New methods for determining proton pumping ability and electron transfer activity of the cytochrome bc1 complex

It is important to determine the electron transfer activity and proton pumping ability of the cytochrome bc(1) complex for better understanding its structure and function. In this study, several methods for determining the electron transfer and proton pumping of the bc(1) complex, including the traditional and the new methods, are presented and evaluated. For determining the proton pumping ability of the bc(1) complex, the new stopped-flow method has a higher accuracy than the traditional pH meter method, and the new spectrophotometer method is more convenient than the traditional pH meter method. In measuring the electron transfer activity of the bc(1) complex, the new stopped-flow method is more accurate and has a higher separating capacity than the traditional spectrophotometer method.