Electron bifurcation

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In biochemistry, electron bifurcation (EB) refers to a system that enables an unfavorable (endergonic) transformation by coupling to a favorable (exergonic) transformation. Two electrons are involved: one flows to an acceptor with a "higher reduction potential and the other with a lower reduction potential" than the donor. [1] The process is suspected of being common in bioenergetics.

Two versions of EB are recognized. One involves redox of quinones and the other involves flavins. Quinones and flavins are cofactors that are capable of undergoing 2 e – 2 proton redox. [2]

A pervasive example of electron bifurcation is the Q cycle, which is part of the machinery that results in oxidative phosphorylation. In that case one electron from ubiquinol is directed to a Rieske cluster and the other electron is directed to a cytochrome b. [3]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxidative phosphorylation</span> Metabolic pathway

Oxidative phosphorylation or electron transport-linked phosphorylation or terminal oxidation is the metabolic pathway in which cells use enzymes to oxidize nutrients, thereby releasing chemical energy in order to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In eukaryotes, this takes place inside mitochondria. Almost all aerobic organisms carry out oxidative phosphorylation. This pathway is so pervasive because it releases more energy than alternative fermentation processes such as anaerobic glycolysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redox</span> Chemical reaction in which oxidation states of atoms are changed

Redox is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of a reactant change and that reduction and oxidation occur at the same time in a reaction. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a decrease in the oxidation state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flavin group</span> Group of chemical compounds

Flavins refers generally to the class of organic compounds containing the tricyclic heterocycle isoalloxazine or its isomer alloxazine, and derivatives thereof. The biochemical source of flavin is the yellow B vitamin riboflavin. The flavin moiety is often attached with an adenosine diphosphate to form flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and, in other circumstances, is found as flavin mononucleotide, a phosphorylated form of riboflavin. It is in one or the other of these forms that flavin is present as a prosthetic group in flavoproteins. Despite the similar names, flavins are chemically and biologically distinct from the flavanoids, and the flavonols.

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 couples this electron transfer with the transfer of protons (H+ ions) across a membrane. Many of the enzymes in the electron transport chain are embedded within the membrane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Respiratory complex I</span> Protein complex involved in cellular respiration

Respiratory complex I, EC 7.1.1.2 is the first large protein complex of the respiratory chains of many organisms from bacteria to humans. It catalyzes the transfer of electrons from NADH to coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and translocates protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane in eukaryotes or the plasma membrane of bacteria.

The quinones are a class of organic compounds that are formally "derived from aromatic compounds [such as benzene or naphthalene] by conversion of an even number of –CH= groups into –C(=O)– groups with any necessary rearrangement of double bonds", resulting in "a fully conjugated cyclic dione structure". The archetypical member of the class is 1,4-benzoquinone or cyclohexadienedione, often called simply "quinone". Other important examples are 1,2-benzoquinone (ortho-quinone), 1,4-naphthoquinone and 9,10-anthraquinone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyrroloquinoline quinone</span> Chemical compound

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), also called methoxatin, is a redox cofactor and antioxidant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemiosmosis</span> Electrochemical principle that enables cellular respiration

Chemiosmosis is the movement of ions across a semipermeable membrane bound structure, down their electrochemical gradient. An important example is the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by the movement of hydrogen ions (H+) across a membrane during cellular respiration or photosynthesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Succinate dehydrogenase</span> Enzyme

Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) or succinate-coenzyme Q reductase (SQR) or respiratory complex II is an enzyme complex, found in many bacterial cells and in the inner mitochondrial membrane of eukaryotes. It is the only enzyme that participates in both the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain. Histochemical analysis showing high succinate dehydrogenase in muscle demonstrates high mitochondrial content and high oxidative potential.

Ferredoxins are iron–sulfur proteins that mediate electron transfer in a range of metabolic reactions. The term "ferredoxin" was coined by D.C. Wharton of the DuPont Co. and applied to the "iron protein" first purified in 1962 by Mortenson, Valentine, and Carnahan from the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium pasteurianum.

Bioenergetics is a field in biochemistry and cell biology that concerns energy flow through living systems. This is an active area of biological research that includes the study of the transformation of energy in living organisms and the study of thousands of different cellular processes such as cellular respiration and the many other metabolic and enzymatic processes that lead to production and utilization of energy in forms such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules. That is, the goal of bioenergetics is to describe how living organisms acquire and transform energy in order to perform biological work. The study of metabolic pathways is thus essential to bioenergetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flavin adenine dinucleotide</span> Redox-active coenzyme

In biochemistry, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is a redox-active coenzyme associated with various proteins, which is involved with several enzymatic reactions in metabolism. A flavoprotein is a protein that contains a flavin group, which may be in the form of FAD or flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Many flavoproteins are known: components of the succinate dehydrogenase complex, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and a component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

Cytochrome b<sub>6</sub>f complex Enzyme

The cytochrome b6f complex (plastoquinol/plastocyanin reductase or plastoquinol/plastocyanin oxidoreductase; EC 7.1.1.6) is an enzyme found in the thylakoid membrane in chloroplasts of plants, cyanobacteria, and green algae, that catalyzes the transfer of electrons from plastoquinol to plastocyanin:

Flavodoxins (Fld) are small, soluble electron-transfer proteins. Flavodoxins contains flavin mononucleotide as prosthetic group. The structure of flavodoxin is characterized by a five-stranded parallel beta sheet, surrounded by five alpha helices. They have been isolated from prokaryotes, cyanobacteria, and some eukaryotic algae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase</span> Class of enzymes

Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) is an enzyme that catalyzes the reversible redox conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to sn-glycerol 3-phosphate.

In chemistry, a (redox) non-innocent ligand is a ligand in a metal complex where the oxidation state is not clear. Typically, complexes containing non-innocent ligands are redox active at mild potentials. The concept assumes that redox reactions in metal complexes are either metal or ligand localized, which is a simplification, albeit a useful one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electron-transferring-flavoprotein dehydrogenase</span> Protein family

Electron-transferring-flavoprotein dehydrogenase is an enzyme that transfers electrons from electron-transferring flavoprotein in the mitochondrial matrix, to the ubiquinone pool in the inner mitochondrial membrane. It is part of the electron transport chain. The enzyme is found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes and contains a flavin and FE-S cluster. In humans, it is encoded by the ETFDH gene. Deficiency in ETF dehydrogenase causes the human genetic disease multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1)</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

NAD(P)H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the NQO1 gene. This protein-coding gene is a member of the NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone) family and encodes a 2-electron reductase (enzyme). This FAD-binding protein forms homodimers and performs two-electron reduction of quinones to hydroquinones and of other redox dyes. It has a preference for short-chain acceptor quinones, such as ubiquinone, benzoquinone, juglone and duroquinone. This gene has an important paralog NQO2. This protein is located in the cytosol.

Reverse electron flow (also known as reverse electron transport) is a mechanism in microbial metabolism. Chemolithotrophs using an electron donor with a higher redox potential than NAD(P)+/NAD(P)H, such as nitrite or sulfur compounds, must use energy to reduce NAD(P)+. This energy is supplied by consuming proton motive force to drive electrons in a reverse direction through an electron transport chain and is thus the reverse process as forward electron transport. In some cases, the energy consumed in reverse electron transport is five times greater than energy gained from the forward process. Autotrophs can use this process to supply reducing power for inorganic carbon fixation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photoredox catalysis</span>

Photoredox catalysis is a branch of photochemistry that uses single-electron transfer. Photoredox catalysts are generally drawn from three classes of materials: transition-metal complexes, organic dyes, and semiconductors. While organic photoredox catalysts were dominant throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, soluble transition-metal complexes are more commonly used today.

References

  1. Buckel, Wolfgang; Thauer, Rudolf K. (2018). "Flavin-Based Electron Bifurcation, A New Mechanism of Biological Energy Coupling". Chemical Reviews. 118 (7): 3862–3886. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00707 . PMID   29561602.
  2. Feng, Xiang; Schut, Gerrit J.; Haja, Dominik K.; Adams, Michael W. W.; Li, Huilin (2022). "Structure and Electron Transfer Pathways of an Electron-Bifurcating NiFe-Hydrogenase". Science Advances. 8 (8): eabm7546. Bibcode:2022SciA....8M7546F. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abm7546. PMC   8880783 . PMID   35213221. S2CID   247129039.
  3. Nelson, David L.; Cox, Michael M. (2005). Principles of Biochemistry (4th ed.). New York: W. H. Freeman. ISBN   0-7167-4339-6.