Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

THE RESPIRATORY SUBSTRATE RHODOQUINOL INDUCES Q-CYCLE BYPASS REACTIONS IN THE YEAST CYTOCHROME bc1 COMPLEX - MECHANISTIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

Journal Article · · Journal of Biological Chemistry
The mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 complex catalyzes the transfer of electrons from ubiquinol to cyt c, while generating a proton motive force for ATP synthesis, via the ''Qcycle'' mechanism. Under certain conditions, electron flow through the Q-cycle is blocked at the level of a reactive intermediate in the quinol oxidase site of the enzyme, resulting in ''bypass reactions'', some of which lead to superoxide production. Using analogs of the respiratory substrates, ubiquinol-3 and rhodoquinol-3, we show that the relative rates of Q-cycle bypass reactions in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cyt bc1 complex are highly dependent, by a factor of up to one hundred-fold, on the properties of the substrate quinol. Our results suggest that the rate of Q-cycle bypass reactions is dependent on the steady state concentration of reactive intermediates produced at the quinol oxidase site of the enzyme. We conclude that normal operation of the Q-cycle requires a fairly narrow window of redox potentials, with respect to the quinol substrate, to allow normal turnover of the complex while preventing potentially damaging bypass reactions.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
876945
Report Number(s):
PNWD-SA-7040; 13297; 2358a; 2358
Journal Information:
Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal Name: Journal of Biological Chemistry Journal Issue: 41 Vol. 280; ISSN 0021-9258; ISSN JBCHA3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

The Architecture of the Qo Site of Cytochrome bc1 Complex Probed by Superoxide Production
Journal Article · Tue Jun 03 00:00:00 EDT 2003 · Biochemistry · OSTI ID:15005590

Multiple Q-Cycle Bypass Reactions at the Qo Site of the Cytochiome bc(1) Complex
Journal Article · Sat May 25 00:00:00 EDT 2002 · Biochemistry · OSTI ID:889572

Similar Transition States Mediate the Q-cycle and Superoxide Production by the Cytochrome bc1 Complex
Journal Article · Thu Dec 14 23:00:00 EST 2006 · Journal of Biological Chemistry, 281(50):38459-38465 · OSTI ID:897679