Cytochrome Oxidase

cytochrome oxidase [′sīd·ə‚krōm ′äk·sə‚dās]

(biochemistry)

Any of a family of respiratory pigments that react directly with oxygen in the reduced state. Also known as cytochromea₃.

---

Cytochrome Oxidase 

(also cytochrome a₃), an enzyme of the oxido-reductase class; the final component of the chain of respiratory enzymes that carry electrons from the cytochrome c to molecular oxygen. Cytochrome oxidase was discovered in 1926 by the German scientist O. Warburg (Warburg’s respiratory enzyme). In plant and animal cells, it is localized on the inner membrane of mitochrondria. Chemically, it is a complex protein, whose molecule consists of two hemes, two copper atoms, and 20–30 percent lipid constituent. Both hemes are heme a; however, only part of the heme a is oxidized, and it is designated a₃. It is still unclear whether cytochrome oxidase is a single protein with two functionally different forms of heme, or whether it is a complex of two different cytochromes. Copper is bound to the protein by a sulfur-containing ligand. When the copper is separated from the protein, cytochrome oxidase becomes inactive.

The molecular weight of cytochrome oxidase varies, according to different data, from 50,000 to 240,000. Cyanide, azide, CO, and hydroxylamine are cytochrome oxidase inhibitors.

V. V. ZUEVSKII