Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) or succinate-coenzyme Q reductase (SQR) or respiratory complex II is an

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecule ...

complex, found in many

bacterial Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

cells Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life Cell may also refer to: Locations * Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery w ...

and in the

inner mitochondrial membrane The inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) is the mitochondrial membrane which separates the mitochondrial matrix from the intermembrane space. Structure The structure of the inner mitochondrial membrane is extensively folded and compartmentalized. ...

eukaryotes Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bact ...

. It is the only enzyme that participates in both the

citric acid cycle The citric acid cycle (CAC)—also known as the Krebs cycle or the TCA cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle)—is a series of chemical reactions to release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and prote ...

and the

electron transport chain An electron transport chain (ETC) is a series of protein complexes and other molecules that transfer electrons from electron donors to electron acceptors via redox reactions (both reduction and oxidation occurring simultaneously) and couple ...

. Histochemical analysis showing high succinate dehydrogenase in muscle demonstrates high mitochondrial content and high oxidative potential. In step 6 of the

, SQR

catalyzes Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycl ...

the

oxidation Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a ...

succinate Succinic acid () is a dicarboxylic acid with the chemical formula (CH2)2(CO2H)2. The name derives from Latin ''succinum'', meaning amber. In living organisms, succinic acid takes the form of an anion, succinate, which has multiple biological ro ...

fumarate Fumaric acid is an organic compound with the formula HO2CCH=CHCO2H. A white solid, fumaric acid occurs widely in nature. It has a fruit-like taste and has been used as a food additive. Its E number is E297. The salts and esters are known as f ...

with the reduction of

ubiquinone Coenzyme Q, also known as ubiquinone and marketed as CoQ10, is a coenzyme family that is ubiquitous in animals and most bacteria (hence the name ubiquinone). In humans, the most common form is coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone-10. It is a 1,4-benzoq ...

ubiquinol A ubiquinol is an electron-rich (reduced) form of coenzyme Q (ubiquinone). The term most often refers to ubiquinol-10, with a 10-unit tail most commonly found in humans. The natural ubiquinol form of coenzyme Q is 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-poly p ...

. This occurs in the inner mitochondrial

membrane A membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others. Such things may be molecules, ions, or other small particles. Membranes can be generally classified into synthetic membranes and biological membranes. ...

coupling A coupling is a device used to connect two shafts together at their ends for the purpose of transmitting power. The primary purpose of couplings is to join two pieces of rotating equipment while permitting some degree of misalignment or end mov ...

the two reactions together.

Structure

Subunits

Mitochondrial 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 us ...

and many

SQRs are composed of four structurally different subunits: two

hydrophilic A hydrophile is a molecule or other molecular entity that is attracted to water molecules and tends to be dissolved by water.Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-English Lexicon'' Oxford: Clarendon Press. In contrast, hydrophobes are ...

and two

hydrophobic In chemistry, hydrophobicity is the physical property of a molecule that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water (known as a hydrophobe). In contrast, hydrophiles are attracted to water. Hydrophobic molecules tend to be nonpolar and, ...

. The first two subunits, a

flavoprotein Flavoproteins are proteins that contain a nucleic acid derivative of riboflavin. Flavoproteins are involved in a wide array of biological processes, including removal of radicals contributing to oxidative stress, photosynthesis, and DNA repair. T ...

(SdhA) and an

iron-sulfur protein Iron–sulfur proteins (or iron–sulphur proteins in British spelling) are proteins characterized by the presence of iron–sulfur clusters containing sulfide-linked di-, tri-, and tetrairon centers in variable oxidation states. Iron–sulfur c ...

(SdhB), form a hydrophilic head where enzymatic activity of the complex takes place. SdhA contains a

covalently A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons to form electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs. The stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atom ...

attached

flavin adenine dinucleotide Flavin may refer to: Placename * Flavin, Aveyron, a commune in southern France Surname * Adrian Flavin (born 1979), a professional rugby player * Christopher Flavin, president of the Worldwatch Institute * Dan Flavin (1933–1996), a minimali ...

(FAD) cofactor and the

binding site In biochemistry and molecular biology, a binding site is a region on a macromolecule such as a protein that binds to another molecule with specificity. The binding partner of the macromolecule is often referred to as a ligand. Ligands may inclu ...

and SdhB contains three iron-sulfur clusters: Fe-2S Fe-4S and Fe-4S The second two subunits are hydrophobic membrane anchor subunits, SdhC and SdhD. Human mitochondria contain two distinct isoforms of SdhA (Fp subunits type I and type II), these isoforms are also found in ''Ascaris suum'' and ''Caenorhabditis elegans''. The subunits form a membrane-bound

cytochrome b Cytochrome b within both molecular and cell biology, is a protein found in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells. It functions as part of the electron transport chain and is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. ...

complex with six

transmembrane A transmembrane protein (TP) is a type of integral membrane protein that spans the entirety of the cell membrane. Many transmembrane proteins function as gateways to permit the transport of specific substances across the membrane. They frequentl ...

helices A helix () is a shape like a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is formed as two intertwined helice ...

containing one heme b group and a

-binding site. Two

phospholipid Phospholipids, are a class of lipids whose molecule has a hydrophilic "head" containing a phosphate group and two hydrophobic "tails" derived from fatty acids, joined by an alcohol residue (usually a glycerol molecule). Marine phospholipids ty ...

molecules, one

cardiolipin Cardiolipin (IUPAC name 1,3-bis(''sn''-3’-phosphatidyl)-''sn''-glycerol) is an important component of the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it constitutes about 20% of the total lipid composition. It can also be found in the membranes of most ...

and one

phosphatidylethanolamine Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is a class of phospholipids found in biological membranes. They are synthesized by the addition of cytidine diphosphate- ethanolamine to diglycerides, releasing cytidine monophosphate. ''S''-Adenosyl methionine ...

, are also found in the SdhC and SdhD subunits (not shown in the image). They serve to occupy the hydrophobic space below the heme b. These subunits are displayed in the attached image. SdhA is green, SdhB is teal, SdhC is fuchsia, and SdhD is yellow. Around SdhC and SdhD is a

phospholipid membrane The lipid bilayer (or phospholipid bilayer) is a thin polar membrane made of two layers of lipid molecules. These membranes are flat sheets that form a continuous barrier around all cells. The cell membranes of almost all organisms and many ...

with the intermembrane space at the top of the image.

Table of subunit composition

Ubiquinone binding site

Two distinctive

s can be recognized on mammalian SDH – matrix-proximal Q_P and matrix-distal Q_D. Ubiquinone binding site Qp, which shows higher affinity to ubiquinone, is located in a gap composed of SdhB, SdhC, and SdhD.

Ubiquinone Coenzyme Q, also known as ubiquinone and marketed as CoQ10, is a coenzyme family that is ubiquitous in animals and most bacteria (hence the name ubiquinone). In humans, the most common form is coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone-10. It is a 1,4-benzoq ...

is stabilized by the

side chains In organic chemistry and biochemistry, a side chain is a chemical group that is attached to a core part of the molecule called the "main chain" or backbone. The side chain is a hydrocarbon branching element of a molecule that is attached to a ...

of His207 of subunit B, Ser27 and Arg31 of subunit C, and Tyr83 of subunit D. The quinone ring is surrounded by Ile28 of subunit C and Pro160 of subunit B. These

residues Residue may refer to: Chemistry and biology * An amino acid, within a peptide chain * Crop residue, materials left after agricultural processes * Pesticide residue, refers to the pesticides that may remain on or in food after they are appli ...

, along with Il209, Trp163, and Trp164 of subunit B, and Ser27 (C atom) of subunit C, form the

environment of the

quinone The quinones are a class of organic compounds that are formally "derived from aromatic compounds benzene.html" ;"title="uch as benzene">uch as benzene or naphthalene] by conversion of an even number of –CH= groups into –C(=O)– groups with ...

-binding pocket Qp. In contrast, ubiquinone binding site Q_D, which lies closer to inter-membrane space, is composed of SdhD only and has lower affinity to ubiquinone.

Succinate binding site

SdhA provides the

for the

. The

Thr254, His354, and Arg399 of subunit A stabilize the

molecule A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bio ...

while

FAD A fad or trend is any form of collective behavior that develops within a culture, a generation or social group in which a group of people enthusiastically follow an impulse for a short period. Fads are objects or behaviors that achieve short- ...

oxidizes Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a de ...

and carries the

electrons The electron (, or in nuclear reactions) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary electric charge. Electrons belong to the first generation of the lepton particle family, and are generally thought to be elementary partic ...

to the first of the

iron-sulfur cluster Iron–sulfur proteins (or iron–sulphur proteins in British spelling) are proteins characterized by the presence of iron–sulfur clusters containing sulfide-linked di-, tri-, and tetrairon centers in variable oxidation states. Iron–sulfur c ...

s, Fe-2S This can be seen in image 5.

Redox centers

The

-binding site and

-binding site are connected by a chain of redox centers including

and the

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...

sulfur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formul ...

clusters. This chain extends over 40 Å through the

monomer In chemistry, a monomer ( ; ''mono-'', "one" + '' -mer'', "part") is a molecule that can react together with other monomer molecules to form a larger polymer chain or three-dimensional network in a process called polymerization. Classification ...

. All edge-to-edge distances between the centers are less than the suggested 14 Å limit for

physiological Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemica ...

electron transfer Electron transfer (ET) occurs when an electron relocates from an atom or molecule to another such chemical entity. ET is a mechanistic description of certain kinds of redox reactions involving transfer of electrons. Electrochemical processes ar ...

. This

is demonstrated in image 8.

Subunit E

molecular biology Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and phys ...

, the

protein domain In molecular biology, a protein domain is a region of a protein's polypeptide chain that is self-stabilizing and that folds independently from the rest. Each domain forms a compact folded three-dimensional structure. Many proteins consist o ...

named Sdh5 is also named SdhE which stands for succinate dehydrogenase protein E. In the past, it has also been named YgfY and DUF339. Another name for SdhE is succinate dehydrogenase assembly factor 2 (Sdhaf2). This

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respon ...

belongs to a group of highly conserved small

s found in both

and

prokaryotes A prokaryote () is a single-celled organism that lacks a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles. The word ''prokaryote'' comes from the Greek πρό (, 'before') and κάρυον (, 'nut' or 'kernel').Campbell, N. "Biology:Concepts & Conn ...

, including NMA1147 from ''Neisseria meningitidis'' and YgfY from ''Escherichia coli''. The SdhE protein is found on the

mitochondrial membrane 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 t ...

is it is important for creating energy via a process named the

Function

The function of SdhE has been described as a flavinator of succinate dehydrogenase. SdhE works as a co-factor chaperone that incorporates

into SdhA. This results in SdhA flavinylation which is required for the proper function succinate dehydrogenase. Studies indicate that SdhE is required by bacteria in order to grow on

, using succinate as its only source of

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon makes ...

and additionally for the function, of succinate dehydrogenase, a vital component of the

which produces energy.

Structure

The structure of these

s consists of a

complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

bundle of five alpha-helices, which is composed of an up-down 3-helix bundle plus an orthogonal 2-helix bundle.

Protein interactions

SdhE interacts with the catalytic subunit of the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) complex.

Human disease

The human gene named ''SDH5'', encodes for the SdhE protein. The gene itself is located in the chromosomal position 11q13.1. Loss-of-function mutations result in

paraganglioma A paraganglioma is a rare neuroendocrine neoplasm that may develop at various body sites (including the head, neck, thorax and abdomen). When the same type of tumor is found in the adrenal gland, they are referred to as a pheochromocytoma. They a ...

, a

neuroendocrine Neuroendocrine cells are cells that receive neuronal input (through neurotransmitters released by nerve cells or neurosecretory cells) and, as a consequence of this input, release messenger molecules ( hormones) into the blood. In this way they br ...

tumour A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

History

The recent studies which suggest SdhE is required for bacterial flavinylation contradict previous thoughts on SdhE. It was originally proposed that FAD incorporation into bacterial

flavoproteins Flavoproteins are proteins that contain a nucleic acid derivative of riboflavin. Flavoproteins are involved in a wide array of biological processes, including removal of radicals contributing to oxidative stress, photosynthesis, and DNA repair. ...

was an

autocatalytic A single chemical reaction is said to be autocatalytic if one of the reaction products is also a catalyst for the same or a coupled reaction.Steinfeld J.I., Francisco J.S. and Hase W.L. ''Chemical Kinetics and Dynamics'' (2nd ed., Prentice-Hall 199 ...

process. Recent studies now argue that SdhE is the first protein to be identified as required for flavinylation in bacteria. Historically, the SdhE protein was once considered a hypothetical protein. YgfY was also thought to be involved in

transcriptional regulation In molecular biology and genetics, transcriptional regulation is the means by which a cell regulates the conversion of DNA to RNA ( transcription), thereby orchestrating gene activity. A single gene can be regulated in a range of ways, from al ...

Assembly and maturation

All subunits of human mitochondrial SDH are encoded in nuclear

genome In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding ...

. After translation,

SDHA Succinate dehydrogenase complex, subunit A, flavoprotein variant is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SDHA'' gene. This gene encodes a major catalytic subunit of succinate-ubiquinone oxidoreductase, a complex of the mitochondrial res ...

subunit is translocated as

apoprotein Apoprotein may refer to: * Apoenzyme, the protein part of an enzyme without its characteristic prosthetic group * Apolipoprotein, a lipid-binding protein that is a constituent of the plasma lipoprotein {{disambiguation ...

into the mitochondrial matrix. Subsequently, one of the first steps is covalent binding of the

cofactor (flavinylation). This process seems to be regulated by some of the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates. Specifically,

isocitrate Isocitric acid is a structural isomer of citric acid. Since citric acid and isocitric acid are structural isomers, they share similar physical and chemical properties. Due to these similar properties, it is difficult to separate the isomers. Salt ...

and

citrate Citric acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula HOC(CO2H)(CH2CO2H)2. It is a colorless weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in t ...

stimulate flavinylation of the SDHA. In case of eukaryotic Sdh1 (SDHA in mammals), another protein is required for process of FAD incorporation – namely Sdh5 in yeast, succinate dehydrogenase assembly factor 2 (

SDHAF2 Succinate dehydrogenase complex assembly factor 2, formerly known as SDH5 and also known as SDH assembly factor 2 or SDHAF2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SDHAF2 gene. This gene encodes a mitochondrial protein needed for the flavinat ...

) in mammal cells. Before forming a

heterodimer In biochemistry, a protein dimer is a macromolecular complex formed by two protein monomers, or single proteins, which are usually non-covalently bound. Many macromolecules, such as proteins or nucleic acids, form dimers. The word ''dimer'' has ...

with subunit

SDHB Succinate dehydrogenase biquinoneiron-sulfur subunit, mitochondrial (SDHB) also known as iron-sulfur subunit of complex II (Ip) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SDHB'' gene. The succinate dehydrogenase (also called SDH or Comple ...

, some portion of SDHA with covalently bound FAD appears to interact with other assembly factor – SDHAF4 (Sdh8 in yeast). Unbound flavinylated SDHA dimerizes with SDHAF4 which serves as a chaperone. Studies suggest that formation of SDHA-SDHB dimer is impaired in absence of SDHAF4 so the chaperon-like assembly factor might facilitate interaction of the subunits. Moreover, SDHAF4 seems to prevent ROS generation via accepting electrons from succinate which can be still oxidized by unbound monomeric SDHA subunit. Fe-S

prosthetic groups A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound or metallic ion that is required for an enzyme's role as a catalyst (a catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction). Cofactors can be considered "helper molecules" that ass ...

of the subunit

are being preformed in the mitochondrial matrix by protein complex ISU. The complex is also thought to be capable of inserting the iron-sulphur clusters in SDHB during its maturation. The studies suggest that Fe-S cluster insertion precedes SDHA-SDHB dimer forming. Such incorporation requires reduction of

cysteine Cysteine (symbol Cys or C; ) is a semiessential proteinogenic amino acid with the formula . The thiol side chain in cysteine often participates in enzymatic reactions as a nucleophile. When present as a deprotonated catalytic residue, s ...

residues within active site of SDHB. Both reduced cysteine residues and already incorporated Fe-S clusters are highly susceptible to ROS damage. Two more SDH assembly factors,

SDHAF1 Succinate dehydrogenase complex assembly factor 1 (SDHAF1), also known as LYR motif-containing protein 8 (LYRM8), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SDHAF1,'' or ''LYRM8,'' gene. SDHAF1 is a chaperone protein involved in the assemb ...

(Sdh6) and SDHAF3 (Sdh7 in yeast), seem to be involved in SDHB maturation in way of protecting the subunit or dimer SDHA-SDHB from Fe-S cluster damage caused by ROS. Assembly of the hydrophobic anchor consisting of subunits

SDHC Secure Digital, officially abbreviated as SD, is a proprietary non-volatile flash memory card format developed by the SD Association (SDA) for use in portable devices. The standard was introduced in August 1999 by joint efforts between Sa ...

and

SDHD Succinate dehydrogenase biquinonecytochrome b small subunit, mitochondrial (CybS), also known as succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit D (SDHD), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SDHD'' gene. Names previously used for SDHD were ...

remains unclear. Especially in case of heme b insertion and even its function. Heme b prosthetic group does not appear to be part of electron transporting pathway within the complex II. The cofactor rather maintains the anchor stability.

Mechanism

Succinate oxidation

Little is known about the exact

mechanism Mechanism may refer to: *Mechanism (engineering), rigid bodies connected by joints in order to accomplish a desired force and/or motion transmission *Mechanism (biology), explaining how a feature is created *Mechanism (philosophy), a theory that a ...

. However, the

crystal structure In crystallography, crystal structure is a description of the ordered arrangement of atoms, ions or molecules in a crystalline material. Ordered structures occur from the intrinsic nature of the constituent particles to form symmetric patterns t ...

shows that

, Glu255, Arg286, and His242 of subunit A (not shown) are good candidates for the initial

deprotonation Deprotonation (or dehydronation) is the removal (transfer) of a proton (or hydron, or hydrogen cation), (H+) from a Brønsted–Lowry acid in an acid–base reaction.Henry Jakubowski, Biochemistry Online Chapter 2A3, https://employees.csbsju. ...

step. Thereafter, there are two possible elimination mechanisms: E2 or E1cb. In the E2 elimination, the mechanism is concerted. The basic residue or cofactor deprotonates the

alpha carbon In the nomenclature of organic chemistry, a locant is a term to indicate the position of a functional group or substituent within a molecule. Numeric locants The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) recommends the use ...

, and FAD accepts the

hydride In chemistry, a hydride is formally the anion of hydrogen( H−). The term is applied loosely. At one extreme, all compounds containing covalently bound H atoms are called hydrides: water (H2O) is a hydride of oxygen, ammonia is a hydride of ...

from the

beta carbon In the nomenclature of organic chemistry, a locant is a term to indicate the position of a functional group or substituent within a molecule. Numeric locants The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) recommends the use ...

oxidizing Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a d ...

the bound

—refer to image 6. In E1cb, an

enolate In organic chemistry, enolates are organic anions derived from the deprotonation of carbonyl () compounds. Rarely isolated, they are widely used as reagents in the synthesis of organic compounds. Bonding and structure Enolate anions are electr ...

intermediate is formed, shown in image 7, before

accepts the

. Further research is required to determine which elimination mechanism succinate undergoes in Succinate Dehydrogenase.

Oxidized Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a de ...

, now loosely bound to the active site, is free to exit the

Electron tunneling

After the

are derived from

via

, they tunnel along the e-Srelay until they reach the Fe-4Scluster. These

are subsequently transferred to an awaiting

within the active site. The

Iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...

Sulfur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formul ...

electron The electron (, or in nuclear reactions) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary electric charge. Electrons belong to the first generation of the lepton particle family, and are generally thought to be elementary partic ...

tunneling system is shown in image 9.

Ubiquinone reduction

Succinate Dehydrogenase 1YQ3 Electron Carriers Labeled

The O1

carbonyl In organic chemistry, a carbonyl group is a functional group composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom: C=O. It is common to several classes of organic compounds, as part of many larger functional groups. A compound containin ...

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as we ...

is oriented at the active site (image 4) by

hydrogen bond In chemistry, a hydrogen bond (or H-bond) is a primarily electrostatic force of attraction between a hydrogen (H) atom which is covalently bound to a more electronegative "donor" atom or group (Dn), and another electronegative atom bearing ...

interactions with Tyr83 of subunit D. The presence of

in the Fe-4Siron sulphur cluster induces the movement of

into a second orientation. This facilitates a second

interaction between the O4

carbonyl group In organic chemistry, a carbonyl group is a functional group composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom: C=O. It is common to several classes of organic compounds, as part of many larger functional groups. A compound containing a ...

and Ser27 of subunit C. Following the first single

reduction step, a

semiquinone Semiquinone (or ubisemiquinone) is a free radical resulting from the removal of one hydrogen atom with its electron during the process of dehydrogenation of a hydroquinone, such as hydroquinone itself or catechol, to a quinone or alternatively the ...

radical species is formed. The second

arrives from the Fe-4Scluster to provide full reduction of the

. This mechanism of the

reduction is shown in image 8.

Heme prosthetic group

Although the functionality of the

heme Heme, or haem (pronounced / hi:m/ ), is a precursor to hemoglobin, which is necessary to bind oxygen in the bloodstream. Heme is biosynthesized in both the bone marrow and the liver. In biochemical terms, heme is a coordination complex "consis ...

in succinate dehydrogenase is still being researched, some studies have asserted that the first

delivered to

via Fe-4Smay tunnel back and forth between the

and the

intermediate. In this way, the

cofactor acts as an

sink. Its role is to prevent the interaction of the intermediate with

molecular oxygen There are several known allotropy, allotropes of oxygen. The most familiar is oxygen, molecular oxygen (O2), present at significant levels in Atmosphere of Earth, Earth's atmosphere and also known as dioxygen or triplet oxygen. Another is the hig ...

to produce

reactive oxygen species In chemistry, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive chemicals formed from diatomic oxygen (). Examples of ROS include peroxides, superoxide, hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen, and alpha-oxygen. The reduction of molecular oxygen ...

(ROS). The

group, relative to

, is shown in image 4. It has also been proposed that a gating

may be in place to prevent the

from tunneling directly to the

from the Fe-4Scluster. A potential candidate is residue His207, which lies directly between the cluster and the

. His207 of subunit B is in direct proximity to the Fe-4Scluster, the bound

, and the

; and could modulate

flow between these redox centers.

Proton transfer

To fully reduce the

in SQR, two

as well as two

protons A proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol , H+, or 1H+ with a positive electric charge of +1 ''e'' elementary charge. Its mass is slightly less than that of a neutron and 1,836 times the mass of an electron (the proton–electron m ...

are needed. It has been argued that a

water molecule Water () is a polar inorganic compound that is at room temperature a tasteless and odorless liquid, which is nearly colorless apart from an inherent hint of blue. It is by far the most studied chemical compound and is described as the "unive ...

(HOH39) arrives at the active site and is coordinated by His207 of subunit B, Arg31 of subunit C, and Asp82 of subunit D. The

species is

protonated In chemistry, protonation (or hydronation) is the adding of a proton (or hydron, or hydrogen cation), (H+) to an atom, molecule, or ion, forming a conjugate acid. (The complementary process, when a proton is removed from a Brønsted–Lowry acid ...

delivered from HOH39, completing the

reduction to

. His207 and Asp82 most likely facilitate this process. Other studies claim that Tyr83 of subunit D is coordinated to a nearby

histidine Histidine (symbol His or H) is an essential amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. It contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated –NH3+ form under biological conditions), a carboxylic acid group (which is in the ...

as well as the O1

. The

residue decreases the

pKa PKA may refer to: * Professionally known as: ** Pen name ** Stage persona * p''K''a, the symbol for the acid dissociation constant at logarithmic scale * Protein kinase A, a class of cAMP-dependent enzymes * Pi Kappa Alpha, the North-American s ...

tyrosine -Tyrosine or tyrosine (symbol Tyr or Y) or 4-hydroxyphenylalanine is one of the 20 standard amino acids that are used by cells to synthesize proteins. It is a non-essential amino acid with a polar side group. The word "tyrosine" is from the Gr ...

, making it more suitable to donate its proton to the reduced

intermediate.

Inhibitors

There are two distinct classes of inhibitors (SDHIs) of complex II: those that bind in the succinate pocket and those that bind in the ubiquinone pocket. Ubiquinone type inhibitors include

carboxin {{Short pages monitor