Comparison of the hydrophilic channels and their associated water molecules in bovine and P. denitrificans CcOs. Crystal structures of subunit I of oxidized CcOs from bovine (PDB ID code 1V54 (26), green) and P. denitrificans (PDB ID code 3HB3 (13), orange) were aligned on their a3 hemes. Amino acids and crystallographically resolved water molecules within the D, K, and H channels are displayed as spheres (green, bovine CcO; orange, P. denitrificans CcO). See text for details.