Abstract
Mitochondria produce most of the energy in animal cells by a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Electrons are passed along a series of respiratory enzyme complexes located in the inner mitochondrial membrane, and the energy released by this electron transfer is used to pump protons across the membrane. The resultant electrochemical gradient enables another complex, adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) synthase, to synthesize the energy carrier ATP. Important new mechanistic insights into oxidative phosphorylation have emerged from recent three-dimensional structural analyses of ATP synthase and two of the respiratory enzyme complexes, cytochrome bc1 and cytochrome c oxidase. This work, and new enzymological studies of ATP synthase's unusual catalytic mechanism, are reviewed here.
MeSH terms
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Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism
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Animals
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Electron Transport Complex II
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Electron Transport Complex III / chemistry
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Electron Transport Complex III / metabolism
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Electron Transport Complex IV / chemistry
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Electron Transport Complex IV / metabolism
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Mitochondria / enzymology
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Mitochondria / metabolism*
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Models, Molecular
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Molecular Motor Proteins
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Multienzyme Complexes / chemistry
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Multienzyme Complexes / metabolism
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NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / chemistry
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NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / metabolism
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Oxidative Phosphorylation*
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Oxidoreductases / chemistry
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Oxidoreductases / metabolism
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Proton Pumps
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Proton-Translocating ATPases / chemistry
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Proton-Translocating ATPases / genetics
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Proton-Translocating ATPases / metabolism*
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Succinate Dehydrogenase / chemistry
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Succinate Dehydrogenase / metabolism
Substances
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Molecular Motor Proteins
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Multienzyme Complexes
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Proton Pumps
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Adenosine Triphosphate
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Oxidoreductases
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Electron Transport Complex II
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Succinate Dehydrogenase
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NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone)
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Electron Transport Complex IV
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Proton-Translocating ATPases
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Electron Transport Complex III