Role of the Rieske iron-sulfur protein midpoint potential in the protonmotive Q-cycle mechanism of the cytochrome bc1 complex.

The midpoint potential of the [2Fe-2S] cluster of the Rieske iron-sulfur protein (Em7 = +280 mV) is the primary determinant of the rate of electron transfer from ubiquinol to cytochrome c catalyzed by the cytochrome bc1 complex. As the midpoint potential of the Rieske cluster is lowered by altering the electronic environment surrounding the cluster, the ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase activity of the bc1 complex decreases; between 220 and 280 mV the rate changes 2.5-fold. The midpoint potential of the Rieske cluster also affects the presteady-state kinetics of cytochrome b and c1 reduction. When the midpoint potential of the Rieske cluster is more positive than that of the heme of cytochrome c1, reduction of cytochrome b is biphasic. The fast phase of b reduction is linked to the optically invisible reduction of the Rieske center, while the rate of the second, slow phase matches that of c1 reduction. The rates of b and c1 reduction become slower as the potential of the Rieske cluster decreases and change from biphasic to monophasic as the Rieske potential approaches that of the ubiquinone/ubiquinol couple. Reduction of b and c1 remain kinetically linked as the midpoint potential of the Rieske cluster is varied by 180 mV and under conditions where the presteady state reduction is biphasic or monophasic. The persistent linkage of the rates of b and c1 reduction is accounted for by the bifurcated oxidation of ubiquinol that is unique to the Q-cycle mechanism.

Alteration of the midpoint potential and catalytic activity of the rieske iron-sulfur protein by changes of amino acids forming hydrogen bonds to the iron-sulfur cluster.

The crystal structure of the bovine Rieske iron-sulfur protein indicates a sulfur atom (S-1) of the iron-sulfur cluster and the sulfur atom (Sgamma) of a cysteine residue that coordinates one of the iron atoms form hydrogen bonds with the hydroxyl groups of Ser-163 and Tyr-165, respectively. We have altered the equivalent Ser-183 and Tyr-185 in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rieske iron-sulfur protein by site-directed mutagenesis of the iron-sulfur protein gene to examine how these hydrogen bonds affect the midpoint potential of the iron-sulfur cluster and how changes in the midpoint potential affect the activity of the enzyme. Eliminating the hydrogen bond from the hydroxyl group of Ser-183 to S-1 of the cluster lowers the midpoint potential of the cluster by 130 mV, and eliminating the hydrogen bond from the hydroxyl group of Tyr-185 to Sgamma of Cys-159 lowers the midpoint potential by 65 mV. Eliminating both hydrogen bonds has an approximately additive effect, lowering the midpoint potential by 180 mV. Thus, these hydrogen bonds contribute significantly to the positive midpoint potential of the cluster but are not essential for its assembly. The activity of the bc1 complex decreases with the decrease in midpoint potential, confirming that oxidation of ubiquinol by the iron-sulfur protein is the rate-limiting partial reaction in the bc1 complex, and that the rate of this reaction is extensively influenced by the midpoint potential of the iron-sulfur cluster.