Lecture 11- Pathways that harvest chemical energy II Flashcards
What is oxidative phosphorylation?
Process of ATP synthesis resulting from the reoxidation of electron carriers in the presence of O2
What are the two stages of oxidative phosphorylation?
The electron transport chain
Chemiosmosis
Why doesn’t the cell use one step to oxidize NADH + H+?
The reaction is untameable- it is too exergonic, energy cannot be harvested
Why does the cell use the electron transport chain?
It releases energy in smaller, more manageable amounts
What is the electron transport chain?
Electrons from NADH and FADH2 pass through a series of membrane associated electron carriers to actively transport protons to make a concentration gradient
What is chemiosmosis?
ATP synthase couples proton diffusion to ATP synthesis
What is the name of the four large protein complexes involved in the electron transport chain?
I, II, III and IV
What do the four large protein complexes, I, II, III and IV contain?
Electron carriers and associated enzymes
What are the 4 large protein complexes I, II, III and IV?
Integral proteins on the inner mitochondrial membrane in eukaryotes- three are transmembrane
What is a small peripheral protein in the intermembrane space of the mitochondria involved in the electron transport chain?
Cytochrome c
What is the nonprotein associated with the electron transport chain called?
Ubiquinone (Q)
What is ubiquinone (Q)?
Small, nonpolar molecule that floats within the hydrophobic interior of the phospholipid bilayer of the inner mitochondrial membrane
What is the first step in the electron transport chain?
NADH + H+ passes electrons to the first large protein complex (I) called NADH-Q reductase
Where does NADH-Q reductase transfer this electron to?
Q
What protein passes Q electrons from the oxidation of FADH2?
The second complex (II) succinate dehydrogenase
What is the name of the third complex of the electron transport chain?
cytochrome c reductase
What does cytochrome c reductase do?
Receives electrons from Q
Passes them to cytochrome c
What does the fourth complex do?
cytochrome c oxidase recieves electrons from cytochrome c
passes them to oxygen
What happens when oxygen (1/2O2) receives electrons?
It picks up two hydrogen ions to form H2O
What happens to the protons left over from the electron transport chain?
They are pumped across the mitochondrial membrane
Theoretically, how many molecules of ATP are formed from each pair of electrons passed along the electron transport chain?
3
What is the result of the electron transport chain?
The active transport of protons against their concentration gradient out of the matrix across the inner membrane to the intermembrane space
Why does proton transport occur?
Electron carriers in protein complex I, III and IV are arranged so that protons are taken up on one side of the membrane and transported, along with electrons, to the other side
How do the transmembrane protein complexes act?
As proton pumps
What does pumping of protons cause?
A proton concentration gradient
A difference in electric charge
What is the proton concentration gradient and the charge difference potential energy called?
Proton-motive force
What does proton motive force do?
Drive proteins back across the membrane
How do protons diffuse back across the inner mitochondrial membrane?
though a specific mitochondrial membrane called ATP synthase
What does ATP synthase do?
Couples proton movement with ATP synthesis
What is the coupling of proton movement with ATP synthesis called?
Chemiosmosis
What do the exergonic reactions that occur when electrons move along the electron transport chain drive?
The pumping of H+ out of the mitochondrial matrix to establish a H+ gradient
Where are H+ ions actively transported to?
The intermembrane space
What potential energy is harnessed by ATP synthase?
Proton motive force
What is proton motive force?
The potential energy of the proton gradient
What are the two roles of ATP synthase?
- Channel that allows protons to diffuse back in
2. Uses that energy to make ATP from ADP + Pi
What else can ATP synthase act as?
ATPase
Why does ATP synthase prefer synthesis as opposed to acting as ATPase?
- ATP concentration is low in matrix because ATP moves elsewhere in the cell
- H+ gradient is maintained by electron transport chain
What method can be used to test the hypothesis that a H+ gradient drives ATP synthesis by isolated mitochondria?
- isolate mitochondria, place in pH8 (low H+ concentration outside and inside organelles)
- Move to acidic medium (pH4, high [H+])
What are the results of moving isolated mitochondria from a high pH solution to a low pH solution?
H+ movement into mitochondria drives ATP synthesis in the absence of continuous electron transport.
What can be concluded by H+ movement into the mitochondria driving ATP synthesis in the absence of a continuous electron transport chain?
In the absence of electron transport, an artificial H+ gradient is sufficient for ATP synthesis by mitochondria
What method can be used to test the hypothesis that ATP synthase is needed for ATP synthesis?
- extract proton pump from bacteria, add to lipid vesicle
- H+ is pumped into vesicle, creates gradient
- ATP synthase from a mammal is inserted into the vesicle membrane