Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Biochim Biophys Acta. 2011 Sep 16;1817(6):883–897. doi: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2011.09.005

Fig. 1. Simplified model for the process of COX assembly.

Fig. 1

General chaperones and RNA-specific translational activators (not depicted here but see explanation in the text) are required for synthesis of the mtDNA-encoded subunits forming the core. Following their insertion into the inner membrane, Cox1 and Cox2 are matured by addition of metal cofactors. At some point, substrate-specific chaperones bind Cox1 and Cox2 to maintain them in an assembly-competent state. A predicted Cox3 chaperone has not been yet identified. Following Cox1 maturation, the nuclear DNA-encoded Cox5 and 6 subunits are added to Cox1 prior incorporation of the other core subunits and the rest of the accessory subunits to form the holoenzyme.