An antimycin-insensitive succinate-cytochrome c reductase activity in pure reconstitutively active succinate dehydrogenase

Antimycin-insensitive succinate-cytochrome c reductase activity has been detected in pure, reconstitutively active succinate dehydrogenase. The enzyme catalyzes electron transfer from succinate to cytochrome c at a rate of 0.7 mumole succinate oxidized per min per mg protein, in the presence of 100 microM cytochrome c. This activity, which is about 2% of that of reconstitutive (the ability of succinate dehydrogenase to reconstitute with coenzyme ubiquinone-binding proteins (QPs) to form succinate-ubiquinone reductase) or succinate-phenazine methosulfate activity in the preparation, differs from antimycin-insensitive succinate-cytochrome c reductase activity detected in submitochondrial particles or isolated succinate-cytochrome c reductase. The Km for cytochrome c for the former is too high to be measured. The Km for the latter is about 4.4 microM, similar to that of antimycin-sensitive succinate-cytochrome c activity in isolated succinate-cytochrome c reductase, suggesting that antimycin-insensitive succinate-cytochrome c activity of succinate-cytochrome c reductase probably results from incomplete inhibition by antimycin. Like reconstitutive activity of succinate dehydrogenase, the antimycin-insensitive succinate-cytochrome c activity of succinate dehydrogenase is sensitive to oxygen; the half-life is about 20 min at 0 degrees C at a protein concentration of 23 mg/ml. In the presence of QPs, the antimycin-insensitive succinate-cytochrome c activity of succinate dehydrogenase disappears and at the same time a thenoyltrifluoroacetone-sensitive succinate-ubiquinone reductase activity appears. This suggests that antimycin-insensitive succinate-cytochrome c reductase activity of succinate dehydrogenase appears when succinate dehydrogenase is detached from the membrane or from QPs. Reconstitutively active succinate dehydrogenase oxidizes succinate using succinylated cytochrome c as electron acceptor, suggesting that a low potential intermediate (radical) may be involved. This suggestion is confirmed by the detection of an unknown radical by spin trapping techniques. When a spin trap, alpha-phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN), is added to a succinate oxidizing system containing reconstitutively active succinate dehydrogenase, a PBN spin adduct is generated. Although this PBN spin adduct is identical to that generated by xanthine oxidase, indicating that a perhydroxy radical might be involved, the insensitivity of this antimycin-insensitive succinate-cytochrome c reductase activity to superoxide dismutase and oxygen questions the nature of this observed radical.     

Rapid reduction of cytochrome c1 in the presence of antimycin and its implication for the mechanism of electron transfer in the cytochrome b-c1 segment of the mitochondrial respiratory chain

Antimycin, a specific and highly potent inhibitor of electron transfer in the cytochrome b-c1 segment of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, does not inhibit reduction of cytochrome c1 by succinate in isolated succinate-cytochrome c reductase complex under conditions where the respiratory chain complex undergoes one oxidation-reduction turnover. If a slight molar excess of cytochrome c is added to the isolated reductase complex in the presence of antimycin, there is rapid reduction of one equivalent of c type cytochrome by succinate, after which reduction of the remaining c type cytochrome is inhibited. Antimycin fully inhibits succinate-cytochrome c reductase activity of isolated succinate-cytochrome c reductase complex in which the b-c1 complex undergoes multiple turnovers in a catalytic fashion. In addition, when antimycin is added to isolated reductase complex in the presence of cytochrome c plus cytochrome c oxidase, the inhibitor causes a "crossover" in the steady state level of reduction of the cytochromes b and c1 comparable to this classical effect in mitochondria. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that linear schemes of electron transfer are not adequate to account for the site of antimycin inhibition and the mechanism of electron transfer in the cytochrome b-c1 segment of the respiratory chain. The effects of antimycin are consistent with cyclic electron transfer mechanisms such as the protonmotive Q cycle.     

Inhibitory effect of α-tocopherol and its derivatives on bovine heart succinate-cytochrome c reductase

α-Tocopherol and its derivatives inhibit succinate-cytochrome c reductase activity at a concentration of 0.5 μmol/mg protein in 50 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, containing 0.4 % sodium cholate when α-tocopherol is predispersed in sodium cholate solution. The inhibitory site is located at the cytochrome b-c₁ region. Succinate-ubiquinone reductase activity of succinate-cytochrome c reductase was not impaired by treatment with α-tocopherol. The α-tocopherol-inhibited succinate-cytochrome c reductase activity can be reversed by the addition of ubiquinone and its analogs. When ubiquinone- and phospholipid-depleted succinate-cytochrome c reductase was treated with α-tocopherol followed by reaction with a fixed amount of 2,3-dimethoxy-6-methyl-5-(10-bromodecyl)-1,4-benzoquinone and phospholipid, the amount of α-tocopherol needed to express the maximal inhibition was only 0.3 μmol/mg protein. When ubiquinone- and phospholipid-depleted enzyme was treated with a given amount of α-tocopherol and followed by titration with 2,3-dimethoxy-6-methyl-5-(10-bromodecyl)-1,4-benzoquinone, restoration of activity was enhanced at low concentrations of ubiquinone analog, indicating that α-tocopherol can serve as an effector for ubiquinone. The maximal binding capacity of α-[¹⁴C]tocopherol, dispersed in 50 mM phosphate buffer containing 0.25% sodium cholate, pH 7.4, to succinate-cytochrome c reductase was shown to be 0.68 μmol/mg protein. A similar binding capacity, based on cytochrome b content, was observed in submitochondrial particles. Binding of α-tocopherol to succinate-cytochrome c reductase not only caused an inhibition of enzymatic activity but also caused a reduction of cytochrome c₁ in the absence of substrate, a phenomenon analogous to the removal of phospholipids from the enzyme preparation. Furthermore, binding of α-tocopherol to succinate-cytochrome c reductase decreased the rate of reduction of cytochrome b by succinate. Since electron transfer from succinate to ubiquinone was not affected by α-tocopherol treatment, the decrease in reduction rate of cytochrome b by succinate must be due to a change in environment around cytochrome b. These results as well as the fact that reactivation of α-tocopherol-inhibited enzyme requires only low concentrations of ubiquinone were used to explain the inhibitory effect as a result of a change in protein conformation and protein-phospholipid interaction rather than the direct displacement of ubiquinone by α-tocopherol. This deduction was further supported by the fact that no ubiquinone was released from succinate-cytochrome c reductase upon treatment with α-tocopherol.     

磷脂对琥珀酸-细胞色素c还原酶的作用

琥珀酸细胞色素c还原酶除去90％以上的磷脂后活力丧失约95％。将去脂琥珀酸细胞色素c还原酶与磷脂和辅酶Q_2保温,可恢复其活性。活力恢复程度依赖于磷脂的组成。当磷脂酰胆碱(PC):心磷脂(CL):磷脂酰乙醇胺(PE)=2:2:1时活力恢复最高,比大豆磷脂的效果更为明显,单组分PC,PE或CL恢复活力较差。与酶蛋白紧密结合的CL和PC在活力可逆恢复中有重要作用。     

Coenzyme Q analogues reconstitute electron transport and proton ejection but not the antimycin-induced "red shift" in mitochondria from coenzyme Q deficient mutants of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mitochondria isolated from coenzyme Q deficient yeast cells had no detectable NADH:cytochrome c reductase or succinate:cytochrome c reductase activity but contained normal amounts of cytochromes b and c1 by spectral analysis. Addition of the exogenous coenzyme Q derivatives including Q2, Q6, and the decyl analogue (DB) restored the rate of antimycin- and myxothiazole-sensitive cytochrome c reductase with both substrates to that observed with reduced DBH2. Similarly, addition of these coenzyme Q analogues increased 2-3-fold the rate of cytochrome c reduction in mitochondria from wild-type cells, suggesting that the pool of coenzyme Q in the membrane is limiting for electron transport in the respiratory chain. Preincubation of mitochondria from the Q-deficient yeast cells with DBH2 at 25 degrees C restored electrogenic proton ejection, resulting in a H+/2e- ratio of 3.35 as compared to a ratio of 3.22 observed in mitochondria from the wild-type cell. Addition of succinate and either coenzyme Q6 or DB to mitochondria from the Q-deficient yeast cells resulted in the initial reduction of cytochrome b followed by a slow reduction of cytochrome c1 with a reoxidation of cytochrome b. The subsequent addition of antimycin resulted in the oxidant-induced extrareduction of cytochrome b and concomitant oxidation of cytochrome c1 without the "red" shift observed in the wild-type mitochondria. Similarly, addition of antimycin to dithionite-reduced mitochondria from the mutant cells did not result in a red shift in the absorption maximum of cytochrome b as was observed in the wild-type mitochondria in the presence or absence of exogenous coenzyme Q analogues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Multiphasic oxidation-reduction of cytochrome b in the succinate-cytochrome c reductase

The triphasic course previously reported for the reduction of cytochrome b in the succinate-cytochrome c reductase by either succinate or duroquinol has been shown to be dependent on the redox state of the enzyme preparation. Prior reduction with increasing concentrations of ascorbate leads to partial reduction of cytochrome c1, and a gradual decrease in the magnitude of the oxidation phase of cytochrome b. At an ascorbate concentration sufficient to reduce cytochrome c1 almost completely, the reduction of cytochrome b by either succinate or duroquinol becomes monophasic. Owing to the presence of a trace amount of cytochrome oxidase in the reductase preparation employed, the addition of cytochrome c makes electron flow from substrate to oxygen possible. Under such circumstances, the addition of a limited amount of either succinate or duroquinol leads to a multiphasic reduction and oxidation of cytochrome b. After the initial three phases as described previously, cytochrome b becomes oxidized before cytochrome c1 when the limited amount of added substrate is being used up. However, at the end of the reaction when cytochrome c1 is being rapidly oxidized, cytochrome b becomes again reduced. The above observations support a cyclic scheme of electron flow in which the reduction of cytochrome b proceeds by two different routes and its oxidation controlled by the redox state of a component of the respiratory chain.     

Biochemical effects of PR toxin on rat liver mitochondrial respiration and oxidative phosphorylation

The in vitro effects of PR toxin, a toxic secondary metabolite produced by certain strains of Penicillium roqueforti, on the membrane structure and function of rat liver mitochondria were investigated. It was found that the respiratory control and oxidative phosphorylation of the isolated mitochondria decreased concomitantly when the toxin was added to the assay system. The respiratory control ratio decreased about 60% and the ADP/O ratio decreased about 40% upon addition of 3.1 X 10(-5) M PR toxin to the highly coupled mitochondria. These findings suggest that PR toxin impairs the structural integrity of mitochondrial membranes. On the other hand, the toxin inhibited mitochondrial respiratory functions. It exhibited noncompetitive inhibitions to succinate oxidase, succinate-cytochrome c reductase, and succinate dehydrogenase activities of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The inhibitory constants of PR toxin to these three enzyme systems were estimated to be 5.1 X 10(-6), 2.4 X 10(-5), and 5.2 X 10(-5) M, respectively. Moreover, PR toxin was found to change the spectral features of succinate-reduced cytochrome b and cytochrome c1 in succinate-cytochrome c reductase and inhibited the electron transfer between the two cytochromes. These observations indicate that the electron transfer function of succinate-cytochrome c reductase was perturbed by the toxin. However, PR toxin did not show significant inhibition of either cytochrome oxidase or NADH dehydrogenase activity of the mitochondria. It is thus concluded that PR toxin exerts its effect on the mitochondrial respiration and oxidative phosphorylation through action on the membrane and the succinate-cytochrome c reductase complex of the mitochondria.     

Reduction of cytochrome b in mitochondria from yeast lacking coenzyme Q

Mitochondria isolated from coenzyme Q deficient yeast cells had no detectable NADH:cytochrome c reductase or succinate:cytochrome c reductase but had comparable amounts of cytochromes b and c1 as wild-type mitochondria. Addition of succinate to the mutant mitochondria resulted in a slight reduction of cytochrome b; however, the subsequent addition of antimycin resulted in a biphasic reduction of cytochrome b, leading to reduction of 68% of the total dithionite-reducible cytochrome b. No "red" shift in the absorption maximum was observed, and no cytochrome c1 was reduced. The addition of either myxothiazol or alkylhydroxynaphthoquinone blocked the reduction of cytochrome b observed with succinate and antimycin, suggesting that the reduction of cytochrome b-562 in the mitochondria lacking coenzyme Q may proceed by a pathway involving cytochrome b at center o where these inhibitors block. Cyanide did not prevent the reduction of cytochrome b by succinate and antimycin the the mutant mitochondria. These results suggest that the succinate dehydrogenase complex can transfer electrons directly to cytochrome b in the absence of coenzyme Q in a reaction that is enhanced by antimycin. Reduced dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) acted as an effective bypass of the antimycin block in complex III, resulting in oxygen uptake with succinate in antimycin-treated mitochondria. By contrast, reduced DCIP did not restore oxygen uptake in the mutant mitochondria, suggesting that coenzyme Q is necessary for the bypass. The addition of low concentrations of DCIP to both wild-type and mutant mitochondria reduced with succinate in the presence of antimycin resulted in a rapid oxidation of cytochrome b perhaps by the pathway involving center o, which does not require coenzyme Q.     

Studies with a reconstituted muscle glycolytic system. The rate and extent of glycolysis in simulated post-mortem conditions

The stimulation of succinate-cytochrome c reductase in Jerusalem artichoke mitochondria by lowering osmolarity was found to be associated with conformational changes in the inner membrane rather than with rupture of the outer membrane. This conclusion is based on the following evidence. (1) When the activation of succinate dehydrogenase was measured by using either K(3)Fe(CN)(6) or exogenous cytochrome c as an electron acceptor, electron flow to cytochrome c was always 7% of that to K(3)Fe(CN)(6) throughout the activation process. (2) The rate of exogenous cytochrome c reduction by succinate and NADH was directly related to the maximum rate of electron flow as determined by oxygen utilization. These two observations are not consistent with the low rate of succinate-cytochrome c reductase being limited by a permeability barrier at the outer membrane. (3) In addition to stimulating the succinate-cytochrome c reductase, lowering the osmolarity caused simultaneous changes in the permeability of the inner membrane to ferricyanide and NADH. The data show that lowering the osmolarity results in progressive changes in the permeability of the inner membrane. The first change detected was an increased permeability to K(3)Fe(CN)(6), then a simultaneous increase in accessibility of the respiratory chain to exogenous cytochrome c and an increased permeability to NADH, followed finally by rupture as measured by the release of malate dehydrogenase.     

Studies on the succinate dehydrogenating system. Isolation and properties of the mitochondrial succinate-ubiquinone reductase

A simple procedure for preparation of highly purified soluble succinate-ubiquinone reductase from bovine heart mitochondrial particles is described. The enzyme exhibits four major bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and contains (nmol per mg protein): covalently bound flavin, 6; non-heme iron, 53; acid-labile sulfur, 50; cytochrome b-560 heme, 1.2. The enzyme catalyzes thenoyltrifluoroacetone, or carboxin-sensitive (pure non-competitive with Q2) reduction of Q2 by succinate with a turnover number close to that in parent submitochondrial particles. The succinate reduced enzyme exhibits ferredoxin-type iron-sulfur center EPR-signal (g = 1.94 species) and a semiquinone signal (g = 2.00). An oxidized preparation shows a symmetric signal centered around g = 2.01. An unusual dissociation of the enzyme in the absence of a detergent is described. When added to the assay mixture from a concentrated protein-detergent solution, the enzyme does not reduce Q2 being highly reactive towards ferricyanide ('low Km ferricyanide reactive site'; Vinogradov, A.D., Gavrikova, E.V. and Goloveshkina, V.G. (1975) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 65, 1264-1269). The ubiquinone reductase, not the ferricyanide reductase was observed when the enzyme was added to the assay mixture from the diluted protein-detergent solutions. Thus the dissociation of succinate dehydrogenase from the complex occurs in the absence of a detergent dependent on the concentration of the protein-detergent complex in the stock preparation where the samples for the assay are taken from. An active antimycin-sensitive succinate-cytochrome c reductase was reconstituted by admixing of the soluble succinate-ubiquinone reductase and the cytochrome b-c1 complex, i.e., from the complexes which both contain the ubiquinone reactivity conferring protein (QPs). Cytochrome c reductase was also reconstituted from the succinate-ubiquinone reductase and succinate-cytochrome c reductase containing inactivated succinate dehydrogenase. The reconstitution experiments suggest that there exists a specific protein-protein (or lipid) interaction between QPs and a certain component(s) of the b-c1 complex.     

Mode of action of oxathiin systemic fungicides. V. Effect on electron transport system of Ustilago maydis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The systemic fungicide carboxin (5,6-dihydro-2-methyl-1,4-oxathiin-3-carboxanilide) at 100 mum inhibited succinate cytochrome c reductase in mitochondria from Ustilago maydis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It did not have any effect on reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) cytochrome c reductase. Succinate coenzyme Q reductase was also inhibited, but NADH coenzyme Q reductase was not. When dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) was used as the terminal acceptor of electrons from the oxidation of succinate, carboxin was very effective in inhibiting succinate-DCIP reductase. Carboxin was inhibitory to succinic dehydrogenase assayed with phenazine methosulfate plus DCIP when intact mitochondria were used as the enzyme source but not when solubilized enzyme was used. The main site of action of carboxin, therefore, appears to lie between succinate and coenzyme Q. The dioxide analogue of carboxin was also effective in inhibiting succinate-cytochrome c reductase, succinate-coenzyme Q reductase, or succinate-DCIP reductase, whereas the monoxide analogue was less effective in inhibiting these enzymes.     

Purification of a reconstitutively active iron-sulfur protein (oxidation factor) from succinate . cytochrome c reductase complex of bovine heart mitochondria.

Oxidation factor, a protein required for electron transfer from succinate to cytochrome c in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, has been purified from isolated succinate . cytochrome c reductase complex. Purification of the protein has been followed by a reconstitution assay in which restoration of ubiquinol . cytochrome c reductase activity is proportional to the amount of oxidation factor added back to depleted reductase complex. The purified protein is a homogeneous polypeptide on acrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate and migrates with an apparent Mr = 24,500. Purified oxidation factor restores succinate . cytochrome c reductase and ubiquinol . cytochrome c reductase activities to depleted reductase complex. It is not required for succinate dehydrogenase nor for succinate . ubiquinone reductase activities of the reconstituted reductase complex. Oxidation factor co-electrophoreses with the iron-sulfur protein polypeptide of ubiquinol . cytochrome c reductase complex. The purified protein contains 56 nmol of nonheme iron and 36 nmol of acid-labile sulfide/mg of protein and possesses an EPR spectrum with the characteristic "g = 1.90" signal identical to that of the iron-sulfur protein of the cytochrome b . c1 complex. In addition, the optimal conditions for extraction of oxidation factor, including reduction with hydrosulfite and treatment of the b . c1 complex with antimycin, are identical to those which facilitate extraction of the iron-sulfur protein from the b . c1 complex. These results indicate that oxidation factor is a reconstitutively active form of the iron-sulfur protein of the cytochrome b . c1 complex first discovered by Rieske and co-workers (Rieske, J.S., Maclennan, D.H., and Coleman, R. (1964) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 15, 338-344) and thus demonstrate that this iron-sulfur protein is required for electron transfer from ubiquinol to cytochrome c in the mitochondrial respiratory chain.     

Resolution and reconstitution of succinate-cytochrome c reductase: preparations and properties of high purity succinate dehydrogenase and ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase

An improved method was developed to sequentially fractionate succinate-cytochrome c reductase into three reconstitutive active enzyme systems with good yield: pure succinate dehydrogenase, ubiquinone-binding protein fraction and a highly purified ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase (cytochrome b-c1 III complex). An extensively dialyzed succinate-cytochrome c reductase was first separated into a succinae dehydrogenase fraction and the cytochrome b-c1 complex by alkali treatment. The resulting succinate dehydrogenase fraction was further purified to homogeneity by the treatment of butanol, calcium phosphate gel adsorption and ammonium sulfate fractionation under anaerobic condition in the presence of succinate and dithiothreitol. The cytochrome b-c1 complex was separated into chtochrome b-c1 III complex and ubiquinone-binding protein fractions by careful ammonium acetate fractionation in the presence of deoxycholate. The purified succinate dehydrogenase contained only two polypeptides with molecular weights of 70 000 anbd 27 000 as revealed by the sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic pattern. The enzyme has the reconstitutive activity and a low Km ferricyanide reductase activity of 85 mumol succinate oxidized per min per mg protein at 38 degrees C. Chemical composition analysis of cytochrome b-c1 III complex showed that the preparation was completely free of contamination of succinate dehydrogenase and ubiquinone-binding protein and was 30% more pure than the available preparation. When these three components were mixed in a proper ratio, a thenoyltrifluoroacetone- and antimycin A-sensitive succinate-cytochrome c reductase was reconstituted.     

Identification of ubiquinone-binding proteins in yeast mitochondrial ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase using an azido-ubiquinone derivative

An azido-ubiquinone derivative, 3-azido-2-methyl-5-methoxy-6-(3,7-dimethyloctyl)-1,4-benzoquinone, was used to study the ubiquinone-protein interaction and to identify the ubiquinone-binding proteins in yeast mitochondrial ubiquinone-cytochrome c reductase. The phospholipids and Q6 in purified reductase were removed by repeated ammonium sulfate precipitation in the presence of 0.5% sodium cholate. The resulting phospholipid- and ubiquinone-depleted reductase shows no enzymatic activity; activity can be completely restored by the addition of phospholipids and Q6 or Q2. The ubiquinone- and phospholipid-replenished ubiquinonol-cytochrome c reductase is also fully active upon reconstituting with bovine succinate-ubiquinone reductase to form succinate-cytochrome c reductase. When an azido-ubiquinone derivative was added to the ubiquinone and phospholipid-depleted reductase in the dark, followed by the addition of phospholipids, partial reconstitutive activity was restored, while full ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase activity was observed when Q2H2 was used as substrate in the assay mixture. Apparently, the large amount of Q2H2 present in the assay mixture displaces the azido-ubiquinone in the system. Photolysis of the azido-Q-treated reductase with long-wavelength ultraviolet light abolishes about 70% of both the restored reconstitutive activity and Q2H2-cytochrome c reductase activity. The activity loss is directly proportional to the covalent binding of [3H]azido-ubiquinone to the reductase protein. When the photolyzed, [3H]azido-ubiquinone-treated sample was subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by analysis of the distribution of radioactivity among the subunits, the cytochrome b protein and a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 14 000 were heavily labeled. The amount of radioactive labeling in both these proteins was affected by the presence of phospholipids.     

Energetics of ATP-driven reverse electron transfer from cytochrome c to fumarate and from succinate to NAD in submitochondrial particles

The maximum Gibbs free energies of reverse electron transfer from succinate to NAD+ and from cytochrome c to fumarate driven by ATP hydrolysis in submitochondrial particles from beef heart were measured as a function of the Gibbs free energy of ATP hydrolysis. The ratio of the energies delta G'redox/delta G'ATP was 1.40 from succinate to NAD+ and 0.89 from cytochrome c to succinate. The ratio, equivalent to a thermodynamic P/2e-ratio, was dependent on whether the electrochemical proton gradient was primarily a membrane potential or a pH gradient for the cytochrome c to fumarate reaction. The results are consistent with H+/ATP = 3 for F1 ATPase, H+/2e- = 4 for NADH-CoQ reductase, and H+(matrix)/2e- = 2 for succinate-cytochrome c reductase.     

Lateral diffusion of ubiquinone during electron transfer in phospholipid- and ubiquinone-enriched mitochondrial membranes

After fusion of small unilamellar phospholipid liposomes with mitochondrial inner membranes, the rate of electron transfer between membrane dehydrogenases and cytochrome c decreases as the average distance between integral membrane proteins increases, suggesting that electron transfer is mediated through a diffusional process in the membrane plane (Schneider, H., Lemasters, J. J., H?chli, M., and Hackenbrock, C. R. (1980)., J. Biol. Chem. 255, 3748-3756). The role of ubiquinone in this process was evaluated by fusing liposomes containing ubiquinone-10 or ubiquinone-6, with inner membranes. In control membranes enriched with phospholipid only, ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase and NADH- and succinate-cytochrome c reductase activities decreased proportionally to the increase in bilayer lipid. These decreases were restored substantially in phospholipid plus ubiquinone-supplemented membranes. The degree to which restoration occurred was dependent upon the length of the isoprenoid side chain of the ubiquinone with the shorter chain length ubiquinone-6, always giving greater restoration than ubiquinone-10. It is concluded that electron transfer between flavin-linked dehydrogenases (Complexes I and II) and cytochrome bc1 (Complex III) occurs by independent, lateral diffusion of ubiquinone as well as independent, lateral diffusion of ubiquinone as well as the protein complexes within the plane of the membrane.     

Function of the iron-sulfur protein of the cytochrome b-c1 segment in electron transfer reactions of the mitochondrial respiratory chain

Resolution and reconstitution has been used to examine the involvement of the iron-sulfur protein of the cytochrome b-c1 segment in electron transfer reactions in this region of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The iron-sulfur protein is required for electron transfer from succinate and from ubiquinol to cytochrome c1. It is not required for reduction of cytochrome b under these conditions, but it is required for oxidation of cytochrome b by cytochrome c plus cytochrome c oxidase. Removal of the iron-sulfur protein from the b-c1 complex prevents reduction of both cytochromes b and c1 by succinate or ubiquinol if antimycin is added to the depleted complex. As increasing amounts of iron-sulfur protein are reconstituted to the depleted complex, the amounts of cytochromes b and c1 reduced by succinate in the presence of antimycin increase and closely parallel the amounts of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase activity restored to the reconstituted complex, measured before addition of antimycin. The function of the iron-sulfur protein in these oxidation-reduction reactions is consistent with a cyclic pathway of electron transfer through the cytochrome b-c1 complex, in which the iron-sulfur protein functions as a ubiquinol-cytochrome c1/ubisemiquinone-cytochrome b oxidoreductase.     

Reconstitution of succinate-Q reductase.

Reconstitution of succinate-Q reductase is achieved by admixing soluble succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and ubiquinone-protein-S (QP-S), a new protein isolated from the soluble cytochrome $\text{b-c}{}_1$ complex. The reconstituted reductase catalyzes reduction of Q by succinate. The reaction is fully sensitive to thenoyltrifluoroacetone. The reconstituted reductase (same as succinate-cytochrome $\text{c}$ reductase or submitochondrial particles) does not show “low concentration ferricyanide reductase activity” as soluble dehydrogenase does. In other words, this enzymic site on SDH is occupied by QP-S. When an artificial dye, such as phenazine methosulfate or Wurster's Blue, is used as electron acceptor the rate of oxidation of succinate by SDH is not significantly changed regardless of whether the dehydrogenase is in the free or in the reconstituted succinate-Q reductase forms.     

Modification of the catalytic function of the mitochondrial cytochrome b-c1 complex by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide

N,N'-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) induces a complex set of effects on the succinate-cytochrome c span of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. At concentrations below 1000 mol per mol of cytochrome c1, DCCD is able to block the proton-translocating activity associated to succinate or ubiquinol oxidation without inhibiting the steady-state redox activity of the b-c1 complex either in intact mitochondrial particles or in the isolated ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase reconstituted in phospholipid vesicles. In parallel to this, DCCD modifies the redox responses of the endogenous cytochrome b, which becomes more rapidly reduced by succinate, and more slowly oxidized when previously reduced by substrates. At similar concentrations the inhibitor apparently stimulates the redox activity of the succinate-ubiquinone reductase. Moreover, DCCD, at concentrations about one order of magnitude higher than those blocking proton translocation, produces inactivation of the redox function of the b-c1 complex. The binding of [14C]DCCD to the isolated b-c1 complex has shown that under conditions leading to the inhibition of the proton-translocating activity of the enzyme, a subunit of about 9500 Da, namely Band VIII, is the most heavily labelled polypeptide of the complex. The possible correlations between the various effects of DCCD and its modification of the b-c1 complex are discussed.     

Alteration of inner-membrane components and damage to electron-transfer activities of bovine heart submitochondrial particles induced by NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation.

We investigated the changes of the inner-membrane components and the electron-transfer activities of bovine heart submitochondrial particles induced by the lipid peroxidation supported by NADPH in the presence of ADP-Fe3+. Most of the polyunsaturated fatty acids were lost as a result of the peroxidation, and phospholipids were changed to polar species. Ubiquinone was also modified to polar substances as the peroxidation proceeded. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis showed the disappearance of 27000-Mr and 30000-Mr proteins and the appearance of highly polymerized substances. Flavins and cytochromes were not diminished, but the respiratory activity was lost. The reactions of NADH oxidase and NADH-cytochrome c reductase were most sensitive to the peroxidation, followed by those of succinate oxidase and succinate-cytochrome c reductase. Succinate dehydrogenase and duroquinol-cytochrome c reductase were inactivated by more extensive peroxidation, but cytochrome c oxidase was only partially inactivated. NADH-ferricyanide reductase was not inactivated. The pattern of the inactivation indicated that the lipid peroxidation affected the electron transport intensively between NADH dehydrogenase and ubiquinone, and moderately at the succinate dehydrogenase step and between ubiquinone and cytochrome c.