Cytochrome oxidase c subunit VIII. Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO), the terminal oxidase in the respiratory chains of eukaryotes and most bacteria, is a multi-chain transmembrane protein located in the inner membrane of mitochondria and the cell membrane of prokaryotes. It catalyzes the reduction of O2 and simultaneously pumps protons across the membrane. The number of subunits varies from three to five in bacteria and up to 13 in mammalian mitochondria. Subunits I, II, and III of mammalian CcO are encoded within the mitochondrial genome and the remaining 10 subunits are encoded within the nuclear genome. Found only in eukaryotes, subunit VIII is the smallest of the nuclear-encoded subunits. It exists in muscle-specific and non-muscle-specific isoforms that are differently expressed in different species, suggesting species-specific regulation of energy metabolism.
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