Studies on protein-lipid interactions in cytochrome c oxidase by differential scanning calorimetry

The interaction between cytochrome c oxidase and phospholipids was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The active, lipid-sufficient cytochrome c oxidase undergoes thermodenaturation at 336 K with a relatively broad and concentration dependent endothermic transition. The delipidated enzyme shows an endothermic denaturation temperature at 331.3 K. When the delipidated cytochrome c oxidase was treated with chymotrypsin, a lowered thermodenaturation temperature was observed. When the delipidated cytochrome c oxidase was reconstituted with asolectin to form a functionally active enzyme complex, the thermodenaturation shifted to a higher temperature, with a sharper transition thermogram. The increase in thermotransition temperature and enthalpy change of thermodenaturation of the asolectin-reconstituted enzyme is directly proportionate to the amount of asolectin used, up to 0.5 mg asolectin per mg protein. The thermotransition temperature and enthalpy changes of thermodenaturation for the phospholipid-reconstituted cytochrome c oxidase are affected by the phospholipid headgroup and the fatty acyl groups. Among phospholipids with the same acyl moiety but different head groups, phosphatidylethanolamine was found to be more effective than phosphatidylcholine in protecting cytochrome c oxidase from thermodenaturation. An exothermic transition thermogram was observed for delipidated cytochrome c oxidase embedded in phospholipid vesicles formed with phospholipids containing unsaturated fatty acyl groups. The increase in exothermic transition temperature and exothermic enthalpy change of thermodenaturation of the oxidase-cytochrome c-cytochrome c oxidase complex destabilized cytochrome c but not cytochrome c oxidase toward thermodenaturation.