Welchen Elina, Gonzalez Daniel H
Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, 3000, Argentina.
Physiol Plant. 2016 Jul;157(3):310-21. doi: 10.1111/ppl.12449. Epub 2016 May 23.
Cytochrome c (CYTc) is a soluble redox-active heme protein that transfers electrons from complex III to complex IV in the cyanide-sensitive mitochondrial respiratory pathway. CYTc biogenesis is a complex process that requires multiple steps until the mature active protein is obtained. CYTc levels and activity are finely regulated, revealing the importance of this protein not only as electron carrier but also in many other processes. In this article, we describe the role of CYTc in mitochondrial respiration, from its canonical role as electron carrier for ATP production to its involvement in protein import and the stabilization of respiratory complexes and supercomplexes. In plants, CYTc is connected to the synthesis of the antioxidant ascorbate and the detoxification of toxic compounds. Finally, CYTc is also a multi-functional signaling molecule that influences the balance between life and death, acting in energy provision for cellular functions or triggering programmed cell death. The confluence of several metabolic routes into a single protein that links redox reactions with energy producing pathways seems logical from the point of view of cellular economy, control and organization.
细胞色素c（CYTc）是一种可溶性的具有氧化还原活性的血红素蛋白，它在对氰化物敏感的线粒体呼吸途径中，将电子从复合物III传递至复合物IV。CYTc的生物合成是一个复杂的过程，需要多个步骤才能获得成熟的活性蛋白。CYTc的水平和活性受到精细调控，这表明该蛋白不仅作为电子载体，而且在许多其他过程中都具有重要意义。在本文中，我们描述了CYTc在线粒体呼吸中的作用，从其作为ATP生成的电子载体的经典作用，到其在蛋白质导入以及呼吸复合物和超复合物稳定中的作用。在植物中，CYTc与抗氧化剂抗坏血酸的合成以及有毒化合物的解毒有关。最后，CYTc也是一种多功能信号分子，它影响生死平衡，为细胞功能提供能量或触发程序性细胞死亡。从细胞经济、控制和组织的角度来看，几种代谢途径汇聚到一个将氧化还原反应与能量产生途径联系起来的单一蛋白质中似乎是合乎逻辑的。
