Key respiratory chain protein

摘要

Respiratory complex I has a central role in cellular energy production. It is the first and largest enzyme of the respiratory chain, coupling electron transfer between NADH and ubiquinone to transmembrane proton translocation. The X-ray crystal structure of the Escherichia coli complex I membrane domain has now been determined at 3.0 A resolution. The structure reveals that lysines, rather than carboxylate residues, act as the main elements of the proton pump in these subunits.