Inhibition of mitochondrial F1-ATPase activity by an anti-alpha subunit monoclonal antibody which modifies interactions between catalytic and regulatory sites

A monoclonal antibody, 7B3, specific to the alpha subunit of the mitochondrial ATPase-ATP synthase inhibited the rate of ATP hydrolysis by either soluble F1 or electron transport particles up to a maximum of 75%. However, 7B3 did not modify the rate of ITP hydrolysis. In addition, the apparent Km for MgATP extrapolated at high ATP concentrations had the same value in the absence as in the presence of 7B3. The antibody did not change the inactivation rate of F1-ATPase induced by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide or 4-chloro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole. These observations indicate that 7B3 did not directly interfere with the catalytic sites of ATP or ITP hydrolysis. On the contrary, 7B3 modified the interaction between nucleotide sites and therefore the regulation of the rate of ATP hydrolysis. Indeed, 7B3 changed into a positive cooperativity the negative cooperativity observed when measuring the rate of ATP hydrolysis as a function of ATP concentration. 7B3 also increased the binding of ADP to F1. 7B3 prevented the rapid phase of inactivation of F1 by 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine. This phase has been correlated to the binding of 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine to regulatory sites (Di Pietro, A., Godinot, C., Martin, J. C., and Gautheron, D. C. (1979) Biochemistry 18, 1738-1745). The inhibition of ATP hydrolysis is concomitant with the binding of 1 mol of IgG or of 2 mol of Fab fragments per mol of F1. However, by further increasing the ratio Fab/F1, only 1 mol of Fab remained bound to F1 without change in inhibition of ATPase activity. All these experiments strongly support the suggestion that F1 conformational changes occurring upon binding of 7B3 to alpha subunit induce a modification of interactions between nucleotide sites. This modification would be consecutive to a change in the normal interaction between the alpha and beta subunits which is required to observe an active rate of ATP hydrolysis or synthesis. In conclusion, the use of this monoclonal antibody demonstrates for the first time in mammalian F1 the role of the conformation of the alpha subunit in the regulation of the ATPase activity.