COX IV isoform 1 is a nuclear-encoded polypeptide chain of the Cytochrome C Oxidase enzyme, located on the mitochondrial inner membrane. Owing to its widespread distribution in human and mammalian tissues, COX IV antibodies are widely used as loading controls for immunological assays. However, following pioneering research done by Wang et al in 1996, the COX IV antibody catalog has also proven useful in the areas of hypoxia, apoptosis and cancer research.
Cytochrome c oxidase is the terminal enzyme of the electron transport chain in the mitochondria. Its function is to couple electrons transferred from reduced cytochrome C to molecular oxygen, contributing to a proton electrochemical gradient in the process. The COX complex in composed of 13 mitochondrial-encoded and nuclear-encoded subunits. The mitochondrial subunits are known to regulate electron transfer and the proton pump. While the function of the nuclear-coded subunits is less clear, they are thought to be involved with regulating the assembly of the complex.
Research has revealed cytochrome c plays an important role in apoptosis. Following apoptotic stimulation, Bcl-2 triggers caspase release, causing a change in mitochondrial permeability. This in turn initiates the release of COX, which binds to Apaf-1 in combination with dATP (deoxyadenosine triphosphate) to form the apoptosome complex, activating procaspase-9 and triggering the apoptosis cascade. In 2010, Yuan et al. were able to identify the roles of COX and dATP in great detail, using electron cryomicroscopy and single-particle technology.
Novus Biologicals offers many COX IV reagents for your research needs including:
