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Clarification of Mechanism Underlying Production of Energy Required for Vital Activities by Cytochrome Oxidase (Respiratory Enzyme) at SPring-8 (Press Release)

Release Date
13 Apr, 2010
  • BL44XU (Macromolecular Assemblies)
Shinya Yoshikawa, a professor, Tomitake Tsukihara, a specially appointed professor, and seven other scientists of the Graduate School of Life Science of the University of Hyogo determined the detailed structure of cytochrome oxidase (respiratory enzyme) using the BL44XU beamline for the crystal structure analysis of biological macromolecular assemblies.

University of Hyogo

Shinya Yoshikawa, a professor, Tomitake Tsukihara, a specially appointed professor, and seven other scientists of the Graduate School of Life Science of the University of Hyogo determined the detailed structure of cytochrome oxidase*1 (respiratory enzyme) using the Macromolecular Assemblies beamline BL44XU for the crystal structure analysis of biological macromolecular assemblies.

The research group clarified the mechanism by which cytochrome oxidase effectively produces the energy required for vital activities using oxygen (O2) without producing active oxygen species.

The clarification of the mechanism underlying the production of the energy required for vital activities is the first fundamental scientific achievement of this study. It is expected that this achievement will be applied to the development of new drugs. 

The achievement was published in one of the three major natural science journals, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, on 12 April 2010.

Publication:
"Bovine Cytochrome c Oxidase Structures Enable O2 Reduction with Minimization of Active Oxygen Species and Provide a Proton Pumping Gate"
K. Muramoto, K. Ohta, K. Shinzawa-Itoh, K. Kanda, M. Taniguchi, H. Nabekura, E. Yamashita, T. Tsukihara, S. Yoshikawa
Proceedings of National Academy of Science, Published online April 12, 2010

<Figure>

Fig. 1 Structure of sites to which oxygen molecules in air bind

Fig. 1 Structure of sites to which oxygen molecules in air bind

Fig. 2 Entire structure of cytochrome oxidase from bovine myocardium

Fig. 2 Entire structure of cytochrome oxidase from bovine myocardium

<Glossary>

*1 Cytochrome oxidase
Cytochrome oxidase is a component of cytochrome*2 and functions at the end of the electron transfer system.  Certain compounds, such as cyanide and carbon monoxide, inhibit this function.

*2 Cytochrome
Cytochrome is a hemoprotein that has a structure similar to that of hemoglobin and exists in cells of living organisms.  It serves as an electron carrier in cellular respiration.


For more information, please contact:
Prof. Shinya YOSHIKAWA
E-mail: mail

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