Biophysical characterization of Cox17, the metallochaperone to the mitochondria

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Publication Type dissertation
School or College School of Medicine
Department Biochemistry
Author Heaton, Daren Nathanial
Title Biophysical characterization of Cox17, the metallochaperone to the mitochondria
Date 2001-05
Description Cox17 is involved in copper delivery to the cytochrome oxidase complex. Cox17 binds Cu(I) ions via cysteinyl thiolate ligands. Cysteines 23, 24 and 26 of Cox17 are required to produced a functional cytochrome oxidase complex in vivo. These residues appear to be important for Cox17 copper binding, since a double mutant lacking cysteines 23 and 24 fails to bind copper. This double mutant localizes to the intermembrane space, indicating that copper binding does not signal mitochondrial Cox 17 uptake. The lack of function of the CYS57Tyr Cox17 variant appears to be due to a nonconservative change since a CYS57Ser Cox17 variant is functional. Cox17 binds three Cu(I) ions per monomer in a solvent shielded, polynuclear cluster. The Cox17 Cu(I)-thiolate bonds are thermodynamically stable, but kinetically labile. Therefore, Cox17 has the ability to prevent copper from reacting nonspecifically during copper transport through the mitochondria, yet still retains the ability to transfer the copper when Cox17 contacts its cellular target. At physiologically important concentrations, Cox17 exists in a dimer/tetramer equilibrium with a kd of 20 µM ± 10 µM. Cox17 variants with changes to essential cysteinyl residues fail to tetramerize under physiologically relevant concentrations. These mutants exist in a monomer/dimer equilibrium. The concentration of Cox17 in the cytoplasm appear to be close to .4 µm, whereas the Cox17 concentration of Cox17 in the intermembrane space is probably greater than 60 µM. Therefore, Cox17 is largely dimeric in the cytoplasm and tetrameric in the intermembrane space. Oligomerization may be important in copper delivery to cytochrome oxidase.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Physiology; Cytochrome; Micochondria
Subject MESH Carrier Proteins; Copper; Biological Transport
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name PhD
Language eng
Relation is Version of Digital reproduction of "© Biophysical characterization of Cox17, the metallochaperone to the mitochondria". Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library. Print version of "Biophysical characterization of Cox17, the metallochaperone to the mitochondria". available at J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collection. QP6.5 2001 .H43.
Rights Management © Daren Nathanial Heat.
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 2,763,325 bytes
Identifier undthes,4575
Source Original: University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library (no longer available).
Master File Extent 2,763,372 bytes
ARK ark:/87278/s6n87cnw
Setname ir_etd
ID 191523
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6n87cnw
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