Electron Transfer Chain

METABOLISM
Total of all chemical changes that occur in body. Includes: Anabolism: Energy-requiring process where small molecules joined to form larger molecules E.g. Glucose + Glucose Catabolism: Energy-releasing process where large molecules broken down to smaller Energy in carbohydrates, lipids, proteins is used to produce ATP through oxidation-reduction reactions

Metabolic Pathways
The enzymatic reactions of metabolism form a network of

interconnected chemical reactions, or pathways.

The molecules of the pathway are called intermediates

because the products of one reaction become the substrates

of the next.
Enzymes control the flow of energy through a pathway.

An electron transfer reaction:

Aox + Bred Ared + Box

Aox is the oxidized form of A (the oxidant)

Bred is the reduced form of B (the reductant). Fe+++ + e- Fe++

Electron Carriers
1. NAD+/NADH and FAD/FADH2 2. FMN (Flavin MonoNucleotide) 3. Coenzyme Q functions as a mobile e- carrier within the mitochondrial inner membrane Q + 2 e- + 2 H+ QH2 trans-membrane H+ transport 4. Cytochromes

proteins with heme prosthetic groups

Some cytochromes are part of large integral membrane complexes, each consisting of several polypeptides & including multiple electron

carriers

5. Iron-sulfur centers (Fe-S) prosthetic groups containing 2, 3 , 4 or 8 iron atoms complexed to

elemental & cysteine S.

4 -Fe centers have a tetrahedral structure, with Fe & S atoms alternating as vertices of a cube.
Cys S S Cys Cys S Fe Cys S S S Fe Fe Fe S Fe S Cys S S S S S Cys Fe S Cys Cys

Iron-Sulfur Centers

ELECTRON TRANSPORT COMPLEXES

Proteins in specific order Transfers 2 electrons in specific order

Proteins localized in complexes

i. ii.

Embedded in membrane Ease of electron transfer

Electrons ultimately reduce oxygen to water 2 H+ + 2 e- + O2 H2O

Composition of Respiratory Chain Complexes

No. of Proteins 46 Prosthetic Groups

Complex Complex I

Name NADH Dehydrogenase Succinate-CoQ Reductase CoQ-cyt c Reductase Cytochrome Oxidase

FMN, 9 Fe-S cntrs. FAD, cyt b560, 3 Fe-S cntrs. cyt bH, cyt bL, cyt c1, Fe-S cyt a, cyt a3, CuA, CuB

Complex II

Complex III

11

Complex IV

13

Complex I - NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase

It is the largest of all complexes

Consisting of 46 protein chains in two domains that form an L-shape.

Complex I transports two electrons from NADH in the mitochondrial matrix to Q within the membrane, via FMN and a series of seven

iron-sulphur clusters.
In addition to the redox function, Complex I transports four H+ across the membrane.

Complex II - Succinate Dehydrogenase

Complex II oxidizes succinate to fumarate Reduces Q to QH2 within the membrane The transfer proceeds initially via an FAD cofactor and then through a series of three iron-sulphur clusters. Finally, electrons pass through the heme iron of cytochrome b560 and then outside the protein to ubiquinone, which binds near the heme group.

Complex III - Cytochrome bc1 Complex

Dimeric complex Each half of dimeric Complex III has a binding site for the lipid-mobile carrier ubiquinol/ubiquinone (QH2/Q). Quinol oxidation takes place near the intermembrane space, while quinone reduction takes place near the matrix side of the membrane Because the redox of Q/QH2 also involves the transfer of protons The overall reaction can be represented as:

2 QH2 + Q + 2H+("in") + 2 cyt cIII ==> 2 Q + 4H+("out") + QH2 + 2 cyt cII

Complex IV - Cytochrome c Oxidase

Cytochrome c Oxidase (CcO, Complex IV) is a large, membrane-

bound dimeric enzyme, with each half of the dimer consisting of 13

protein chains. The complex acts as the terminus of mitochondrial electron transport in all aerobic life, by using four electrons to reduce dioxygen: O2 + 4H+ + 4e ==> 2 H2O This reaction is coupled with the transfer of four protons across the mitochondrial membrane, driving the synthesis of ATP.