Wheel and Deal in the Mitochondrial Inner Membranes: The Tale of Cytochrome c and Cardiolipin

Figure 2

Cardiolipin-binding sites in cytochrome c. (a) Ribbon representation of oxidized human Cc (PDB 2N9J) [92]. CL-binding sites are highlighted in orange (A-site or distal productive), green (L-site or proximal productive), purple (C-site), and cyan (N-site or proximal unproductive). The heme axial ligands H18 and M80 are highlighted as well. (b) Side chain representation of the positively charged Cc residues involved in the formation of the Cc-CL complex. Residues marked with an asterisk are reported to constitute the L- and N-sites. (c) Side chain representation of hydrophobic Cc residues, which ensure the tight interaction between Cc and CL acyl chains.

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