Purified and reconstituted cytochrome {und c} oxidase and mitochondria were crosslinked with biimidates in the presence and absence of cytochrome {und c}. These experiments indicate that oxidase subunit interactions are required for activity and that cytochrome {und c} mobility may be required for electron transport activity. Biimidate treatment of purified and reconstituted oxidase crosslinks all of the oxidase protomers except subunit I when {ge} 20% of the free amines are modified and inhibits steady state oxidase activity. Transient kinetics of ferrocytochrome {und c} oxidation and ferricytochrome {und a} reduction indicates inhibition of electron transfer from heme {und a} to heme {und a}{sub 3}. Crosslinking oxidase molecules to form large aggregates displaying rotational correlation times {ge} 1 ms does not affect oxidase activity. Crosslinking of mitochondria covalently binds the bc{sub 1} and {und aa}{sub 3} complexes to cytochrome {und c}, and inhibits steady-state oxidase activity considerably more than in the case of the purified oxidase. Addition of cytochrome {und c} to the purified oxidase or to {und c}-depleted mitoplasts increases inhibition slightly. Cytochrome {und c} oligomers act as competitive inhibitors of native {und c}, however, crosslinking of cytochrome {und c} to {und c}-depleted mitoplasts or purified oxidase (with dimethyl suberimidate or …