COX3 — Neurospora crassa

Summary

NCU16003 (COX3, NcCOX3) on the Neurospora crassa mitochondrial chromosome encodes cytochrome c oxidase subunit 3, a component of respiratory chain complex IV. The protein belongs to the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 3-like superfamily and exhibits cytochrome-c oxidase activity with ubiquinone binding, and is associated with mitochondrial electron transport from cytochrome c to oxygen and oxidative phosphorylation. It localises to the mitochondrial inner membrane. The gene is associated with numerous phenotypes including normal respiratory growth, decreased respiratory metabolism, absent desiccation resistance, decreased necrotic cell death and apoptosis, delayed cell cycle progression, increased mitophagy, abnormal budding, absent pseudohyphal and invasive growth, decreased prion formation, and reduced survival in stationary phase. It is also linked to mitochondrial genome maintenance abnormalities and petite-negative status. Related genes in other species, such as COX18 in yeast, are associated with cytochrome c oxidase assembly.