CuB promotes both binding and reduction of dioxygen at the heme-copper binuclear center in the Escherichia coli bo-type ubiquinol oxidase

A Cu_B-deficient mutant of the Escherichia coli bo-type ubiquinol oxidase exhibits a very low oxidase activity that is consistent with a decreased dioxygen binding rate. During the turnover, a photolabile reaction intermediate persists for a few hundred milliseconds, due to much slower heme o-to-ligand electron transfer. Thus, the lack of Cu_B seems to have endowed the mutant enzyme with myoglobin-like properties, thereby stabilizing the CO-bound form, too. Accordingly we conclude that Cu_B plays a pivotal role in preferential trapping and efficient reduction of dioxygen at the heme-copper binuclear center.