Respiratory Chain and

Oxidative
Phosphorylation

OBJECTIVES:
1. To develop understanding of the
structural organization of the electron
transport system of mitochondria.
2. To describe the mechanism and nature
of electron carriers and the ATP
synthase.
3. To develop an understanding of the
oxidative
phosphorylation.

Respiratory Chain and

Oxidative
Phosphorylation
- Mitochondria contains the respiratory
chain that collects and transports
reducing equivalents (-H or electrons) to
oxygen
- Oxygen oxidizes reducing equivalents to form
water
at the end of the chain
- Oxidation is coupled to ATP formation
from ADP and Pi

Respiratory Chain

- H and electrons flow through the

respiratory chain in order of increasing

redox potential (NADH -.32; fumarate/succinate
+.08)
- in reactions involving oxidationreduction, the ability of the reactants to
donate or accept electrons is proportionate to
free energy (redox potential)
- redox potential of a system is compared to
redox potential of hydrogen electrode at -0.42 v

Enzymes involved in oxidationreduction (oxidoreductases)

1. Oxidases- remove hydrogen from a

substrate using oxygen as an acceptor;

forms water or hydrogen peroxide
Cytochrome oxidase- has heme
prosthetic grp.; terminal component of
the chain; carries electron to oxygen
Flavoproteins- contains flavin adenine
dinucleotide
molecular oxygen accepts it.

Oxidoreductases:

2. Dehydrogenases transfer hydrogen

from one substrate to another; cannot
use oxygen as hydrogen acceptor
4.specific for their substrates
- use co-enzymes or hydrogen carriers
- ex. NAD

3. Hydroxyperoxidases:
-use oxygen as hydrogen peroxide or
organic peroxide as substrate
- protects the body against harmful
peroxides (destroy the cell)
free radicals=ROS
4. Oxygenases- catalyze direct transfer and
incorporation of oxygen into a substrate

Enzymes on the inner

membrane:

1. electron carriers (complexes)

2. ATP synthase
3. membrane transporters
Enzymes in the inner mitochondrial
matrix:
1. citric acid cycle
2. pyruvate dehydrogenase
3. B-oxidation enzymes

Respiratory Chain:
- consists of redox carriers that start with
NAD/NADH to O2/2H2O
- fumarate/ succinate by pass NAD/NADH
and are linked to flavoprotein
dehydrogenases
- Ubiquinone Q- (Q complex) structure similar
to Vit K and E; mobile component of the chain;
collects reducing eq. from flavoprotein

Oxidative Phosphorylation
at the Respiratory Chain:

- NADH - 3 mols of inorganic phosphates

are incorporated to 3 ADPs
- FADH 2 mols of inorganic phosphates
are incorporated to 2 ADPs
- Phospate:Oxygen ratio equals is 3
- free energy from glucose thru substrate
phosphorylation- 103 KJ/mol of glucose
(ATPs not formed inside the mitochondria)
- free energy thru respiratory chain- 68 percent
- combustion of glucose thru calorimetry is
2870 KJ

ETC

Malate Aspartate Shuttle:

- transfers reducing equivalent of NADH
- occurs in liver, kidney, and heart
- enters through Complex I
Glycerol 3-phosphate Shuttle:
- transfers reducing equivalents from
NADH in muscles and brain
- enters ETC through Complex II

Chemiosmotic Theory:
Energy from oxidation of
components in the respiratory
chain is coupled to the
translocation of hydrogen ions
from the inside to the outside
of the inner mitochondrial
membrane

Proton translocation and ATP

synthesis:

Complex I and complex III translocate 4

protons each;
Complex IV, 2 protons
- electrochemical gradient is
produced (gives rise to proton
motive force)
- intermembranous space is more
positive and acidic than the matrix

Respiratory Control:
1. Availability of ADP and
substrate
2. Availability of substrate only
3. Availability of ADP only
4. Capacity of the respiratory
chain
5. Availability of oxygen only

Clinical correlation:
1.Fatal infantile mitochondrial myopathy
and renal dysfunction- severe deficiency
of the oxidoreductase enzymes in the
ETC.
2. MELAS- NADH-Q or cytochrome oxidase
deficiency

Thank You