Uncoupler-reversible inhibition of mitochondrial ATPase by metal chelates of bathophenanthroline. I. General features

(1) Certain metal chelates of 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (bathophenanthroline, BPh) are potent inhibitors of soluble mitochondrial F₁-ATPase. (2) The BPh-metal chelate inhibition of soluble mitochondrial F₁-ATPase is relieved by uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. (3) The uncouplers appear to interact directly with the inhibitory chelates, forming stoichiometric adducts. (4) A complex between F₁ and bPh₃Fe²⁺, containing 3 mol BPh₃Fe²⁺/mol F₁, has been isolated. The enzymically inactive F₁-BPh₃Fe²⁺ complex binds uncouplers, yielding an enzymically active F₁-BPh₃Fe²⁺-uncoupler complex.     

Uncoupler-reversible inhibition of mitochondrial ATPase by metal chelates of bathophenanthroline. II. Comparison with other inhibitors

(1) Trisbathophenanthroline-Fe2+ (BPh3Fe2+)alters the hyperbolic relationship between concentration of ATP and reaction velocity of F1-ATPase to sigmoidal, with a simultaneous decrease in maximal velocity. (2) BPh3Fe2+ binds to the beta-subunit of F1 and competes with the binding of aurovertin. The reversal of this effect uncouplers in enhanced by ADP and diminished by ATP. BPh3Fe2+ also changes the hyperbolic concentration dependence of aurovertin binding to sigmoidal. (3) BPh3Fe2+ stabilizes F1 against the cold inactivation and cold dissociation in an uncoupler-reversible manner. (4) BPh3Fe2+ efficiently protects F1 against the light-induced inactivation occurring in the presence of Rose Bengal, and the effect is reversed by uncouplers. (5) The results are discussed in relation to the reaction mechanism of F1-ATPase and other enzymes catalyzing the reversible hydrolysis of pyrophosphate bonds.     

Resolution and reconstitution of H+ -ATPase complex from beef heart mitochondria

Mitochondrial H+ -ATPase complex, purified by the lysolecithin extraction procedure, has been resolved into a "membrane" (NaBr-F0) and a "soluble" fraction by treatment with 3.5 M sodium bromide. The NaBr-F0 fraction is completely devoid of beta, delta, and epsilon subunits of the F, ATPase and largely devoid of alpha and gamma subunits of F1, where F0 is used to denote the membrane fraction and F1, coupling factor 1. This is confirmed by complete loss of ATPase and Pi-ATP exchange activities. The addition of F1 (400 micrograms X mg-1 F0) results in complete restoration of oligomycin sensitivity without any reduction in the F1-ATPase activity. Presumably, this is due to release of ATPase inhibitor protein from the F1-F0 complex consequent to sodium bromide extraction. Restoration of Pi-ATP exchange and H+ -pumping activities require coupling factor B in addition to F1-ATPase. The oligomycin-sensitive ATPase and 32Pi-ATP exchange activities in reconstituted F1-F0 have the same sensitivity to uncouplers and energy transfer inhibitors as in starting submitochondrial particles from the heavy layer of mitochondria and F1-F0 complex. The data suggest that the altered properties of NaBr-F0 observed in other laboratories are probably inherent to their F1-F0 preparations rather than to sodium bromide treatment itself. The H+ -ATPase (F1-F0) complex of all known prokaryotic (3, 8, 9, 10, 21, 32, 34) and eukaryotic (11, 26, 30, 33, 35-37) phosphorylating membranes contain two functionally and structurally distinct entities. The hydrophilic component F1, composed of five unlike subunits, shows ATPase activity that is cold labile as well as uncoupler- and oligomycin-insensitive. The membrane-bound hydrophobic component F0, having no energy-linked catalytic activity of its own, is indirectly assayed by its ability to regain oligomycin sensitive ATPase and Pi-ATP exchange activities on binding to F1-ATPase (33). The purest preparations of bovine heart mitochondrial F0 show seven or eight major components in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate or SDS-PAGE (1, 2, 12, 14), ranging from 6 to 54 ku in molecular weight (12). The precise structure and polypeptide composition of mitochondrial F0 is not known. The F0 preparations from bovine heart reported so far have been derived from H+ -ATPase preparations isolated in the presence of cholate and deoxycholate (11, 33, 36, 37).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Microsomal lipid peroxidation: mechanisms of initiation. The role of iron and iron chelators

The role of iron and iron chelators in the initiation of microsomal lipid peroxidation has been investigated. It is shown that an Fe3+ chelate in order to be able to initiate enzymically induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes has to fulfill three criteria: (a) reducibility by NADPH; (b) reactivity of the Fe2+ chelate with rat liver microsomes has to fulfill three criteria: (a) reducibility by NADPH; (b) reactivity of the Fe2+ chelate with O2; and (c) formation of a relatively stable perferryl radical. NADH can support lipid peroxidation in the presence of ADP-Fe3+ or oxalate-Fe3+ at rates comparable to those obtained with NADPH but requires 10 to 15 times higher concentrations of the Fe3+ chelates for maximal activity. The results are discussed in relation to earlier proposed mechanisms of microsomal lipid peroxidation.     

Investigation of the substrate structure and metal cofactor requirements of the rat liver mitochondrial ATP synthase/ATPase complex

The F1 moiety of the rat liver mitochondrial ATP synthase/ATPase complex contains as isolated 2 mol Mg2+/mol F1, 1 mol of which is nonexchangeable and the other which is exchangeable (N. Williams, J. Hullihen, and P.L. Pedersen, (1987) Biochemistry 26, 162-169). In addition, the enzyme binds 1 mol ADP/mol F1 and 3 mol AMP.PNP, the latter of which can bind in complex formation with divalent cation and displace the Mg2+ at the exchangeable site. Thus, in terms of ligand binding sites the fully loaded rat liver F1 complex contains 3 mol MgAMP.PNP, 1 mol ADP, and 1 mol Mg2+. In this study we have used several metal ATP complexes or analogs thereof to gain further insight into the ligand binding domains of rat liver F1 and the mechanism by which it catalyzes ATP hydrolysis in soluble and membrane bound form. Studies with LaATP confirmed that MgATP is the most likely substrate for rat liver F1, and provided evidence that the enzyme may contain additional Mg2+ binding sites, undetected in previous studies of F1-ATPases, that are required for catalytic activity. Thus, F1 containing the thermodynamically stable LaATP complex in place of MgATP requires added Mg2+ to induce ATP hydrolysis. As Mg2+ cannot readily displace La2+ under these conditions there appears to be a catalytically important class of Mg2+ binding sites on rat liver F1, distinct from the nonexchangeable Mg2+ site and the sites involved in binding MgATP. Additional studies carried out with exchange inert metal-nucleotide complexes involving rhodium and the Mg2+ and Cd2+ complexes of ATP beta S and ATP alpha S imply that the rate-limiting step in the ATPase reaction pathway occurs subsequent to the P gamma-O-P beta bond cleavage steps, perhaps at the level of Mg(ADP)(Pi) hydrolysis or MgADP release. Evidence is presented that Mg2+ remains coordinated to the leaving group of the reaction, i.e., the beta phosphoryl group. Finally, in contrast to soluble F1, F1 bound to F0 in the inner mitochondrial membrane failed to discriminate between the Mg2+ complexes of the ATP beta S isomers. This indicates that a fundamental difference may exist between the catalytic or kinetic mechanism of F1 and the more physiologically intact F0F1 complex.     

Similarity of lysosomal H+-ATPase to mitochondrial F0F1-ATPase in sensitivity to anions and drugs as revealed by solubilization and reconstitution

Lysosomal H+-translocating ATPase (H+-ATPase) was solubilized with lysophosphatidylcholine and reconstituted into liposomes (Moriyama, Y., Takano, T. and Ohkuma, S. (1984) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 96, 927-930). In this study, the sensitivities of membrane-bound, solubilized and liposome-incorporated ATPase to various anions and drugs were measured in comparison with those of similar forms of mitochondrial H+-ATPase (mitochondrial F0F1-ATPase) with the following results. (1) Bicarbonate and sulfite activated solubilized lysosomal H+-ATPase, but not the membrane-bound ATPase or ATPase incorporated into liposomes. All three forms of mitochondrial F0F1-ATPase were activated by these anions. (2) All three forms of both lysosomal H+-ATPase and mitochondrial F0F1-ATPase were strongly inhibited by SCN-, NO3- and F-, but scarcely affected by Cl-, Br- and SO2-4. (3) The solubilized lysosomal H+-ATPase was strongly inhibited by azide, quercetin, 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl), 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS), 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) and oligomycin. Its sensitivity was almost the same as that of mitochondrial F0F1-ATPase. Neither membrane-bound ATPase nor ATPase incorporated into liposomes was affected appreciably by these drugs. These results indicate that the sensitivity to anions and drugs of lysosomal H+-ATPase depends on the form of the enzyme and that the sensitivity of the solubilized lysosomal H+-ATPase is very similar to that of mitochondrial F0F1-ATPase. On the other hand, the two ATPases differ in their sensitivity to N-ethylmaleimide and pyridoxal phosphate: only the mitochondrial ATPase is inhibited by pyridoxal phosphate whereas only the lysosomal ATPase is inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide.     

乙醇对F_1-ATP酶和H~+-ATP酶的抑制与其核苷酸结合位点状态的关系

 本文利用动力学方法研究了乙醇对F_1-ATP酶和H~(+)-ATP酶复合体的抑制与其结合核苷酸位点状态的关系,结果表明天然情况下乙醇对F_1呈现反竞争性抑制类型,对H~(+)-ATP酶呈现非竞争性抑制类型,且乙醇对F_1和H~(+)-ATP酶的抑制与核苷酸结合位点的构象密切相关。游离状态下和膜结合状态下的F_1在部分结合的核苷酸被洗脱前后动力学行为的不同,反映了二种状态下的F_1具有不同的构象,且F_0和膜脂对F_1起着一定的调控作用。     

Activation of Mg-ATP hydrolysis in isolated Rhodospirillum rubrum H+-ATPase

The effects of lauryl dimethylamine oxide on the Rhodospirillum rubrum H+-ATPase have been studied. This detergent activates Mg2+-dependent ATP hydrolysis in the isolated R. rubrum F0-F1 34-fold, whereas the Ca2+-ATPase activity is only slightly modified. ATPase activation by lauryl dimethylamine oxide enhances the effect on ATP hydrolysis exerted by free Mg2+ ions. Concentrations of free Mg2+ in the range of 0.025 mM favor activation while higher concentrations inhibit ATPase activity by approximately 70%. Steady-state kinetic analysis shows that lauryl dimethylamine oxide induces a complex kinetic behavior for Mg-ATP in the chromatophores, similar to the untreated F0-F1 complex. The initial rate value for Mg-ATP unisite catalysis was found to be 6.3 times higher (3.5 X 10(-3) mol Pi per mol R. rubrum F0-F1 per second) in the presence than in the absence of detergent, where the initial rate was 5.5 X 10(-4) mol Pi per mol R. rubrum F0-F1 per second. These experiments show that lauryl dimethylamine oxide shifts the cation requirement for ATP-hydrolysis of the isolated R. rubrum H+-ATPase from Ca2+ to Mg2+ and that it activates both multisite and unisite catalysis. Results are discussed in relation to the possibility of a regulatory role by Mg2+ ions on ATP hydrolysis expressed through subunit interactions.     

Fluoroaluminum and fluoroberyllium nucleoside diphosphate complexes as probes of the enzymatic mechanism of the mitochondrial F1-ATPase

The mechanism by which fluoride and aluminum or beryllium in combination with ADP inhibit beef heart mitochondrial F1-ATPase was investigated. The kinetics of inhibition depended on the nature of the anion present in the F1-ATPase assay medium. Inhibition required the presence of Mg2+ and developed more rapidly with sulfite and sulfate than with chloride, i.e., with anions which activate F1-ATPase activity. The ADP-fluorometal complexes were bound quasi-irreversibly to F1, and each mole of the inhibitory nucleotide-fluorometal complex was tightly associated with 1 mol of Mg2+. One mole of nucleotide-fluorometal complex was able to inhibit the activity of 1 mol of catalytic site in F1. Direct measurements of bound fluoride, aluminum, beryllium, and ADP indicated that the F1-bound ADP-fluorometal complexes are of the following types: ADP1A11F4, ADP1Be1F1, ADP1Be1F2, or ADP1Be1F3. Fluoroaluminates or fluoroberyllates are isomorphous to Pi, and the inhibitory nucleotide-fluorometal complexes mimicked transient intermediates of nucleotides that appeared in the course of ATP hydrolysis. On the other hand, each mole of fully inhibited F1, retained 2 mol of inhibitory complexes. The same stoichiometry was observed when ADP was replaced by GDP, a nucleotide which, unlike ADP, binds only to the catalytic sites of F1. These results are discussed in terms of a stochastic model in which the three cooperative catalytic sites of F1 function in interactive pairs.     

Effect of hydrostatic pressure on the mitochondrial ATP synthase

The effects of hydrostatic pressure on three different preparations of mitochondrial H+-ATPase were investigated by studies of the hydrolytic activity, of the spectral shift and quantum yield of the intrinsic protein fluorescence, and of filtration chromatography. Both membrane-bound and detergent-solubilized forms of the mitochondrial F0-F1 complex were reversibly inactivated in the pressure range of 600-1800 bar, whereas with soluble F1-ATPase the inactivation was irreversible. Pressure inactivation of soluble F1-ATPase was facilitated by decreasing the protein concentration, indicating that dissociation is an important factor. In the presence of 30% glycerol, soluble F1-ATPase becomes inactivated by pressure in a reversible fashion, recovering the original activity. ATPase activity measured in an aqueous medium returns to the original values when incubated under high pressure in a glycerol-containing medium without substrate and is even enhanced when Mg-ATP is present. ATP hydrolysis returns to 80% of its original value in the case of the F0-F1 complex. Fluorescence studies under pressure revealed a red shift in the spectral distribution of the emission of tyrosine fluorescence of soluble F1-ATPase. A decrease in the quantum yield of intrinsic fluorescence was also observed upon subjection to pressure. The fluorescence intensity decreased monotonically as a function of pressure when the sample was in an aqueous medium, whereas it presented a biphasic behavior in a 30% glycerol medium. Gel filtration studies demonstrated that the hydrodynamic properties of the F1-ATPase are preserved if the enzyme is subjected to pressure in the presence of glycerol but they are modified when the same procedure is performed in an aqueous medium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The association of the autoantigens of primary biliary cirrhosis with the mitochondrial H+-ATPase--a reassessment

The claimed association between the M2 autoantigens of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and the mitochondrial H+-ATPase has been re-examined in view of the recent reports that PBC autoantibodies react specifically with the lipoate acetyl transferases of 2-oxo acid dehydrogenases. Study of F0F1-ATPase purified from human and yeast mitochondria, and the comparison between immunoprecipitates obtained with antibodies against the H+-ATPase beta subunit and anti-M2 antibodies of PBC, established that the M2 antigens are not associated with the H+-ATPase complex. The M2 antigens did copurify with a crude bovine heart F1-ATPase preparation, but not with F1-ATPase from yeast, human heart or human liver.     

The nucleotide binding site of F1-ATPase which carries out uni-site catalysis is one of the alternating active sites of the enzyme

Nucleotide-depleted mitochondrial F1-ATPase binds 3'-(2')-O-(2-nitro-4-azidobenzoyl)-derivatives of ATP (NAB-ATP) and GTP (NAB-GTP) when these nucleotide analogues are added to the enzyme in equimolar quantities in the presence of Mg2+ (uni-site catalysis conditions). The binding of NAB-ATP is accompanied by its hydrolysis and inorganic phosphate dissociation from the enzyme; NAB-ADP remains bound to F1-ATPase. The F1-ATPase X NAB-ADP complex has no ATPase activity and its reactivation in the presence of an excess of ATP is accompanied by NAB-ADP release. The illumination of the F1-ATPase complexes with NAB-ADP or NAB-GDP leads to the covalent binding of one nucleotide analogue molecule to the enzyme and to the irreversible inactivation of F1-ATPase. It follows from the results obtained that the modification of just one of the F1-ATPase catalytic sites is sufficient to complete the inhibition of ATPase activity.     

The interaction of mitochondrial F1-ATPase with the natural ATPase inhibitor protein

The interaction of soluble mitochondrial ATPase from beef heart with the natural ATPase inhibitor was studied. It was found that the phosphorylation of small amounts of ADP by phosphoenolpyruvate and pyruvate kinase, and an ensuing catalytic cycle supports the binding of the inhibitor to the enzyme. The association of the inhibitor with F1-ATPase does not increase the content of ATP in the F1-ATPase-inhibitor complex. The inhibitor of catalytic activity bathophenanthroline-Fe2+ chelate prevents the interaction, while the association of the inhibitor with F1-ATPase is delayed if the reaction is carried out in 2H2O. The date indicate that a transient state involved in the catalytic cycle is the form of the enzyme that interacts with the inhibitor. The proton-motive force-induced dissociation of the inhibitor from particulate ATPase is prevented by bathophenanthroline-Fe2+ chelate and nitrobenzofurazan chloride, which indicates that a functional catalytic (beta) subunit is required for the proton-motive force-induced release of the inhibitor. The data suggest a direct involvement of catalytic (beta) subunit in the mechanism by which the F1-ATPase senses the proton-motive force.     

Purification and properties of H+-translocating, Mg2+-adenosine triphosphatase from vacuolar membranes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

H+-translocating, Mg2+-ATPase was solubilized from vacuolar membranes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the zwitterionic detergent N-tetradecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate and purified by glycerol density gradient centrifugation. Partially purified vacuolar membrane H+-ATPase, which had a specific activity of 18 units/mg of protein, was separated almost completely from acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase. The purified enzyme required phospholipids for maximal activity and hydrolyzed ATP, GTP, UTP, and CTP, with this order of preference. Its Km value for Mg2+-ATP was determined to be 0.21 mM and its optimal pH was 6.9. ADP inhibited the enzyme activity competitively, with a Ki value of 0.31 mM. The activity of purified ATPase was strongly inhibited by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide, tributyltin, 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzoxazole, diethylstilbestrol, and quercetin, but was not affected by oligomycin, sodium azide, sodium vanadate, or miconazole. It was not inhibited at all by antiserum against mitochondrial F1-ATPase or mitochondrial F1-ATPase inhibitor protein. These results indicated that vacuolar membrane H+-ATPase is different from either yeast plasma membrane H+-ATPase or mitochondrial F1-ATPase. The vacuolar membrane H+-ATPase was found to be composed of two major polypeptides a and b of Mr = 89,000 and 64,000, respectively, and a N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide binding polypeptide c of Mr = 19,500, whose polypeptide composition was also different from those of either plasma membrane H+-ATPase or mitochondrial F1-ATPase of S. cerevisiae.     

Electron transport pathways for the oxidation of endogenous substrate(s) in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Oxidation of endogenous substrate(s) of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans with O2 or Fe3+ as electron acceptor was studied in the presence of uncouplers and electron transport inhibitors. Endogenous substrate was oxidized with a respiratory quotient (CO2 produced/O2 consumed) of 1.0, indicating its carbohydrate nature. The oxidation was inhibited by complex I inhibitors (rotenone, amytal, and piericidin A) only partially, but piericidin A inhibited the oxidation with Fe3+ nearly completely. The oxidation was stimulated by uncouplers, and the stimulated activity was more sensitive to inhibition by complex I inhibitors. HQNO (2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide) also stimulated the oxidation, and the stimulated respiration was more sensitive to KCN inhibition than uncoupler stimulated respiration. Fructose, among 20 sugars and sugar alcohols including glucose and mannose, was oxidized with a CO2/O2 ratio of 1.0 by the organism. Iron chelators in general stimulated endogenous respiration, but some of them reduced Fe3+ chemically, introducing complications. The results are discussed in view of a branched electron transport system of the organism and its possible control.     

The functional unit of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase. Active site titration and fluorescence measurements

The properties of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase have been studied after modification of the ATP high affinity binding site with fluorescein isothiocyanate, both in the membranous state and after solubilization with the nonionic detergent, octaethyleneglycol monododecyl ether. Total inactivation of both membrane-bound and solubilized Ca2+-ATPase requires covalent attachment of 1 mol of fluorescein/mol of enzyme (115,000 g of protein) or per binding site for ATP. Sedimentation velocity studies of soluble enzyme showed that both unlabeled and fluorescein-labeled Ca2+-ATPase were present in a predominantly monomeric form. The phosphorylation level of unlabeled Ca2+-ATPase was unchanged by solubilization. Dephosphorylation measurements at 0 degree C indicated that the phosphorylation is an intermediate in the ATPase reaction catalyzed by solubilized Ca2+-ATPase. Fluorescein labeling of half of the Ca2+-ATPase in the membrane did not influence the enzyme kinetics of the remaining unmodified Ca2+-ATPase. Measurements of both fluorescein and tryptophan fluorescence indicated that the soluble monomer of Ca2+-ATPase like the membrane-bound enzyme exists in a Ca2+-dependent equilibrium between two principal conformations (E and E). E (absence of Ca2+) is unstable in the soluble form, but the pCa dependence of the E - E equilibrium is identical with that of the membranous Ca2+-ATPase (pCa0.5 = 6.7 and Hill coefficient 2). These results suggest that the Ca2+-ATPase polypeptides function with a high degree of independence in the membrane.     

Binding properties of 9K protein to F1-ATPase: a counterpart ligand to the ATPase inhibitor

A regulatory subunit of yeast mitochondrial ATP synthase, 9K protein, formed an equimolar complex with F1-ATPase in the presence of ATP and Mg2+, indicating that the binding of the protein to the enzyme took place in a similar manner to that of ATPase inhibitor. The ATP-hydrolyzing activity of F1-ATPase decreased 40% on binding of the 9K protein, and the remaining activity was resistant to external ATPase inhibitor. The apparent dissociation constant of the F1-ATPase-9K complex was determined by gel permeation chromatography to be 3.7 X 10(-6) M, which was in the same order of magnitude as that of enzyme-ATPase inhibitor complex (4.2 x 10(-6) M). When added simultaneously the binding of the inhibitor and 9K protein to F1-ATPase were competitive and the sum of their bindings did not exceed 1 mol per mol of enzyme. However, the binding of each protein ligand to F1-ATPase took more than 1 min for completion, and when one of these two proteins was added 10 min after the other, it did not replace the other. These observations strongly suggest that membrane-bound F1-ATPase always binds to either the 9K protein or ATPase inhibitor in intact mitochondria and that the complexes with the two ligands are active and inactive counterparts, respectively.     

Electron-microscopic studies on location of SH-groups in mitochondrial F1-ATPase using a ferritin label

A new approach has been suggested for electron-microscopic study of the structure of mitochondrial F1-ATPase based on ferritin labeling. By means of sequential treatment with 2-iminothiolane and Nbs2 we obtained a modified ferritin (NbsSPrCNH-Ft) able to react with SH-groups of proteins and to form conjugates in which the protein and ferritin are bound by disulfide bonds. An electron-microscopic investigation of the negatively stained preparations of mitochondrial F1-ATPase, preincubated with modified ferritin, revealed such enzyme-ferritin conjugates. In case of modified ferritin, containing 360 mol SH-groups per mol protein, and F1-ATPase, pretreated with N-ethylmaleimide and then with dithiothreitol, conjugates were obtained in which ferritin molecules are bound to several (as many as four) of the six protein masses, comprising a bilayer molecule of the enzyme. Taking into consideration the biochemical data on the location of accessible SH-groups (only in alpha, gamma or epsilon subunits), it is inferred from the results obtained that one of the protein masses is a complex between beta subunit and at least one of the minor subunits located partially on the molecule's external side. This indicates the nonequivalence of different copies of the major subunits. Averaged images of the particles of the F1-F0 complex from bovine heart mitochondria and bacteria Micrococcus lysodeicticus were obtained. It was found that F0 component is bound to two adjacent protein masses of the F1-ATPase molecule. It is suggested that this binding may be due the nonequivalency of single-type major subunits.     

Early events in the transport of proteins into mitochondria. Import competition by a mitochondrial presequence.

Studies with a synthetic presequence peptide, F1 beta 1-20, corresponding to the NH2-terminal 20 amino acids of the F1-ATPase beta-subunit precursor (pF1 beta) show that although this peptide binds avidly to phospholipid bi-layers it does not efficiently compete for import of full-length precursor into mitochondria, Ki approximately 100 microM (Hoyt, D.W., Cyr, D.M., Gierasch, L.M., and Douglas, M.G. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 21693-21699). Herein we report that longer F1 beta presequence peptides F1 beta 1-32 + 2, F1 beta 1-32SQ + 2, and F1 beta 21-51 + 3 compete for mitochondrial import at 1000-, 250-, and 25-fold lower concentrations, respectively, than F1 beta 1-20. A longer peptide, F1 beta 1-51 + 3, was no more effective as an import competitor than F1 beta 1-32 + 2. Both minimal length and amphiphilic character appear required in order for F1 beta peptides to block mitochondrial import. Import competition by longer F1 beta peptides seems to occur at a step common to all precursors since they blocked import of precursors to F1-ATPase alpha- and beta-subunits and the ADP/ATP carrier protein. Dissipation of membrane potential (delta psi) across the inner mitochondrial membrane is observed in the presence of F1 beta-peptides, but this mechanism alone does not account for the observed import inhibition. F1 beta 1-32 + 2 and 21-51 + 3 block import of pF1 beta 100% at peptide concentrations which dissipate delta psi less than 25%. In contrast, experiments with valinomycin demonstrate that when mitochondrial delta psi is reduced 25% import of pF1 beta is inhibited only 25%. Therefore, at least 75% of maximal import inhibition observed in the presence of F1 beta 1-32 + 2 and F1 beta 21-51 + 3 does not result from dissipation of delta psi. Import inhibition by F1 beta-peptides is reversible and can be overcome by increasing the amount of full-length precursor in import reactions. F1 beta presequence peptides and full-length precursor are therefore likely to compete for a common import step. Presequence dependent binding of pF1 beta to trypsin-sensitive elements on the outer mitochondrial membrane is insensitive to inhibitory concentrations of F1 beta presequence peptide. We conclude that import inhibition by F1 beta presequence peptides is competitive and occurs at a site beyond initial interaction of precursor proteins with mitochondria.     

Reactivity of synthetic Fe chelates with soils and soil components

The most effective and common Fe fertilisers in general are EDDHA and EDDHMA Fe chelates because they are highly stable ferric complexes in neutral and alkaline solutions. EDDHSA and EDDCHA iron chelates were introduced in the market recently. Commercial Fe chelates have two Fe fractions, chelated Fe and non-chelated Fe. The latter is bonded to by-products produced during the synthesis of the chelating agent. The effectiveness of Fe chelates depends on their ability to maintain Fe in the soil solution despite simultaneous equilibrium of Fe chelate with many cations, such as Ca²⁺. The main aim of this work was to test the possible agricultural use of EDDHSA and EDDCHA Fe chelates. The pH-Ca²⁺ effect on soluble and chelated Fe (pH ranging from 2 to 12) and the interaction of Fe chelates with soils and soil phases (ferrihydrite, acid peat, calcium carbonate and Ca montmorillonite) are presented. The results demonstrated that EDDHA, EDDHMA, EDDHSA and EDDCHA in solution remain fully associated with Fe from pH 4 to 9 despite competition with Ca. Among soil materials, ferrihydrite and acid peat retain both chelated and non-chelated Fe to the greatest extent. The type of chelating agent is a factor that affects chelated Fe availability in soil. FeEDDHA and FeEDDHMA were retained more by soil surfaces than FeEDDHSA and FeEDDCHA. Commercial Fe chelates present a large amount of soluble, non-chelated Fe and make Cu soluble in soils, which may be due to non-chelated Fe being displaced by Cu.