Cytochrome C1 (also known as Complex III subunit 4) is a protein encoded by the '' CYC1'' gene. Cytochrome is a

heme Heme (American English), or haem (Commonwealth English, both pronounced /Help:IPA/English, hi:m/ ), is a ring-shaped iron-containing molecule that commonly serves as a Ligand (biochemistry), ligand of various proteins, more notably as a Prostheti ...

-containing subunit of the cytochrome b-c1 complex, which accepts electrons from

Rieske protein Rieske proteins are iron–sulfur protein (ISP) components of cytochrome ''bc''1 complexes and cytochrome b6f complexes and are responsible for electron transfer in some biological systems. John S. Rieske and co-workers first discovered the pro ...

and transfers electrons to cytochrome c in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. It is formed in the

cytosol The cytosol, also known as cytoplasmic matrix or groundplasm, is one of the liquids found inside cells ( intracellular fluid (ICF)). It is separated into compartments by membranes. For example, the mitochondrial matrix separates the mitochondri ...

and targeted to the

mitochondrial intermembrane space A mitochondrion () is an organelle found in the cells of most eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used ...

. Cytochrome c1 belongs to the

cytochrome c family Cytochromes ''c'' (cyt ''c'', c-type cytochromes) cytochromes, or heme-containing proteins, that have heme C covalently attached to the peptide backbone via one or two thioether bonds. These bonds are in most cases part of a specific Cys-X-X-C ...

of proteins.

Function

Cytochrome C1 plays a role in the

electron transfer Electron transfer (ET) occurs when an electron relocates from an atom, ion, or molecule, to another such chemical entity. ET describes the mechanism by which electrons are transferred in redox reactions. Electrochemical processes are ET reactio ...

during

oxidative phosphorylation Oxidative phosphorylation(UK , US : or electron transport-linked phosphorylation or terminal oxidation, is the metabolic pathway in which Cell (biology), cells use enzymes to Redox, oxidize nutrients, thereby releasing chemical energy in order ...

. As an iron-sulfur protein approaches the b-c1 complex, it accepts an electron from the

cytochrome b Cytochrome b is a protein found in the membranes of aerobic cells. In eukaryotic mitochondria (inner membrane) and in aerobic prokaryotes, cytochrome b is a component of respiratory chain complex III () — also known as the bc1 complex or ubiq ...

subunit, then undergoes a

conformational change In biochemistry, a conformational change is a change in the shape of a macromolecule, often induced by environmental factors. A macromolecule is usually flexible and dynamic. Its shape can change in response to changes in its environment or othe ...

to attach to cytochrome c1. There, the electron carried by the iron-sulfur protein is transferred to the heme carried by cytochrome c1. This electron is then transferred to a heme carried by cytochrome c. This creates a reduced species of cytochrome c, which separates from the b-c1 complex and moves to the last enzyme in the electron transport chain,

cytochrome c oxidase The enzyme cytochrome c oxidase or Complex IV (was , now reclassified as a translocasEC 7.1.1.9 is a large transmembrane protein complex found in bacteria, archaea, and the mitochondria of eukaryotes. It is the last enzyme in the Cellular respir ...

(Complex IV).

Species

''CYC1'' is a human gene that is conserved in

chimpanzee The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of Hominidae, great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close rel ...

Rhesus monkey The rhesus macaque (''Macaca mulatta''), colloquially rhesus monkey, is a species of Old World monkey. There are between six and nine recognised subspecies split between two groups, the Chinese-derived and the Indian-derived. Generally brown or g ...

, dog, cow, mouse, rat,

zebrafish The zebrafish (''Danio rerio'') is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Danionidae of the order Cypriniformes. Native to South Asia, it is a popular aquarium fish, frequently sold under the trade name zebra danio (an ...

, fruit fly, mosquito, ''C. elegans'', '' S. cerevisiae,'' '' K. lactis'', '' E. gossypii'', '' S. pombe'', '' N. crassa'', '' A. thaliana'', rice, and frog. There are

orthologs Sequence homology is the biological homology between DNA, RNA, or protein sequences, defined in terms of shared ancestry in the evolutionary history of life. Two segments of DNA can have shared ancestry because of three phenomena: either a spec ...

of CYC1 in 137 known organisms. In its structure and function, the cytochrome b-c1 complex bears extensive analogy to the

cytochrome b6f complex The cytochrome ''b''6''f'' complex (plastoquinol/plastocyanin reductase or plastoquinol/plastocyanin oxidoreductase; ) is an enzyme found in the thylakoid membrane in chloroplasts of plants, cyanobacteria, and green algae, that catalyzes the ...

chloroplast A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle, organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant cell, plant and algae, algal cells. Chloroplasts have a high concentration of chlorophyll pigments which captur ...

s and

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria ( ) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" () refers to their bluish green (cyan) color, which forms the basis of cyanobacteri ...

; cytochrome c1 plays an analogous role to cytochrome f, despite their different structures.

Clinical relevance

Mutations in the ''CYC1'' gene are associated with mitochondrial complex III deficiency nuclear type 6. The disease symptoms include early childhood onset of severe

lactic acidosis Lactic acidosis refers to the process leading to the production of lactate by anaerobic metabolism. It increases hydrogen ion concentration tending to the state of acidemia or low pH. The result can be detected with high levels of lactate and lo ...

and

ketoacidosis Ketoacidosis is a metabolic state caused by uncontrolled production of ketone bodies that cause a metabolic acidosis. While ketosis refers to any elevation of blood ketones, ketoacidosis is a specific pathologic condition that results in changes i ...

, usually in response to infection. Insulin-responsive

hyperglycemia Hyperglycemia is a condition where unusually high amount of glucose is present in blood. It is defined as blood glucose level exceeding 6.9 mmol/L (125 mg/dL) after fasting for 8 hours or 10 mmol/L (180 mg/dL) 2 hours after eating. Blood gluc ...

is also present, but psychomotor development appears normal. Mutation of ''CYC1'' was observed to cause instability in the cytochrome b-c1 complex, which decreased its ability to create energy through oxidative phosphorylation. Mitochondrial complex III deficiency nuclear type 6 is

autosomal recessive In genetics, dominance is the phenomenon of one variant (allele) of a gene on a chromosome masking or overriding the Phenotype, effect of a different variant of the same gene on Homologous chromosome, the other copy of the chromosome. The firs ...

References

External links

* {{Electron transport chain Transmembrane proteins Cellular respiration