochrome c.2. Cytochrome c, porphyrin cytochrome c and clupein all stimulate the reduction of cytochrome aa₃ by ferrocyanide.3. A model is proposed to explain these findings in which a high-affinity site for cytochrome c on the oxidase regulates the access of hydrophilic electron donors to a low-affinity site, and reduction via the high-affinity site is required for continuous oxygen uptake.4. Furthermore, it is shown that upon reaction of oxidase with ferrocyanide, cyano-oxidase is formed.     

Evidence of ubisemiquinone radicals in electron transfer at the cytochromes b and c1 region of the cardiac respiratory chain

A highly purified reduced ubiquinone-cytochrome c reductase preparation (the b-c₁III complex) has been made. The b-c₁III complex is not reconstitutively active with succinate dehydrogenase. When the complex at about 10 mg/ml is reduced by succinate in the presence of catalytic (nanomolar) amounts of SDH and a ubiquinone protein (required in the succinate dehydrogenase region i.e, OP-S), a ubisemiquinone radical(s) has been detected using EPR measurements. The formation of the radical(s) is concurrent with the reduction of cytochrome b after the complete reduction of cytochrome c₁. All these rates are dependent on the amounts of succinate dehydrogenase and QP-S used. The maximal concentration of the radical formed is independent of the amounts of succinate dehydrogenase and QP-S added but dependent on the amount of succinate present. The formation of the radical and the reduction of b and c₁ by succinate requires the presence of phospholipids. Addition of thenoyltrifluoroacetone not only prevents the formation of the ubisemiquinone but also abolishes the prior formed radical and causes the reoxidation of b. Antimycin A also diminishes the radical intensity but causes only slight reoxidation of prior reduced cytochrome b. Treatment of the b-c₁III complex with α-chymotrypsin results in the diminishing of the radical formation. Consideration of all these results presented collectively indicates the existence of a ubiquinone binding protein in the b-c₁III complex preparation.     

Use of specific trifluoroacetylation of lysine residues in cytochrome c to study the reaction with cytochrome b5, cytochrome c1, and cytochrome oxidase

The preparation, purification, and characterization of four new derivatives of cytochrome c trifluoroacetylated at lysines 72, 79, 87, and 88 are reported. The redox reaction rates of these derivatives with cytochrome b₅, cytochrome c₁ and cytochrome oxidase indicated that the interaction domain on cytochrome c for all three proteins involves the lysines immediately surrounding the heme crevice. Modification of lysines 72, 79, and 87 had a large effect on the rate of all three reactions, while modification of lysine 88 had a very small effect. Even though lysines 87 and 88 are adjacent to one another, lysine 87 is at the top left of the heme crevice oriented towards the front of cytochrome c, while lysine 88 is oriented more towards the back. Since the interaction sites for cytochrome c₁ and cytochrome oxidase are essentially identical, cytochrome c probably undergoes some type of rotational diffusion during electron transport.     

The respiratory chain of Paramecium tetraurelia in wild type and the mutant Cl1 I. Spectral properties and redox potentials

1. Purified mitochondria have been prepared from wild type Paramecium tetraurelia and from the mutant Cl₁ which lacks cytochrome aa₃. Both mitochondrial preparations are characterized by cyanide insensitivity. Their spectral properties and their redox potentials have been studied.2. Difference spectra (dithionite reduced minus oxidized) of mitochondria from wild type P. tetraurelia at 77 K revealed the α peaks of b-type cytochrome(s) at 553 and 557 nm, of c-type cytochrome at 549 nm and a-type cytochrome at 608 nm. Two α peaks at 549 and 545 nm could be distinguished in the isolated cytochrome c at 77 K. After cytochrome c extraction from wild type mitochondria, a new peak at 551 nm was unmasked, probably belonging to cytochrome c₁. The a-type cytochrome was characterized by a split Soret band with maxima at 441 and 450 nm. The mitochondria of the mutant Cl₁ in exponential phase of growth differed from the wild type mitochondria in that cytochrome aa₃ was absent while twice the quantity of cytochrome b was present. In stationary phase, mitochondria of the mutant were characterized by a new absorption peak at 590 nm.3. Cytochrome aa₃ was present at a concentration of 0.3 nmol/mg protein in wild type mitochondria and ubiquinone at a concentration of 8 nmol/mg protein both in mitochondria of the wild type and the mutant Cl₁. Cytochrome aa₃ was more susceptible to heat than cytochromes b and c,c₁.4. CO difference spectra at 77 K revealed two different Co-cytochrome complexes. The first, found only in wild type mitochondria, was a typical CO-cytochrome a₃ complex characterized by peaks at 596 and 435 nm and troughs at 613 and 450 nm. The second, found both in mitochondria of the wild type and the mutant, was a CO-cytochrome b complex with peaks at 567, 539 and 420 nm and a trough at 558-549 nm. Both complexes are photo-dissociable.5. Spectral evidence was obtained for interaction of cyanide with the a-type cytochrome (shift of the α peak at 77 K from 608 to 605 nm), but not with the b-type cytochrome.6. The mid-point potentials of the different cytochromes at neutral pH are as follows: cytochrome aa₃ 235 and 395 mV, cytochrome c,c₁ 233 mV, cytochromes b 120 mV.     

Effect of pH on cytochromes b in ATP-Mg submitochondrial particles

Addition of ATP to anaerobic, succinate-reduced phosphorylating submitochondrial particles (ATP-Mg particles) causes reduction of cytochromes b absorbing at 558 and 566 nm in the pH range 5.5–9.0. The extent of the reduction of both cytochromes induced by ATP is maximal at pH 7.4–7.5. On the other hand, addition of ATP to anaerobic, NADH-reduced particles causes oxidation of b₅₆₂ at high pH, while it causes reduction of cytochromes absorbing at 558 and 566 nm at low pH. The optimal pH for the oxidation of cytochromes b is in the region 8.5–9.0. Partial reduction of the cytochromes absorbing at 558 and 566 nm can be brought about non-energetically by lowering the potential of the substrate redox couple or by making the reaction mixture alkaline. Addition of the electron-transfer mediator, phenazine methosulphate, to anaerobic, NADH-reduced particles causes complete reduction of cytochromes b absorbing at 558 and 566 nm in the pH range 5.5–9.0. The findings are interpreted in terms of a pH-induced removal of an accessibility barrier (structural or kinetic) that interferes with the redox equilibrium between NADH and cytochrome b.     

Properties of three cytochrome b-like species in mitochondria and submitochondrial particles

1. Oxidoreduction of cytochrome b in rat-liver mitochondria and sonicated particles from beef-heart mitochondria was studied with emphasis on the influence of red/ox and energy conditions.     

The pH dependence of the oxidation-reduction midpoint potential of cytochromes c2 in vivo

A recent report by Pettigrew et al. [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 430, (1976), 197–208] has examined the pH dependence of the oxidation-reduction midpoint potential of cytochromes c₂ in vitro. In media of low ionic strength, these workers identified several pKs on the oxidized forms of the cytochromes, and in some cases there were also pKs on the reduced species. In this work we examine the pH dependence of the midpoint potentials of the cytochromes in situ, attached to the chromatophore membrane. Under these conditions no pK values are detected, and we conclude that in vivo there is no net change in the protonation of cytochrome c₂ during oxidation or reduction.     

Studies on the mechanism of electron transport in the bc1-segment of the respiratory chain in yeast. II. The binding of antimycin to mitochondrial particles and the function of two different binding sites

1. In mitochondrial particles antimycin binds to two separate specific sites with dissociation constants $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>d</mtext><mtext>1</mtext>}}\text{≦ 4 · 10}{}^{\mathrm{?13}}\text{M}$ and $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>d</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{= 3 · 10}{}^{\mathrm{?9}}\text{M}$, respectively.2. The concentrations of the two antimycin binding sites are about equal. The absolute concentration for each binding site is about 100 – 150 pmol per mg of mitochondrial protein.3. Antimycin bound to the stronger site mainly inhibits NADH- and succinate oxidase. Binding of antimycin to the weaker binding site inhibits the electron flux to exogenously added cytochrome c after blocking cytochrome oxidase by KCN.4. Under certain conditions cytochrome b and c₁ are dispensible components for antimycin-sensitive electron transport.5. A model of the respiratory chain in yeast is proposed which accounts for the results reported here and previously. (Lang, B., Burger, G. and Bandlow, W. (1974) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 368, 71–85).