| Background |
Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) is a 13-subunit complex spanning the inner mitochondrial membrane and responsible for the terminal reduction of dioxygen to water in the electron transport chain. The three core catalytic units COX-1, -2, -3 are trans-membrane proteins encoded by the mitochondrial genome, whereas the remaining 10 subunits are nuclear encoded and expressed in a tissue-specific manner. The expression of nuclear and mitochondrial subunits of the mitochondrial respiratory chain is thoμght to be highly coordinated. Cox-4 is believed to regulate COX activity according to the extramitochondrial ATP/ADP ratio.
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