[Alternative oxidase - never ending story]

Investigations of plant cyanide resistant respiration lead to the discovery in mitochondrial respiratory chain of the second terminal oxidase, alternative oxidase (AOX). AOX transfers electrons from reduced ubiquinone to oxygen omitting two coupling places thus lowering energetic efficiency of respiration. The presence of AOX was shown in all plants and also in some fungi, mollusca and protista. In termogenic plants the activity of AOX is connected with heat production. In other organisms AOX activity is important for maintaining metabolic homeostasis (carbon metabolism, cell redox state and energy demand) and ROS homeostasis. In this article structure of plant AOX protein and the regulation on molecular levels was described. Possible role of AOX as stress marker was pointed and the possibility of using AOX in human gene therapy was discussed.