Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403.
Yeast cytochrome c oxidase has been isolated by ion exchange chromatography using lauryl maltoside (n-dodecyl beta-D-maltoside) as the solubilizing detergent. The enzyme prepared in this way has a heme aa3 concentration of 8-9 nmol/mg of protein and a turnover number in the range of 180-210 s-1 at pH 6.2 in 0.01% lauryl maltoside at 20 degrees C. Yeast cytochrome c oxidase prepared by any of several previously published methods which use Triton X-100 contains nine subunits. The enzyme isolated in lauryl maltoside contains these same nine different polypeptides and three others, including homologues of subunits VIa and VIb of the mammalian enzyme.