A high-molecular-weight c-type cytochrome, Cyc2, and a putative 22-kDa c-type cytochrome were detected in the membrane fraction released during spheroplast formation from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. This fraction was enriched in outer membrane components and devoid of cytoplasmic membrane markers. The genetics, as well as the subcellular localization of Cyc2 at the outer membrane level, therefore make it a prime candidate for the initial electron acceptor in the respiratory pathway between ferrous iron and oxygen.