INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT ENGINEERING

OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION

LE HONG PHU, ASSOC. PROF. PHD

FUNDAMENTAL BIOCHEMISTRY

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 Learning objectives

1. To know the structure of four complexes

and ATP synthase
2. To know how H to move in electron flow

2
 Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CHEMIOSMOTIC THEORY
3. ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN
4. ATP SYNTHASE
5. CONCLUSION

3
 Activities

1. How many NADH and FADH2 are produced

from 1 glucose under glycolysis and CAC?
(5 mins)

2.Why do students of environment engineering

focus on this? (5 mins)

4
 Introduction
Living cells:
• synthesize macromolecules
• exchange substances with the environment
• move or change shape
• grow and reproduce
 require energy from outside sources.

 harvest chemical energy from high-potential energy organic

compounds like carbohydrates, then convert it into adenosine
triphosphate (ATP)

This catabolic pathway is called cellular respiration, one of

the most effective metabolism to produce helpful energy
for living cells.
In eukaryotes, electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation occur in the
inner membrane of mitochondria. These processes re-oxidize the NADH and
FADH2 that arise from the CAC, glycolysis, and trap the energy released as ATP.
In prokaryotes, the components of electron transport and
oxidative phosphorylation are located in the plasma
membrane.
H+

H+ H+

ADP ATP

Cytoplasm

Periplasmic space
CHEMIOSMOTIC THEORY
• NADH/FADH2 provide energy for electron
transport  create an electrochemical proton
gradient
• electrochemical
proton gradient 
create proton-motive
force  drive ATP
synthase  synthesize
ATP
Chemiosmosis can be found in photosynthesis
Electron Transport Chain
Electron Transport Chain
Complex I (NADH dehydrogenase)
Complex II (Succinate dehydrogenase)
Complex III (Cytochrome bc complex)
Complex IV (Cytochrome c oxidase)
ATP synthase
• Definition
- A kind of membrane
protein which acts as a ATP
powered pump
- Belongs to F class proton
pumps (F-type)
- Also called ATPase , F1F0
ATPase or Complex V of
which function is
transporting protons in the
form of hydrogen ions and
catalyzing the ATP synthesis
 Location Bacterial plasma membrane

inner
membrane

matrix

Mitochondrion
E. coli

ATP Chloroplast lumen

synthase inter-membrane stroma
space

thylakoid
membrane

ATP
synthase
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Some images of ATPase
Structure
• F0 component (intergral
protein)
- Hydrophobic segment  water-
insoluble protein
- Seemed as a stalk
- Proton channel  transport
hydrogen ions
- Up to 8 different subunits (a,b,c)
• F1 component (peripheral
protein)
- Hydrophilic segment  water-
soluble protein
- Seemed as a knob
- Contains catalytic subunits 
catalyze ATP hydrolysis
- 5 different subunits (33)
Mechanism of rotary engine

Stator
(ab2–33)
Protons through the
channel  the rotor spin
in one direction  the
stator spin in opposite
direction
Rotor
(–c12)
Binding-change mechanism of ATP synthase
 Binding-change mechanism of ATP synthase

Open  Loose  Tight  Open

- Open state: newly synthesized ATP can be released  one molecule of ADP
and one molecule Pi bind to an open site
- Loose state: Passage of protons  conformation change  ADP + Pi bind
more firmly
- Tight state: ADP + Pi are very tightly bound  ATP synthesis  ATP will be
released in the next open conformation
 ADP + Pi ATP

F1 3H +
matrix
Fo
intermembrane
space

F1Fo ATPase must transport 3 H+ into the mitochondrial

matrix for synthesizing 1 ATP
 Conclusion
• Cellular respiration keeps a role as oxidizing the food
molecules to carbon dioxide and water. This process
releases the energy in the form of ATP, consisting of
glycolysis, Krebs and electron transport chain driving
oxidative phosphorylation which re-oxidizes NADH and to
the series of electron carriers in the electron transport
chain and produce the most number of ATP molecules.

• This process depends on the different of electrochemical

gradient and membrane potential.
•
 REFERENCES
• Campbell AN, Reece JB. 2002. Biology. 6th ed. Pearson: Benjamin
Cummings
• Gilbert HF. 2000. Basic concepts in Biochemistry: A student’s
Survival. 2nd. USA: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc.
• Hames BD, Hooper NM. 2000. Instant notes in biochemistry. 2nd.
UK: Taylor & Francis e-Library
• Horton HR, Moran LA, Scrinmgeour KG, et al. 2006. Principles of
biochemistry. 4th. USA: Pearson Education, Inc.
• Metzler DE. 2003. Biochemistry: The chemical reactions of living
cells. 2nd. Elservier Acadamic Press
ANY QUESTIONS

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Thank you for your kindly listening

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