Electron carrier protein. The oxidized form of the cytochrome c heme group can accept an electron from the heme group of the cytochrome c1 subunit of cytochrome reductase. Cytochrome c then transfers this electron to the cytochrome oxidase complex, the final protein carrier in the mitochondrial electron-transport chain.
Plays a role in apoptosis. Suppression of the anti-apoptotic members or activation of the pro-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family leads to altered mitochondrial membrane permeability resulting in release of cytochrome c into the cytosol. Binding of cytochrome c to Apaf-1 triggers the activation of caspase-9, which then accelerates apoptosis by activating other caspases.

Mitochondrion intermembrane space. Note=Loosely associated with the inner membrane.

Binds 1 heme c group covalently per subunit.
Phosphorylation at Tyr-49 and Tyr-98 both reduce by half the turnover in the reaction with cytochrome c oxidase, down-regulating mitochondrial respiration.

The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry

Belongs to the cytochrome c family.

Entrez Gene: 54205 Human

Entrez Gene: 13063 Mouse

Entrez Gene: 25309 Rat

Omim: 123970 Human

SwissProt: P99999 Human

SwissProt: P62897 Mouse

SwissProt: P62898 Rat

Unigene: 437060 Human