The mechanism of cytochrome C oxidase inhibition by nitric oxide

The basic biochemistry of the inhibition of cytochrome oxidase by NO is reviewed. Three possible mechanisms that include the binding of NO to the fully reduced Fe(a3)-Cu(B) site, to the semi-reduced Fe(a3)-Cu(B) site, and to the fully oxidized Fe(a3)-Cu(B) site are confronted with the experimental data. Mathematical models are used to facilitate the analysis and to solve puzzling observations concerning the NO inhibition of cytochrome oxidase. It is concluded that the inhibition of cytochrome oxidase by NO is mixed, having both competitive and uncompetitive components, but under physiological electron flows the competitive component is largely predominant. The physiological and pathological relevance of this inhibition is briefly discussed.