Chemical modification of the bovine mitochondrial bc1 complex reveals critical acidic residues involved in the proton pumping activity

Bovine heart ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase (bc(1) complex) was modified with N-(ethoxycarbonyl)-2-ethoxy-carbonyl)-2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ), which is a selective reagent for buried carboxyl groups. EEDQ treatment caused a loss of the proton pumping activity of liposome-reconstituted bc(1) complex, without effect on the passive proton conductivity of the proteoliposomes. Although the decoupling effect produced on proton translocation was similar to that elicited by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) modification of cytochrome b and subunit IX, EEDQ modified different subunits, namely the Core protein II and the iron-sulfur protein (ISP). A time-dependent increase of the labeling of both subunits was observed which was kinetically comparable with the decrease of the H+/e(-) ratio. Trypsin treatment of the complex showed that the EEDQ-modified carboxyl group in the ISP belongs to the protruding moiety of the protein, holding the Fe/S cluster. The results obtained show that critical acidic residues, located in different subunits of the bc(1) complex, at both sides of the membrane, contribute to its proton pumping activity.