Activity of proteoliposomes containing cytochrome oxidase in the submitochondrial orientation

Cytochrome-c oxidase proteoliposomes containing internally trapped cytochrome c can turn over on internal or external cytochrome c. At low TMPD levels the internal activity is significantly lower than the external activity as the functional internal cytochrome c is not fully reduced in the steady state. Increasing TMPD concentration increases the internal rate to equal that of the external enzyme. Internal activity results in the accumulation of TMPD+. Valinomycin increases this accumulation and subsequently FCCP decreases it. In the presence of excess external cytochrome c, the effects of these ionophores are reversed. The internally-facing enzyme is thus capable of generating a delta mu H+ in proteoliposomes as well as in submitochondrial particles.