A new era for electron bifurcation
- Peters, John W. [ Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99163, United States ] [ Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, United States ]
- Beratan, David N. [ Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States; Department of Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, United States. ]
- Bothner, Brian [ Montana State University: Chemistry & Biochemistry ]
- Dyer, R. Brian [ Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States ]
- Harwood, Caroline S. [ Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States ]
- Heiden, Zachariah M. [ Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99163, United States ]
- Hille, Russ [ Biochemistry Department, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, United States ]
- Jones, Anne K. [ School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States ]
- King, Paul W. [ National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 8040, United States ]
- Lu, Yi [ Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, United States; Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States ]
- Lubner, Carolyn E. [ National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 8040, United States ]
- Minteer, Shelley D. [ Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States ]
- Mulder, David W. [ National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 8040, United States ]
- Raugei, Simone [ Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99163, United States ] [ Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, United States ]
- Schut, Gerrit J. [ Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States ]
- Seefeldt, Lance C. [ Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, United States ] [ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, United States ]
- Tokmina-Lukaszewska, Monika [ Montana State University: Chemistry & Biochemistry ]
- Zadvornyy, Oleg A. [ Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99163, United States ]
- Zhang, Peng [ Department of Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, United States ]
- Adams, Michael W. [ Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States ]
Electron bifurcation, or the coupling of exergonic and endergonic oxidation-reduction reactions, was discovered by Peter Mitchell and provides an elegant mechanism to rationalize and understand the logic that underpins the Q cycle of the respiratory chain. Thought to be a unique reaction of respiratory complex III for nearly 40 years, about a decade ago Wolfgang Buckel and Rudolf Thauer discovered that flavin-based electron bifurcation is also an important component of anaerobic microbial metabolism. Their discovery spawned a surge of research activity, providing a basis to understand flavin-based bifurcation, forging fundamental parallels with Mitchell's Q cycle and leading to the proposal of metal-based bifurcating enzymes. New insights into the mechanism of electron bifurcation provide a foundation to establish the unifying principles and essential elements of this fascinating biochemical phenomenon.