Evidence for the sequential assembly of cytochrome oxidase subunits in rat liver mitochondria

The assembly of cytochrome oxidase was studied in isolated rat liver mitochondria and isolated rat hepatocytes labelled in vitro with L-[35S]methionine. This was achieved by studying the temporal association of radioactive subunits which are immunoabsorbed with antibodies against subunits I, II and the holoenzyme. Antibodies against the holoenzyme were shown to be highly specific for subunit V. The results show that subunit I appears in the holoenzyme late in the assembly process. No radioactive subunit I is absorbed with antiserum against subunit II or the holoenzyme (subunit V) after a 30 min pulse in either isolated mitochondria or hepatocytes. However, both antisera absorb radioactive subunits I after a 150 min chase in isolated hepatocytes. This was confirmed using antibodies against subunit I, which absorbed only radioactive subunit I after a 30 min pulse but absorbed radioactive subunits I-III and VI after a 150 min chase. Thus, the late assembly of radioactive subunit I is explained by a temporal sequence in the assembly process and not by the presence of a large, non-radioactive pool of subunit I. Using the above approach and the three specific antisera, the following temporal sequence in the assembly of cytochrome oxidase was established. Subunits II and III assemble rapidly with each other or with cytoplasmically translated subunit VI. This complex of three peptides in turn assembles slowly with subunit I or with the other cytoplasmically translated subunits. The early association of subunit VI with the mitochondrially translated subunits II and III suggests a possible role of the former in integration of the holoenzyme.