Cytochrome c reduction by cysteine plus copper: a pseudosubstrate system for cytochrome c oxidase

Abstract

Cysteine alone reduces horse heart cytochrome c very slowly [Formula: see text] with a rate constant virtually identical in high and low ionic strength buffers. Copper catalyzes this reaction increasing the rate by a factor of 105 in 50 mM phosphate and by a factor of 106 in 10 mM Tris buffers. When ferricytochrome c and cysteine are mixed in an oxygen electrode a "burst" of oxygen uptake is seen, the decline in which parallels the reduction of cytochrome c. When cytochrome c oxidase is added to such a mixture two routes of electron transfer to oxygen exist: enzymatic and ferricytochrome c dependent nonenzymatic. Both processes are sensitive to cyanide, but azide inhibits only the authentic cytochrome c oxidase catalyzed process and BCS the ferricytochrome c stimulated reaction.