Mitochondria and Chloroplasts (Unit 5) Flashcards
Describe the journey an electron takes through the ETC
Electrons from NADH enter Complex 1 while those from FADH enter Complex 2, both then go to Ubiquinone which gives them to complex 3 Then, they go to Cyt C and finally Complex 4 where 4 of them + 4H+ s are added to O2 to become 2 waters
Give the names for the following:
Complex 1
Q
Complex 2
Complex 3
Complex 4
NADH Dehydrogenase
Coenzyme Q
Succinate Dehydrogenase
CytC reductase
CytC oxidase (COX)
Describe the journey an electron takes inside COX
Enters Copper atoms through CytC
Goes to heme a
Goes to heme a3 which clamps oxygen until it has taken in 4 electrons (to avoid superoxide O2-formation)
*Cyanide or azide may take this oxygen binding spot
What is a prosthetic group?
A group tightly bound to a protein
What is an apoprotein?
A protein without its prosthetic group
Which complex does not pump H+ in the ETC?
Complex 2
Why are prosthetic groups in the ETC often transition metals?
Because these guys have multiple oxidation states with closely spaced redox potentials for easy electron transfer
Name the 4 electron carriers in the ETC
Cytochromes
FeS clusters
CytC
Ubiquinone
Describe the 4 electron carriers
-Cyt
-CytC
-Ubiquinone
-FeS clusters
-Porphyrin heme + apocCyt with same prosthetic groups as heme (Fe3+) and chlrophyll (Mg2+)
-aqueous heme that moves 1 e at a time
-lipid-soluble coenzyme Q move up to two e at a time
-Flavin and copper atoms at pros. groups
What is the basic principle behind ATPase function?
The coupling of H+ movement to allosteric changes in the protein that result in ATP synthesis or hydrolysis depending on the ratio of ATP:ADP
How is electron movement coupled to H+ pumping?
Electrons cause allosteric changes in the H+ pumps which allow them to line up ionic/polar side chains to create a H+ wire.
The wire moves H+s much faster than H20 (where it is already quite mobile due to H-bonding network)
What is the mitochondrial proton gradient created by the ETC?
More H+ is moved to the IMM against its gradient
What is delta G?
What does it do?
The free energy change for a reaction
It determines whether or not a reaction will happen
What does it depend on?
What is favorable G?
Depends on:
-standard free energy change: Based on the chemicals
-[ ] of the chemicals
(thus if [ ] are equal, it will just be the standard free energy change)
Favorable G is large and negative
What is the reason why ATP hydrolysis has such a highly negative delta G
(and thus is very easy)?
Because the [ATP] is much higher than that of ADP or Pi
The mitochondria maintains this difference
Does ATP sythase only make ATP?
NO! It can also hydrolyze ATP and pump H+ back into IMS ex: in Lysosomes
What is the proper name for ATP synthase? Can you describe the molecule?
F1F0ATPase
Really big
Contains rotor and stator
What does the F0 part of ATP synthase do?
Creates a hydrophillic path for H+ to move down its gradient back into the matrix. This energectically favoured move gets coupled to ATP generation via allosteric changes in the protein as it spins the turbine
What determines the direction of ATP synthase?
The balance between the steepness of the H+ electrochemical graident and the local delta G for ATP
What does F1 in ATP synthase do?
Make the ATP in the matrix
What do uncoupling agents do? what are they?
Why do we have them?
Lipid soluable ionophores that Disconnect e- transfer from ATP synthesis by dissipating the H+
Doing this DEC the efficiency of cellular respiration thus more O2 is needed to move more e- and more energy gets lost as heat
What do cristae do? Where are the proteins found on them?
Trap H+ so it doesn’t leave thru the OMM
ATP synthase form long dimer rows and stick out like lolipops into the matrix to help with curvature while the H+ pumps exist on either side of them
how is mtDNA inherited?
in plants + animals: Uniparental
in humans: Maternally (but some lit suggests there may be some small incidence of paternal inheritance)
This is because the egg contributes a lot more cytoplasm than sperm does to the zygote
Also Sperms lose mtDNA as they mature and ferilized egg works to destroy it once they come together
Is mito essential for life?
NO! there is one eukaryote (a protozoa) that was determined to have suffered a mito loss
What is OXPHOS
oxidative phosphorylation
uses O2 to make ATP
What is the name of the energy-making mechanism used by mito and chloro?
Chemiosmotic coupling
Is mito static?
No its shape is always changing as it divides and fuses (depending on the cell type)
How do we live-cell image mito?
MitoTracker Red is a fluoresecnet dye that mito takes up given that it has a potential across its inner membrane
What are reponsible for the distribution and orientation of mito in the cell?
MTs but dynamin (a large GTPase) does the actual work
Does dynamin have GEF or GAP?
No! bc it is a large GTPase