The Complexity of Mitochondrial Complex IV: An Update of Cytochrome C Oxidase Biogenesis in Plants

Overview

Journal Int J Mol Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Chemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2018 Mar 3

PMID 29495437

Citations 45

Authors

Natanael Mansilla

Sofia Racca

Diana E Gras

Daniel H Gonzalez

Elina Welchen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Mitochondrial respiration is an energy producing process that involves the coordinated action of several protein complexes embedded in the inner membrane to finally produce ATP. Complex IV or Cytochrome Oxidase (COX) is the last electron acceptor of the respiratory chain, involved in the reduction of O₂ to H₂O. COX is a multimeric complex formed by multiple structural subunits encoded in two different genomes, prosthetic groups (heme and heme ₃), and metallic centers (Cu and Cu). Tens of accessory proteins are required for mitochondrial RNA processing, synthesis and delivery of prosthetic groups and metallic centers, and for the final assembly of subunits to build a functional complex. In this review, we perform a comparative analysis of COX composition and biogenesis factors in yeast, mammals and plants. We also describe possible external and internal factors controlling the expression of structural proteins and assembly factors at the transcriptional and post-translational levels, and the effect of deficiencies in different steps of COX biogenesis to infer the role of COX in different aspects of plant development. We conclude that COX assembly in plants has conserved and specific features, probably due to the incorporation of a different set of subunits during evolution.

Citing Articles

Astaxanthin Alleviates Oxidative Stress in Mouse Preantral Follicles and Enhances Follicular Development Through the AMPK Signaling Pathway.

He J, Zhong Y, Li Y, Liu S, Pan X Int J Mol Sci. 2025; 26(5).

PMID: 40076863 PMC: 11900623. DOI: 10.3390/ijms26052241.

Assembly and analysis of stephania japonica mitochondrial genome provides new insights into its identification and energy metabolism.

Wu Y, Sun Z, Liu Z, Qiu T, Li X, Leng L BMC Genomics. 2025; 26(1):185.

PMID: 39994544 PMC: 11849394. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-025-11359-6.

Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Cerebral Ischemia: Advances in Pharmacological Interventions.

Belenichev I, Popazova O, Bukhtiyarova N, Ryzhenko V, Pavlov S, Suprun E Antioxidants (Basel). 2025; 14(1).

PMID: 39857442 PMC: 11760872. DOI: 10.3390/antiox14010108.

Integrated TWAS, GWAS, and RNAseq results identify candidate genes associated with reproductive traits in cows.

Hosseinzadeh S, Rafat S, Fang L Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):1932.

PMID: 39809816 PMC: 11733129. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-82448-x.

Characterisation of cytochrome c oxidase-coding genes from mung bean and their response to cadmium stress based on genome-wide identification and transcriptome analysis.

Leng Y, Niu Z, Liu S, Qiao F, Liu G, Cheng B Mol Biol Rep. 2024; 52(1):17.

PMID: 39589562 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-10102-w.

References

Gray M, Burger G, Lang B . Mitochondrial evolution. Science. 1999; 283(5407):1476-81. DOI: 10.1126/science.283.5407.1476. View

Tsuji H, Nakazono M, Saisho D, Tsutsumi N, Hirai A . Transcript levels of the nuclear-encoded respiratory genes in rice decrease by oxygen deprivation: evidence for involvement of calcium in expression of the alternative oxidase 1a gene. FEBS Lett. 2000; 471(2-3):201-4. DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(00)01411-3. View

Sakamoto W, Spielewoy N, Bonnard G, Murata M, Wintz H . Mitochondrial localization of AtOXA1, an arabidopsis homologue of yeast Oxa1p involved in the insertion and assembly of protein complexes in mitochondrial inner membrane. Plant Cell Physiol. 2001; 41(10):1157-63. DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcd045. View

Logan D, Millar A, Sweetlove L, Hill S, Leaver C . Mitochondrial biogenesis during germination in maize embryos. Plant Physiol. 2001; 125(2):662-72. PMC: 64868. DOI: 10.1104/pp.125.2.662. View

Barros M, Tzagoloff A . Regulation of the heme A biosynthetic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FEBS Lett. 2002; 516(1-3):119-23. DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)02514-0. View

Daley D, Adams K, Clifton R, Qualmann S, Millar A, Palmer J . Gene transfer from mitochondrion to nucleus: novel mechanisms for gene activation from Cox2. Plant J. 2002; 30(1):11-21. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-313x.2002.01263.x. View

Wang Z, Nakano T, Gendron J, He J, Chen M, Vafeados D . Nuclear-localized BZR1 mediates brassinosteroid-induced growth and feedback suppression of brassinosteroid biosynthesis. Dev Cell. 2002; 2(4):505-13. DOI: 10.1016/s1534-5807(02)00153-3. View

Carr H, George G, Winge D . Yeast Cox11, a protein essential for cytochrome c oxidase assembly, is a Cu(I)-binding protein. J Biol Chem. 2002; 277(34):31237-42. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M204854200. View

Nobrega M, Bandeira S, Beers J, Tzagoloff A . Characterization of COX19, a widely distributed gene required for expression of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase. J Biol Chem. 2002; 277(43):40206-11. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M207348200. View

10.

Balandin T, Castresana C . AtCOX17, an Arabidopsis homolog of the yeast copper chaperone COX17. Plant Physiol. 2002; 129(4):1852-7. PMC: 166773. DOI: 10.1104/pp.010963. View

11.

Wintz H, Vulpe C . Plant copper chaperones. Biochem Soc Trans. 2002; 30(4):732-5. DOI: 10.1042/bst0300732. View

12.

Schwacke R, Schneider A, van der Graaff E, Fischer K, Catoni E, Desimone M . ARAMEMNON, a novel database for Arabidopsis integral membrane proteins. Plant Physiol. 2003; 131(1):16-26. PMC: 166783. DOI: 10.1104/pp.011577. View

13.

Picciocchi A, Douce R, Alban C . The plant biotin synthase reaction. Identification and characterization of essential mitochondrial accessory protein components. J Biol Chem. 2003; 278(27):24966-75. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M302154200. View

14.

Eubel H, Jansch L, Braun H . New insights into the respiratory chain of plant mitochondria. Supercomplexes and a unique composition of complex II. Plant Physiol. 2003; 133(1):274-86. PMC: 196604. DOI: 10.1104/pp.103.024620. View

15.

Wei N, Deng X . The COP9 signalosome. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2003; 19:261-86. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.19.111301.112449. View

16.

Pecina P, Houstkova H, Hansikova H, Zeman J, Houstek J . Genetic defects of cytochrome c oxidase assembly. Physiol Res. 2004; 53 Suppl 1:S213-23. View

17.

Barros M, Johnson A, Tzagoloff A . COX23, a homologue of COX17, is required for cytochrome oxidase assembly. J Biol Chem. 2004; 279(30):31943-7. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M405014200. View

18.

Banci L, Bertini I, Cantini F, Ciofi-Baffoni S, Gonnelli L, Mangani S . Solution structure of Cox11, a novel type of beta-immunoglobulin-like fold involved in CuB site formation of cytochrome c oxidase. J Biol Chem. 2004; 279(33):34833-9. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M403655200. View

19.

Lurin C, Andres C, Aubourg S, Bellaoui M, Bitton F, Bruyere C . Genome-wide analysis of Arabidopsis pentatricopeptide repeat proteins reveals their essential role in organelle biogenesis. Plant Cell. 2004; 16(8):2089-103. PMC: 519200. DOI: 10.1105/tpc.104.022236. View

20.

Welchen E, Chan R, Gonzalez D . The promoter of the Arabidopsis nuclear gene COX5b-1, encoding subunit 5b of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, directs tissue-specific expression by a combination of positive and negative regulatory elements. J Exp Bot. 2004; 55(405):1997-2004. DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erh223. View