Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 7A2, mitochondrial

COX7A2 (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 7A2) is a mitochondrial protein that functions as a component of complex IV in the electron transport chain (UniProt: P14406). It catalyzes the final step of oxidative phosphorylation, transferring electrons from cytochrome c to molecular oxygen and generating the electrochemical gradient essential for ATP synthesis.

As a structural subunit of the cytochrome c oxidase complex, COX7A2 is integral to mitochondrial energy metabolism across tissues dependent on aerobic respiration, including the brain. No primary disease associations are documented in UniProt; however, complex IV dysfunction has been implicated in neurodegenerative contexts.

COX7A2 is associated with Alzheimer's Disease in this dataset. Proteomics analysis of post-mortem AD brain tissue (TMT-labeled, four subcellular fractions) shows ambiguous regulation across fractions, with a mean log2 fold-change of 0.46 relative to age-matched controls (Chaparral AD proteomics). The inconsistent directionality across subcellular compartments suggests compartment-specific changes in COX7A2 abundance or localization in AD brain tissue.