CaATP inhibition of the MgATP-dependent proton pump (H+-ATPase) in bacterial photosynthetic membranes with a mechanism of alternative substrate inhibition

 The membrane-bound F1 sector of the H⁺–ATPase complex (F-type ATPase) in dark-adapted photosynthetic chromatophores is endowed with MgATP- and CaATP-dependent ATPase activities, both sensitive to inhibitors such as oligomycin and venturicidin. Because of contatamination of free Mg^{2 +} and Ca²⁺ ions in chromatophore preparations, kinetic characterization of the two hydrolitic reactions can be performed only in the presence of both substrates, using a model for two alternative substrates. The two activities are characterized by similar maximal rates and affinity constants V_MgATP and V_CaATP: 13±1 and 10±1 nmol s^–1 ATP hydrolyzed (μmol BChl)^–1; K_MgATP and K_CaATP: 0.22±0.06 and 0.20±0.05 mm]. However, only the MgATP-dependent ATPase is coupled to Δ*_{H +} generation. In this process CaATP acts as an alternative substrate and a competitive inhibitor of the proton pump, with a K_I coincident with K_CaATP for the hydrolytic activity. This finding highlights the central role that the coordination chemistry of the ion-nucleotide complex plays in determining the proton gating mechanism at the catalytic site(s) of the enzyme complex. These results are discussed on the basis of the coordination properties of the ions and of the available information on the protein structure. Received: 5 December 1995 / Accepted: 7 March 1996