Upper and lower limits of the proton stoichiometry of cytochrome c oxidation in rat liver mitoplasts

The stoichiometry of vectorial H+ translocation coupled to oxidation of added ferrocytochrome c by O2 via cytochrome-c oxidase of rat liver mitoplasts was determined employing a fast-responding O2 electrode. Electron flow was initiated by addition of either ferrocytochrome c or O2. When the rates were extrapolated to level flow, the H+/O ratios in both cases were less than but closely approached 4; the directly observed H+/O ratios significantly exceeded 3.0. The mechanistic H+/O ratio was then more closely fixed by a kinetic approach that eliminates the necessity for measuring energy leaks and is independent of any particular model of the mechanism of energy transduction. From two sets of kinetic measurements, an overestimate and an underestimate and thus the upper and lower limits of the mechanistic H+/O ratio could be obtained. In the first set, the utilization of respiratory energy was systematically varied through changes in the concentrations of valinomycin or K+. From the slope of a plot of the initial rates of H+ ejection (JH) and O2 uptake (JO) obtained in such experiments, the upper limit of the H+/O ratio was in the range 4.12-4.19. In the second set of measurements, the rate of respiratory energy production was varied by inhibiting electron transport. From the slope of a plot of JH versus JO, the lower limit of the H+/O ratio, equivalent to that at level flow, was in the range 3.83-3.96. These data fix the mechanistic H+/O ratio for the cytochrome oxidase reaction of mitoplasts at 4.0, thus confirming our earlier measurements (Reynafarje, B., Alexandre, A., Davies, P., and Lehninger, A. L. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79, 7218-7222). Possible reasons for discrepancies in published reports on the H+/O ratio of cytochrome oxidase in various mitochondrial and reconstituted systems are discussed.     

Upper and lower limits of the charge translocation stoichiometry of mitochondrial electron transport

The upper and lower limits of the mechanistic stoichiometry (n) of electric charge translocation coupled to mitochondrial electron transport have been determined for the oxidation of succinate and beta-hydroxybutyrate using a recently described method (Beavis, A. D., and Lehninger, A. L. (1986) Eur. J. Biochem. 158, 307-314). This method requires no assumptions regarding the magnitude of proton leakage or pump slippage, but it takes advantage of the ability to predict the direction of change as the coupled fluxes are modulated by specific means. In this study, the rates of K+ uptake (JK) and O2 consumption (JO) were determined from simultaneous electrode measurements in the presence of various concentrations of valinomycin or inhibitors of electron flow. When valinomycin is varied, the rate of proton leakage or pump slippage should decrease as JO increases, with the result that the slope dJK/dJO will be greater than n. On the other hand, when an inhibitor of electron flow is varied, the rate of proton leakage or pump slippage should increase as JO increases, with the result that the slope dJK/dJO should be less than n. The data obtained using this approach indicate that n lies between 6.7 and 7.3 for succinate oxidation and between 10.2 and 11.7 for beta-hydroxybutyrate (or NADH) oxidation. It is concluded that the mechanistic stoichiometry of charge separation coupled to electron flow is 7 q+/O in the span from succinate to oxygen and 11 q+/O in the span from NADH to oxygen. These conclusions are fully consistent with the limits of the mechanistic ATP/O ratios previously determined for these spans (Beavis, A. D., and Lehninger, A. L. (1986) Eur. J. Biochem. 158, 315-322).     

Action of DCCD on the H+/O stoichiometry of mitoplast cytochrome c oxidase

The mechanistic H+/O ejection stoichiometry of the cytochrome c oxidase reaction in rat liver mitoplasts is close to 4 at level flow when the reduced oxidase is pulsed with O2. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) up to 30 nmol/mg protein fails to influence the rate of electron flow through the mitoplast oxidase, but inhibits H+ ejection. The inhibition of H+ ejection appears to be biphasic; ejection of 2-3 H+ per O is completely inhibited by very low DCCD, whereas inhibition of the remaining H+ ejection requires very much higher concentrations of DCCD. This effect suggests the occurrence of two types of H+ pumps in the native cytochrome oxidase of mitoplasts.     

H+/e- stoichiometry of mitochondrial cytochrome complexes reconstituted in liposomes. Rate-dependent changes of the stoichiometry in the cytochrome c oxidase vesicles.

The H+/e- stoichiometry of protonmotive cytochrome c oxidase, isolated from bovine heart mitochondria and reconstituted in liposomes, has been determined by making use of direct spectrophotometric measurements of the initial rates of e- flow and H+ translocation. It is shown that the ----H+/e- ratio for redox-linked proton ejection by the oxidase varies from around 0 to a maximum of 1 as a function of the rate of overall electron flow in the complex.     

Protonmotive stoichiometry of rat liver cytochrome c oxidase: determination by a new rate/pulse method

The stoichoimetry of vectorial H+ ejection coupled to electron flow through the cytochrome c oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1) of rat liver mitochondria was determined by a new rate/pulse method. This is a modification of the oxygen-pulse method. Electron flow through the oxidase is initiated by adding oxygen to suspensions of anaerobic mitochondria at a known and constant rate. Cytochrome c oxidase was examined directly or in combination with cytochrome c reductase (ubiquinol:ferricytochrome c oxidoreductase). In both cases the----H0+/2e- ratio was found to be constant during the time-course of oxygen reduction, and thus independent of delta pH. The stoichiometries observed were consistent with mechanistic stoichiometries of 2 and 6 for cytochrome c oxidase alone and cytochrome c oxidase together with cytochrome c reductase, respectively. The stoichiometry of cytochrome c reductase alone was also examined, by using ferricyanide in place of oxygen. The results obtained were consistent with the accepted mechanistic stoichiometry of 4 for this enzyme.     

High vectorial proton stoichiometry by cytochrome c oxidase from the thermophilic bacterium PS3 reconstituted in liposomes

The stoichiometry of vectorial H+ ejection, coupled to ferrocytochrome c oxidation by a three-subunit bacterial cytochrome c oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1) from the thermophilic bacterium PS3, was measured. Three methods of measuring the H+/e- ratio were applied to proteoliposomes containing a relatively small amount of PS3 cytochrome oxidase, which showed a relatively low oxidation rate and a very low H+ leakage, as follows: (a) simultaneous measurements of H+ ejection and cytochrome c oxidation upon addition of a yeast ferrocytochrome c pulse, which enable us to calculate the H+/e- ratio as H+ ejected per cytochrome c oxidized; (b) computer simulations to find out the fit for the pH meter trace by changing the H+/e- ratio and the velocity constant of leakage; and (c) two successive measurements of initial rates of H+ movement in the absence and presence of carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone. The H+/e- ratios obtained were 1.39, the 10-s value after ferrocytochrome c addition in (a), 1.35 in (b), and 1.33 in (c). This high H+/e- stoichiometry observed, exceeding 1 and as high as 1.4, is discussed with respect to the controversy of the H+/e- ratio at the cytochrome oxidase site.     

The stoichiometry of charge translocation by cytochrome oxidase and the cytochrome bc1 complex of mitochondria at high membrane potential

The q+/2e stoichiometries (number of charges translocated per electron pair transferred) of cytochrome oxidase and the cytochrome bc1 complex in rat liver mitochondria were determined at a range of membrane potentials up to 180 mV. The method used was similar to the one used in the preceding paper by us in this journal to determine the q+/O stoichiometry of the mitochondrial electron transport chain from succinate to oxygen. The measured q+/2e stoichiometry of cytochrome oxidase was 3.5 positive charges per O atom reduced at low membrane potential (120 mV) and it decreased to about 1.5 at high membrane potential (180 mV). The measured q+/2e stoichiometry of the cytochrome bc1 complex was between 1 and 1.25 positive charges ejected per electron pair and did not change significantly as delta psi was varied from 85 mV to 157 mV. The sum of the q+/2e stoichiometries of cytochrome oxidase and the cytochrome bc1 complex determined separately was similar to their value determined together for electron transport from succinate to oxygen over the range of membrane potentials studied. The most probable interpretation of these results is that the stoichiometry of the cytochrome bc1 complex is invariant over a range of membrane potentials and that the q+/2e stoichiometry of cytochrome oxidase decreases from 4 at low membrane potential to 2 at high membrane potential.     

Steady-state H+/O stoichiometry of liver mitochondria.

We have measured the H+/O stoichiometry of rat liver mitochondria respiring in a steady-state, using a novel method. This involves measuring the initial rate of H+ back-flow into mitochondria after respiratory inhibition, with the assumption that this is equal to the steady-state H+-ejection rate. Division by the steady-state O2-consumption rate yields the H+/O ratio. The H+/O values obtained were: 8.3 +/- 1.0 (mean +/- S.E.M.) for 3-hydroxybutyrate: 8.2 +/- 0.7 for glutamate plus malate; 6.0 +/- 0.2 for succinate; 4.1 +/- 0.3 for ascorbate/tetramethylphenylenediamine and 3.0 +/- 0.1 for ascorbate/ferrocyanide. These values correspond to H+/O stoichiometries for electron flow to oxygen from NAD+-linked substrates, succinate and cytochrome c of 8, 6 and 2 (charge/O ratio = 4) respectively.     

The cytochrome chain of mitochondria exhibits variable H+/e- stoichiometry.

A study is presented of the ----H+/e- stoichiometry for H+ pumping by the cytochrome chain in isolated rat liver mitochondria under level-flow and steady-state conditions. It is shown that the ----H+/e- stoichiometry for the cytochrome chain varies under the influence of the flow rate and transmembrane delta microH+. The rate-dependence is shown to be associated with cytochrome c oxidase, whose ----H+/e- ratio varies from 0 to 1, whilst the ----H+/e- ratio for the span covered by cytochrome c reductase is invariably 2.     

Characteristics of the redox-linked proton ejection in beef-heart cytochrome c oxidase reconstituted in liposomes

In this paper a study is presented of the characteristics of redox-linked proton ejection exhibited by isolated beef-heart cytochrome c oxidase incorporated in asolectin vesicles. The enzyme was 90% oriented 'right-side out' as in the mitochondrial membrane. The effects on the H+/e- stoichiometry of the modalities of activation of electron flow, the pH of the medium and its ionic composition were investigated. The results obtained show that, whilst ferrocytochrome c pulses of the aerobic oxidase vesicles at neutral pH and in the presence of saturating concentrations of valinomycin and K+ to ensure charge compensation produced H+/e- ratios around 1 (as has been shown previously), oxygen pulses of reduced anaerobic vesicles supplemented with cytochrome c, gave H+/e- ratios around 0.3. The H+/e- ratios exhibited, with both reductant and oxidant pulses, a marked pH dependence. Maximum values were observed at pH 7.0-7.7, which decreased to negligible values at acidic pH with apparent pKa of 6.7-6.3. Mg2+ and Ca2+ caused a marked depression of the H+/e- ratio, which in the presence of these cations and after a few ferrocytochrome pulses, became negligible. Analysis of cytochrome c oxidation showed that the modalities of activation of electron flow and divalent cations exerted profound effects on the kinetics of cytochrome c oxidation by oxidase vesicles. The observations presented seem to provide interesting clues for the nature and mechanism of redox-linked proton ejection in reconstituted cytochrome c oxidase.     

Stoichiometry of mitochondrial H+ translocation coupled to succinate oxidation at level flow

The mechanistic stoichiometry of vectorial H+ translocation coupled to succinate oxidation by rat liver mitochondria in the presence of a permeant cation has been determined under level flow conditions with a membraneless fast responding O2 electrode kinetically matched with a glass pH electrode. The reactions were initiated by rapid injection of O2 into the anaerobically preincubated test system under conditions in which interfering H+ backflow was minimized. The rates of O2 uptake and H+ ejection, obtained from computer-fitted regression lines, were monotonic and first order over 75% of the course of O2 consumption. Extrapolation of the observed rates to zero time, at which zero delta mu H+ and thus level flow prevails, yielded vectorial H+/O flow ratios above 7 and closely approaching 8. The mitochondria undergo no irreversible change and give identical H+/O ratios on repeated tests. In a further refinement, the lower and upper limits of the mechanistic H+/O ratio were determined to be 7.55 and 8.56, respectively, from plots of the rates of O2 uptake versus H+ ejection at increasing malonate and increasing valinomycin concentrations, respectively. It is therefore concluded that the mechanistic H+/O ratio for energy-conserving sites 2 + 3 is 8, in confirmation of earlier measurements. KCl concentration is critical for maximal observed H+/O ratios. Optimum conditions and possible errors in determination of mechanistic H+/O translocation ratios are discussed.     

Determination of the upper and lower limits of the mechanistic stoichiometry of incompletely coupled fluxes. Stoichiometry of incompletely coupled reactions

A rationale is formulated for the design of experiments to determine the upper and lower limits of the mechanistic stoichiometry of any two incompletely coupled fluxes J1 and J2. Incomplete coupling results when there is a branch at some point in the sequence of reactions or processes coupling the two fluxes. The upper limit of the mechanistic stoichiometry is given by the minimum value of dJ2/dJ1 obtained when the fluxes are systematically varied by changes in steps after the branch point. The lower limit is given by the maximum value of dJ2/dJ1 obtained when the fluxes are varied by changes in steps prior to the branch point. The rationale for determining these limits is developed from both a simple kinetic model and from a linear nonequilibrium thermodynamic treatment of coupled fluxes, using the mechanistic approach [Westerhoff, H. V. & van Dam, K. (1979) Curr. Top. Bioenerg. 9, 1-62]. The phenomenological stoichiometry, the flux ratio at level flow and the affinity ratio at static head of incompletely coupled fluxes are defined in terms of mechanistic conductances and their relationship to the mechanistic stoichiometry is discussed. From the rationale developed, experimental approaches to determine the mechanistic stoichiometry of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation are outlined. The principles employed do not require knowledge of the pathway or the rate of transmembrane leaks or slippage and may also be applied to analysis of the stoichiometry of other incompletely coupled systems, including vectorial H+/O and K+/O translocation coupled to mitochondrial electron transport.     

Phospholipid vesicles containing bovine heart mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase and subunit III-deficient enzyme: analysis of respiratory control and proton translocating activities

Phospholipid vesicles containing bovine heart mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COV) or subunit III (Mr 29884)-deficient enzyme (COV-III) were characterized for electron transfer and proton translocating activities in order to investigate the relationship between the respiratory control ratio (RCR) and the apparent proton translocated to electron transferred stoichiometry (H+/e- ratio) in these preparations. We did not observe a quantitative correlation between the RCR value and the H+/e- ratio in the preparations. Significant deviation between these two parameters was observed in COV-III and also in COV. However, a new parameter, RCRval, did show a linear relationship with the H+/e- ratio of each preparation. Subunit III (SIII)-deficient cytochrome c oxidase isolated by either native gel electrophoresis or chymotrypsin treatment and incorporated into COV-III exhibited H+/e- ratios of 0.34 +/- 0.10, compared to 0.63 +/- 0.09 for COV, emphasizing that the 50% decrease of proton translocating activity is independent of the method of removal of SIII from the enzyme. COV and COV-III also showed similar rates of alkalinization of the extravesicular media after the initial proton translocation reaction (0.07-0.09 neq OH-/s), suggesting that these two preparations had similar endogenous proton permeabilities. In contrast, cytochrome c oxidase (COX) treated with Triton X-100 (3 mg/mg COX) and incorporated into phospholipid vesicles [COV (+TX)] exhibited slower rates of alkalinization (0.04 neq OH-/s), while having a H+/e- ratio similar to that of COV (0.66 +/- 0.10). The passive proton permeabilities of these preparations were tested by valinomycin-induced K+/H+ exchange activity. COV (+TX) and COV-III exhibited similar pseudo-first-order rate constants (10 peq OH-/s), while COV had a 20-fold higher rate constant. These results taken together suggest that the different preparations of COX-containing phospholipid vesicles have different biophysical properties. In addition, the decrease in proton-pumping activity observed in COV-III is due to removal of SIII from COX, suggesting that SIII may act either as a passive proton-conducting channel or as a regulator of COX conformation and/or functional activities.     

Proton transport by cytochrome c oxidase from the thermophilic bacterium PS3 reconstituted in liposomes

Cytochrome oxidase from the thermophilic bacterium PS3 which contains three types of polypeptide subunits are reconstituted into liposomes by a freeze-thaw technique. The reconstituted enzyme caused acidification of the medium during cytochrome c oxidation with a stoichiometry of up to 0.8 H+/e. Uptake of K+ ions in the presence of valinomycin occurred with a stoichiometry between 1.5 and 2 K+/e. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide inhibited the acidification and decreased the stoichiometry of K+ ion uptake to about 1 K+/e. This bacterial oxidase thus appears to be a proton pump with properties similar to the mitochondrial enzyme.     

The mechanism of proton translocation by the cytochrome system of mitochondria. Characterization of proton-transfer reactions associated with oxidoreductions of terminal respiratory carriers.

A direct kinetic analysis is presented of rapid proton-releasing reactions at the outer or C-side of the membrane, in ox heart and rat liver mitochondria, associated with aerobic oxidation of reduced terminal respiratory carriers in the presence of antimycin. Valinomycin plus K+ enhances the rate of cytochrome c oxidation and the rate and extent of H+ release. In the presence of valinomycin the leads to H+/e- ratio, computed on the basis of total electron flow from respiratory carriers to oxygen, varies with pH, remaining always lower than 1, and is unaffected by N-ethylmaleimide. 2-Heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide and 5-(n-undecyl)-6-hydroxy-4,7-dioxobenzothiazole, at concentrations which inhibit in the presence of antimycin the oxygen-induced reduction of b cytochromes, cause also a marked depression of the H+ release associated with aerobic oxidation of terminal respiratory carriers. Aerobic oxidation of the cytochrome system in mitochondria and of isolated b-c1 complex and cytochrome c oxidase results in scalar proton release from ionizable groups (redox Bohr effects). In mitochondria and submitochondrial particles, about 70% of the oxidoreductions of the components of the cytochrome system are linked to scalar proton transfer by ionizable groups. In isolated b-c1 complex scalar proton transfer, resulting from redox Bohr effect, amounts to 0.9H+ per Fe-S protein (190 muT). In isolated cytochrome c oxidase, Bohr protons amount to 0.8 per haem a + a3. The results presented indicate that the H+ release from mitochondria during oxidation of terminal respiratory carriers derives from residual antimycin-insensitive electron flow in the quinone-cytochrome c span and from redox Bohr effects in the b-c1 complex and cytochrome c oxidase. There is no sign of proton pumping by cytochrome oxidase during its transition from the reduced to the active 'pulsed' state and the first one or two turnovers.     

Evidence against proton pump activity by cytochrome c oxidase of Pseudomonas AM1

Proteoliposomes reconstituted from purified cytochrome c oxidase of Pseudomonas AM1 and from a heptyl beta-D-thioglucoside-extract of its membranes showed respiratory control but did not show H+ pumping upon a pulse with reduced cytochrome c. The stoichiometries of respiration-dependent H+ translocation in the resting cells respiring ascorbate via N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine were measured by the oxygen-pulse and initial rate methods. The apparent H+/O ratio of about 2 was due to 2H+ release from the hydrogen-donating substrate. These results strongly suggested that Pseudomonas AM1 does not pump H+ intrinsically, although the enzyme catalyzes electron transfer across the membranes.     

Thermodynamic and steady-state-kinetic investigation of the effect of NN''-dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide on H+ translocation by the mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 complex.

Steady-state kinetic measurements showed that NN'-dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide decreased the observed H+/2e ratio of H+ transport by mitochondria respiring on succinate, acting mainly at the cytochrome bc1 complex. Thermodynamic assessment of the H+/2e ratio by measuring the force ratio across the bc1 complex showed that the inhibitor did not affect H+ translocation. Possible explanations of this disagreement between methods are examined; we conclude that the inhibitor does not alter the mechanistic stoichiometry of H+ pumping by the bc1 complex.     

The stoichiometry of H+ pumping in cytochrome oxidase and the mechanism of uncoupling

It is suggested that loose coupling in free energy transducing organelles is due partly to leaks through the phospholipid bilayer (extrinsic uncoupling) and partly to "slipping" of the proton pumps (intrinsic uncoupling). The flow ratio of the redox pumps (JH/JO) measured at level flow is not affected by extrinsic uncoupling, but it will be lower the higher the extent of intrinsic uncoupling. During operation of cytochrome oxidase with ferrocyanide or N,N,N',N'-tetraphenyl-p-phenylenediamine as substrates, the rate of resting respiration depends on substrate concentration and does not exhibit control by delta muH; the available data strongly suggest that the enzyme is intrinsically uncoupled to a high and variable (substrate concentration-dependent) extent. It is concluded that flow ratios (at level flows) provide underestimates of the cytochrome oxidase pump stoichiometry.     

Membrane-potential-dependent changes in the stoichiometry of charge translocation by the mitochondrial electron transport chain

The charge/oxygen (q+/O) stoichiometry of mitochondria respiring on succinate was measured under conditions of high membrane potential (delta psi). The technique used was a variation of the steady-state method of Al-Shawi and Brand [(1981) Biochem. J. 200, 539-546]. We show that q+/O was about 2.7 at high values of delta psi (170 mV). As delta psi was lowered from 170 mV to 85 mV with the respiratory inhibitor malonate the q+/O stoichiometry increased to 6.0. A number of artefacts which could have led to an underestimation of the q+/O stoichiometry were eliminated. These included effects of any rapid change in mitochondrial volume, internal pH, activity of the endogenous K+/H+ exchanger or in H+ conductance due to changes in delta psi after the addition of inhibitor. The experiments presented here are the first direct demonstration that the stoichiometry of proton pumping by the mitochondrial respiratory chain changes as delta psi is varied.     

Thermodynamic limits to the stoichiometry of H+ pumping by mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase

H+/O stoichiometries of 0, 2 and 4 have been proposed for cytochrome oxidase. Here we show that a stoichiometry of 4 is thermodynamically impossible for rat liver cytochrome oxidase under normal conditions.