Exploring the Ubiquinone Binding Cavity of Respiratory

Proton pumping respiratory complex I is a major player inmitochondrial energy conversion. Yet little is known about themolecularmechanismofthislargemembraneproteincomplex.Understanding the details of ubiquinone reduction will be pre-requisite for elucidating this mechanism. Based on a recentlypublishedpartialstructureofthebacterialenzyme,wescannedthe proposed ubiquinone binding cavity of complex I by site-directedmutagenesisinthestrictlyaerobicyeast