Cytochrome aa3 | ScienceGate

Probability distributions of myoglobin (Mb) saturation and intracellular PO2 were determined with subcellular spatial resolution in dog gracilis muscles during steady-state twitch contraction at 5-100% of maximal rate of O2 consumption (VO2). Calculations (Clark, A., and P. A.A. Clark. Biophys. J. 48: 931-938, 1985) and measurements (Gayeski, T. E. J., and C. R. Honig. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 200: 487-494, 1986) indicate that the PO2 in equilibrium with Mb is virtually identical to the PO2 at cytochrome aa3. Median intracellular PO2 and PO2 in the lower tails of probability distributions were poorly correlated with VO2. The variability of cell PO2 was greatly diminished when median PO2 was less than the PO2 for half saturation of MB, since Mb acts as a PO2 buffer. The lower tails of PO2 distributions contained almost no anoxic loci even when median PO2 was less than 1 Torr. VO2 was well correlated with the concentration ratio of phosphocreatine to free creatine (PCr/Crf) over a wide range of PO2. PO2 greater than or equal to 0.5 Torr supported maximal VO2 and energy demand. We conclude that 1) the mechanism of action of cytochrome aa3 is the same in red muscle in vivo as in mitochondria in vitro, and 2) an upper bound on the apparent Michaelis constant for maximal VO2 of red muscle is approximately 0.06 Torr.

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Titration and steady-state behaviour of the 830 nm chromophore in cytochrome c oxidase

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj2030541 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 203 (3) ◽

pp. 541-549 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

P Nicholls ◽

G A Chanady

Keyword(s):

Steady State ◽

Cytochrome C ◽

Cytochrome C Oxidase ◽

Lag Phase ◽

State Reduction ◽

Cytochrome Aa3 ◽

System A ◽

Reducing Equivalent ◽

State Behaviour ◽

Copper Excess

Titration of cyanide-incubated cytochrome c oxidase (ox heart cytochrome aa3) with ferrocytochrome c or with NNN'N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine initially introduces two reducing equivalents per mol of cytochrome aa3. The first equivalent reduces the cytochrome a haem iron; the second reducing equivalent is not associated with reduction of the 830 nm chromophores (e.p.r.-detectable copper) but is probably required for reduction of the e.p.r.-undetectable copper. Excess reductant introduces a third reducing equivalent into the cyanide complex of cytochrome aa3. During steady-state respiration in the presence of cytochrome c and ascorbate, the 830 nm chromophore is almost completely oxidized. It is reduced more slowly than cytochrome a on anaerobiosis. In the presence of formate or azide, some reduction at 830 nm can be seen in the steady state; in an oxygen-pulsed system, a decrease in steady-state reduction of cytochromes c and a is associated with ab increased reduction of the 830 nm species. In the formate-inhibited system the reduction of a3 on anaerobiosis shows a lag phase, the duration of which corresponds to the time taken for the 830 nm species to be reduced. It is concluded that the e.p.r.-undetectable copper (CuD) is reduced early in the reaction sequence, whereas the detectable copper (CUD) is reduced late. The latter species is probably that responsible for reduction of the cytochrome a3 haem. The magnetic association between undetectable copper and the a3 haem may not imply capability for electron transfer, which occurs more readily between cytochrome a3 and the 830 nm species.

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