Abstract
Following hints from X-ray data (Ostermeier C et al., 1997, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94:10547-10553; Yoshikawa S et al., 1998, Science 280:1723- 1729), chemical evidence is presented from four distantly related cytochrome- c oxidases for the existence of a copper(B)-coordinated His240-Tyr244) cross- link at the O2-activating Heme Fea3-Cu(B) center in the catalytic subunit I of the enzyme. The early evolutionary invention of this unusual structure may have prevented demaging ·OH-radical release at e--transfer to dioxygen and thus have enabled O2 respiration.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 985-990 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Protein Science |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1999 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cell respiration
- Cytochrome-c oxidase
- Histidine-tyrosine cross-link
- O activation
- Oxygen radicals