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Proton pump coupled to cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondria

Abstract

CYTOCHROME c oxidase is an important enzyme of aerobic metabolism, catalysing electron transport between cytochrome c and molecular oxygen. Apart from this essential redox reaction the enzyme must be involved in conservation of the released redox energy for utilisation in ATP synthesis at the socalled third site of oxidative phosphorylation. I report here that the redox activity of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase is coupled to the translocation of hydrogen ions across the inner mitochondrial membrane. This finding may be a clue to the role of cytochrome oxidase in energy conservation.

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WIKSTROM, M. Proton pump coupled to cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondria. Nature 266, 271–273 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/266271a0

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