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Related Concept Videos

Electron Transport Chain Components01:29

Electron Transport Chain Components

The electron transport chain (ETC) is a crucial metabolic pathway that facilitates energy conversion in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In eukaryotes, the ETC comprises four membrane-associated protein complexes in the inner mitochondrial membrane. In prokaryotes, the ETC in the plasma membrane can vary in composition, with fewer or different complexes depending on the organism and environmental conditions. These complexes transfer electrons from electron donors, such as NADH and FADH2, to...
Redox Reactions01:27

Redox Reactions

Redox reactions are vital biochemical processes that underpin energy metabolism in cells. These reactions involve the transfer of electrons between molecules, occurring in tandem as oxidation and reduction. Oxidation refers to the loss of electrons, while reduction denotes their gain. This coupling ensures the seamless flow of electrons through metabolic pathways. For example, in bacterial metabolism, glucose undergoes oxidation to carbon dioxide, while oxygen is simultaneously reduced to...
Redox Reactions01:24

Redox Reactions

Oxidation-reduction or redox reactions involve the transfer of electrons from one molecule or atom to another. When an atom gains an electron, another atom must lose an electron, meaning oxidation and reduction must occur together. Since the redox occurs in pairs, the atom that gets oxidized is also called the reducing agent or reductant, and the atom that is reduced is also called the oxidizing agent or oxidant. A straightforward way to remember the definitions of oxidation and reduction is...
Electron Transport Chains01:28

Electron Transport Chains

The final stage of cellular respiration is oxidative phosphorylation that consists of two steps: the electron transport chain and chemiosmosis. The electron transport chain is a set of proteins found in the inner mitochondrial membrane in eukaryotic cells. Its primary function is to establish a proton gradient that can be used during chemiosmosis to produce ATP and generate electron carriers, such as NAD+ and FAD, that are used in glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.
The ETC is comprised of...
Oxidation and Reduction of Organic Molecules01:19

Oxidation and Reduction of Organic Molecules

Energy production within a cell involves many coordinated chemical pathways. Most of these pathways are combinations of oxidation and reduction reactions, which occur at the same time. An oxidation reaction strips an electron from an atom in a compound, and the addition of this electron to another compound is a reduction reaction. Because oxidation and reduction usually occur together, these pairs of reactions are called redox reactions.
The removal of an electron from a molecule, results in a...
Electron Transport Chain: Complex III and IV01:43

Electron Transport Chain: Complex III and IV

During the electron transport chain, electrons from NADH and FADH2 are first transferred to complexes I and II, respectively. These two complexes then transfer the electrons to ubiquinol, which carries them further to complex III. Complex III passes the electrons across the intermembrane space to Cyt c, which carries them further to complex IV. Complex IV donates electrons to oxygen and reduces it to water. As electrons pass through complexes I, III, and IV, the energy released aids the pumping...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Protein Film Infrared Electrochemistry Demonstrated for Study of H2 Oxidation by a [NiFe] Hydrogenase
10:01

Protein Film Infrared Electrochemistry Demonstrated for Study of H2 Oxidation by a [NiFe] Hydrogenase

Published on: December 4, 2017

Fast electron transfer through a single molecule natively structured redox protein.

Eduardo Antonio Della Pia1, Qijin Chi, J Emyr Macdonald

  • 1School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK.

Nanoscale
|October 17, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Single-molecule electron transfer in cytochrome b(562) proteins reveals surprisingly high conductance. This challenges the view of proteins as insulators and highlights the role of the heme cofactor.

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Last Updated: May 17, 2026

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Electrochemical Detection of Deuterium Kinetic Isotope Effect on Extracellular Electron Transport in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1
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Electrochemical Detection of Deuterium Kinetic Isotope Effect on Extracellular Electron Transport in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Published on: April 16, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Electrochemistry

Background:

  • Proteins are typically measured as ensembles, leading to the view of them as insulating materials.
  • Electron transfer properties are crucial for biological functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure the conductance of single electron transfer proteins.
  • To investigate the role of the heme cofactor in protein conductance.
  • To explore protein electron transfer mechanisms at the single-molecule level.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to measure single-molecule conductance.
  • Engineered cytochrome b(562) with thiol linkers for covalent attachment to electrodes.
  • Examined two linker orientations: short-axis (SH-SA) and long-axis (SH-LA).
  • Gated molecular conductance via electrochemical control of the heme redox state.

Main Results:

  • Observed reproducible and high single-molecule conductance for cytochrome b(562).
  • Peak conductance values reached approximately 18 nS (SH-SA) and 12 nS (SH-LA).
  • High conductance suggests a significant role for the heme cofactor in native protein structure.

Conclusions:

  • Single-molecule measurements challenge the insulating material model for proteins.
  • A multi-electron transfer model is proposed to explain the high conductance.
  • Low reorganisation energy implies minimal solvent involvement in electron transfer.