The mitochondrial copper chaperone COX11 plays an auxiliary role in the defence against oxidative stress

Abstract COX11, a protein anchored in the inner mitochondrial membrane, was originally identified as a copper chaperone delivering Cu+ to the cytochrome c oxidase of the respiratory chain. Here, we present evidence that this protein is also involved in the defence against reactive oxygen species. Quantitative PCR analyses in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana revealed that the level of AtCOX11 mRNA rises under oxidative stress. The unexpected result that AtCOX11 knock-down lines contained less ROS than the wild-type can possibly be explained by the impaired oxidative phosphorylation, resulting in less respiration-dependent ROS formation. Similarly, we observed that yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae ScCOX11 null mutants produced less ROS than wild-type cells. However, when exposed to oxidative stress, yeast strains overexpressing ScCOX11 or AtCOX11 showed lower ROS levels compared with the control indicating a ROS-detoxifying effect of the COX11 proteins. The additive effect on ROS sensitivity upon deletion of ScCOX11 in addition to the known ROS scavenger gene SOD1 encoding superoxide dismutase 1 corroborates the oxidative stress-relieving function of ScCOX11. Moreover, yeast strains overexpressing soluble versions of either AtCOX11 or ScCOX11 became more resistant against oxidative stress. The importance of three conserved cysteines for the ROS scavenger function became apparent after their deletion that resulted in the loss of ROS resistance. Further studies of strains producing COX11 proteins with individually mutated cysteines indicate that the formation of disulphide bridges might be the underlying mechanism responsible for the antioxidative activity of COX11 proteins. Both AtCOX11 and ScCOX11 apparently partake in oxidative stress defence by directly or indirectly exploiting the redox capacity of their cysteine residues.