Electron Transport Chain

Quiz
Dehydrogenases produce NADH and FADH2 via
A. Glycolysis
B. TCA Cycle
C. β-oxidation
D. All of the above
Electron Transport Chain
Dehydrogenases produce NADH and FADH2 in
catabolism via
• Glycolysis
• TCA Cycle
• β-oxidation
Electron Transport Chain
Q: What happens to the electrons stored
in NADH and FADH2?
Electron Transport Chain
A: They get transferred to O2
• Through a series of electron carriers
• Located in the inner membrane of mitochondria
 Mitochondria
• Double membrane
• outer membrane
• inner membrane
• highly folded cristae
• enzymes & transport proteins
• intermembrane space
• fluid-filled space between
membranes
Oooooh!
Form fits
function!
Quiz
What are the total number of complexes in ETC
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Four Complexes of ETC
Complex I and II catalyze electron transfer to
Ubiquinone from
• NADH (complex I) and
• Succinate (complex II)
Four Complexes of ETC
Complex III
• From reduced Ubiquinone to cytochrome c

Complex IV
• From cytochrome c to O2
Quiz
Which of the complex has a large transmembrane
domain making it a L shape complex
A. Complex I
B. Complex II
C. Complex III
D. Complex IV
Complex I
• NADH to ubiquinone
• NADH:Q oxidoreductase
• NADH DH

• Composed of 42 different polypeptide chains

Complex I
• Including an FMN-containing flavoprotein and at
least six Fe-S centers

• L-shaped complex
• 4 protons are pumped from matrix to Inter M space
Complex II
Succinate dehydrogenase

4 different protein subunits

No protons are pumped by this complex into inter

membrane space
Quiz
Which of the complex does not pump protons
A. Complex I
B. Complex II
C. Complex III
D. Complex IV
Complex III
• Functional unit of complex III is dimer

• Cytochrome bc1 complex

• Q:cytochrome c oxidoreductase
Complex III
Transfer of electrons from QH2 to Cytochrome C with
vectorial transfer of four protons from matrix to
inter membrane space
Quiz
Which of these complexes pump four protons
A. Complex I
B. Complex II
C. Complex III
D. Complex IV
E. Complex I and III
Complex IV
Cyt C to O2

Cytochrome oxidase

Carries electrons from Cyt c to O2, producing H2O

Complex IV
13 subunits

Per pair of electrons transferred to oxygen, two

protons move from matrix to intermembrane space
Quiz
Which of the complex pumps two protons
A. Complex I
B. Complex II
C. Complex III
D. Complex IV
The Electron Transport Outcome
H+ are pumped out of the mitochondrial matrix

Therefore a H+ gradient is being built up

The matrix becomes negatively charged and the

intermembrane space becomes positively charged
ATP synthase (Complex V)
• Mitochondrial ATP synthase

• Synthesizes ATP, accompanied by flow of protons

back into matrix
ATP synthase (Complex V)
• Two distinct components:

• F1 = peripheral membrane protein

• Fo = integral to the membrane

Mitochondrial ATP
synthase complex
Fo complex making
up proton pore is
composed of three
subunits, a, b, c

F1 subunits has
9 subunits of 5
types (α3β3γδε)
ATP synthase is a “molecular motor”
• When protons pass through Fo, the c subunits of Fo
rotate
and rotate the attached gamma subunit of F1
along with them.
ATP synthase is a “molecular motor”
• Gamma-subunit passes through the center of the
α3β3 spheroid

• For each rotation, 3 ATP are synthesized

Quiz
Highest number of APT molecules are produced by
A. Glycolysis
B. TCA Cycle
C. ETC and Oxidative Phosphorylation
ATP synthase is a “molecular motor”

• When protons pass through Fo, the c

subunits of Fo rotate and rotate the
attached g subunit of F1 along with them.
• g-subunit passes through the center of
the α3β3 spheroid
• For each rotation, 3 ATP are synthesized
• γ-subunit rotate in one
direction when FoF1
is synthesizing ATP

• In opposite direction
when hydrolyzing
ATP
Electron Transport Chain
Inner
mitochondrial
Intermembrane space membrane

C
Q

NADH cytochrome cytochrome c

dehydrogenase bc complex oxidase complex

Mitochondrial matrix
Electron Transport Chain
NADH  NAD+ + H Building proton gradient!
e intermembrane
space
p
H+ H+ H+
inner
mitochondrial
H  e- + H+ C membrane

Q e–
e –
H e–
FADH2
FAD
H 1
NADH 2H+ + O2 H2 O
NAD+
2
NADH cytochrome cytochrome c
dehydrogenase bc complex oxidase complex
mitochondrial
matrix

What powers the proton (H+) pumps?…

H from Electron Carriers
• NADH passes electrons to ETC
• H cleaved off NADH & FADH2
• electrons stripped from H atoms  H+ (protons)
• electrons passed from one electron carrier to next in
mitochondrial membrane (ETC)
• transport proteins in membrane pump H+ (protons)
across inner membrane to intermembrane space

H+
H+ H+ H+
H+ H
+
H+ H+ H+ H+ H+

C
Q e–
e–
e –
FADH2
FAD
1
ADP
NADH 2H ++ O2 H2O + Pi
NAD+ 2
NADH cytochrome cytochrome c
dehydrogenase bc complex oxidase complex ATP
H+
But what “pulls” the
electrons down the ETC?

O2

electrons
flow downhill
to O2 oxidative phosphorylation
 “proton-motive” force
We did it! H+
H+ H+ H+
• Set up a H+ gradient H+ H+
H +
H+
• Allow the protons
to flow through ATP
synthase
• Synthesizes ATP

ADP + Pi  ATP

ADP + Pi

ATP
Are we
there yet? H+