Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1948795 | Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects | 2006 | 4 Pages |
Mitochondrial Ca2+ has been considered a trigger for the release of cytochrome c, which is a critical and early event in the induction of cell apoptosis, although the molecular mechanism underlying this effect is still not fully understood. Here we investigate the interaction between cytochrome c and cardiolipin and the effect of Ca2+ on this interaction using electrochemical methods. Experimental results revealed that modification of cardiolipin onto the surface of a pyrolytic graphite electrode could lead to a rapid direct electron transfer of cytochrome c through the electrostatic interaction between the protein and the cardiolipin. Addition of Ca2+ to the test solution containing cytochrome c could cause the decrease of the redox peaks of the protein, and the peaks could be recovered when Ca2+ was chelated by ethylenediaminetetraacetate. The cardiolipin–cytochrome c interaction and the Ca2+ effect were also investigated with the variation of the charges of lipids, buffer solutions, reaction time, and valencies of cations for comparison.