Diphosphatidylglycerol-induced changes in the organization of mitochondrial ATPase

1. On submitochondrial particles from bovine heart, diphosphatidylglycerol produced a selective solubilization of ATPase. The solubilized enzyme was purified further by ammonium sulfate fractionation and shown to have the same reconstitutive activity as coupling factor F₁ (Pullman, M.E., Penefsky, H. S., Datta, A. and Racker, E. (1960) J. Biol. Chem. 235, 3322–3329).

2. Diphosphatidylglycerol-treated submitochondrial particles retained large amounts of the phospholipid and showed a decreased ATPase activity. Once the excess of phospholipid was removed, soluble ATPase could be again reincorporated in an oligomycin-sensitive complex.

3. On Mg-ATP particles the solubilization of ATPase induced by diphosphatidylglycerol was preceded by a stimulation of oligomycin-sensitive ATPase which indicated a dissociation of F₁ from the ATPase inhibitor (Pullman, M. E. and Monroy, G. C. (1963) J. Biol. Chem. 238, 3762–3769). Magnesium was required to obtain the oligomycin-sensitive stimulation whereas in the absence of magnesium the solubilization of ATPase was prevalent.

4. It is concluded that the decreased association of F₁ with the ATPase inhibitor produced by diphosphatidylglycerol, causes a labilization of ATPase-membrane interaction. Under particular conditions, e.g. a high amount of phospholipid and a low concentration of magnesium, this is followed by the detachment of ATPase.     

Spontaneous aggregation of the mitochondrial natural ATPase inhibitor in salt solutions as demonstrated by gel filtration and neutron scattering. Application to the concomitant purification of the ATPase inhibitor and F1-ATPase

(1) The natural ATPase inhibitor (IF1) from beef heart mitochondria has a tendency to form aggregates in aqueous solutions. The extent of aggregation and the structure of the aggregates were assessed by gel filtration and small-angle neutron scattering. IF1 polymerization was found to depend on the salt concentrations, pH of the medium and concentration of IF1. The higher the salt concentration, the lower the aggregation state. Aggregation of IF1 was decreased at slightly acidic pH. It increased with the concentration of IF1 as expected from the law of mass action. (2) Neutron scattering showed the aggregation of IF1 in 2 M ammonium sulfate solutions. The predominant species is the dimer which has a somewhat elongated shape. (3) The Sephadex G-50 chromatography that is supposed to deprive beef heart submitochondrial particles of loosely bound IF1 (Racker, E. and Horstman, L.L. (1967) J. Biol. Chem. 242, 2547-2551) was shown to have a limited effectiveness as a trap for IF1. The reason was that IF1 released from the particles formed high molecular weight aggregates that were not separated from the membrane vesicles by Sephadex G-50 chromatography. (4) The above observations provide the basis for a simple method of purification of beef heart IF1 which combines the recovery of the supernatant from submitochondrial particles with the last three steps of the IF1 preparation described by Horstman and Racker (J. Biol. Chem. (1970) 265, 1336-1344). The particles recovered in the sediment were deprived of IF1 and could therefore be used for preparation of F1-ATPase. The advantage of this method is that both IF1 and F1-ATPase can be prepared from the same batch of mitochondria.     

Mitochondrial H+-ATPase activation by an amine oxide detergent

Lauryl dimethylamine oxide activates ATP hydrolysis by the mitochondrial H+-ATPase. Activation is observed in systems with a high content of inhibitor protein as described by Pullman and Monroy (Pullman, M.E., and Monroy, G.C. (1963) J. Biol. Chem. 238, 3762-3769), i.e. Mg-ATP submitochondrial particles and a Triton X-100-solubilized H+-ATPase from the same particles. Detergent activation of ATP hydrolysis is also present in inhibitor-reconstituted systems, i.e. submitochondrial particles, Triton extracts, and soluble F1-ATPase. In submitochondrial particles depleted of inhibitor protein, lauryl dimethylamine oxide induced a biphasic response which is characterized by a drop-in activity induced by relatively low concentrations of LDAO; at higher concentrations the detergent activates to an extent never greater than the initial activity. In inhibitor protein-depleted oligomycin-sensitive Triton extracts, lauryl dimethylamine oxide stimulates ATP hydrolysis to very high values (30 mumol min-1 mg-1). These findings suggest that in addition to the inhibitor protein ATP hydrolysis is controlled by other subunit interactions.     

Reconstitution of mitochondrial F0.F1-ATPase with phosphatidylcholine using the nonionic detergent, octylglucoside

A reconstitution procedure has been developed for the incorporation of the mitochondrial F0.F1-ATPase into the bilayer of egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles. The nonionic detergent, octylglucoside, egg phosphatidylcholine, and the lipid-deficient, oligomycin-sensitive F0.F1-ATPase (Serrano, R., Kanner, B., and Racker, E. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 2453-2461) were combined in a 4770:320:1 detergent/phospholipid/protein molar ratio and then centrifuged on a discontinuous sucrose gradient to isolate the F0.F1-phosphatidylcholine complex. The specific activity of the reconstituted F0.F1-ATPase was as high as 14.5 mumol/min/mg protein, whereas with no added lipid the activity ranged between 1.4 and 2.2 mumol/min/mg protein. This reconstituted preparation exhibited greater than 90% oligomycin sensitivity which demonstrated the intactness of the multisubunit enzyme complex. The phosphatidylcholine/protein molar ratio of the reconstituted F0.F1 was 250:1 with less than 0.4% of the added octylglucoside remaining. Titrations with both phosphatidylcholine and octylglucoside demonstrated that the specific activity and oligomycin sensitivity were highly dependent on the concentrations of both phospholipid and detergent in the original reconstitution mixture. Analysis of the reconstituted ATPase by electron microscopy demonstrated that the catalytic portion of the enzyme complex projected from the phospholipid bilayer with an orientation similar to that observed with submitochondrial particles. The F0.F1-phosphatidylcholine complex was able to trap inulin, which suggests a vesicular structure impermeable to macromolecules. The electrophoretic mobility of the complex was identical to that for liposomes of egg phosphatidylcholine alone. The reconstitution conditions utilized give rise to an enzyme-phospholipid complex with very low ionic charge that demonstrates high oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity.     

Cold lability of membrane-bound F1-ATPase.

1. Preincubation of MgATP submitochondrial particles with EDTA or Tris.HCl liberated a measurable amount of ATPase inhibitor that could be rapidly purified using only trichloroacetic acid precipitation and heat treatment. 2. In spite of the emergence of high ATPase activity, a considerable amount of ATPase inhibitor was left in the particles. Comparative analysis of other submitochondrial preparations indicated that only AS-particles were effectively depleted. 3. The high ATPase activity of inhibitor-deficient particles, was labile at low temperature provided that the exposure to cold was done in the presence of MgATP. Other nucleotides could not substitute for ATP. Glycerol inhibited and salts enhanced the cold inactivation of membrane-bound F1-ATPase. Isolation of F1-ATPase from cold-inactivated particles yielded a soluble preparation of correspondingly lower activity. 4. It is concluded that together with the increase of ATPase activity, the ATP-dependent cold lability of membrane-bound F1-ATPase and the dislocation of ATPase inhibitor at non operative sites reveal the extent of ATPase complex disorganization.     

Extraction of mitochondrial protein-lipid complexes into organic solvents: an approach to study the interaction between the ATPase and the mitochondrial ATPase-inhibitor protein

Protein-lipid complexes were transferred directly from mitochondria and submitochondrial particles into hexane and ether. The protein-lipid residue left after solvent removal from these extracts was used to form liposomes which display low-temperature-resistant ATPase activity. Centrifugation experiments indicate that the ATPase activity is associated to the vesicles. Most of the F1-ATPases appear to be accessible to the external water phase of the liposomes. The ATPase activity of these particles was insensitive to dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and oligomycin. Incubation of these vesicles at room temperature activated (4--10-fold) the ATPase through a process that is partially sensitive to phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. The results with purified ATPase-inhibitor protein and (F1--ATPase)-inhibitor complex indicate that the activation process in the liposomes is due to the abolition of the inhibitory action of the inhibitor protein bound to a large fraction of the extracted ATPases. Liposomes prepared from hexane extracts obtained from submitochondrial particles having different levels of ATPase activity displayed an activation ratio which correlated with the number of ATPases that are inhibited by the inhibitor protein in the submitochondrial particles. The extraction of mitochondrial ATPase and its incorporation into liposomes followed by activity measurements may be used to judge the number of ATPases that in a given preparation contain the inhibitor protein in its inhibiting site.     

Increased content of natural ATPase inhibitor in tumor mitochondria

The ATPase activity of Zajdela hepatoma and Yoshida sarcoma submitochondrial particles was several times lower than the enzyme activity in rat heart and rat liver submitochondrial particles. The content of F1-ATPase in the tumor mitochondria was found not to be very different from that in mitochondria of rat liver. Immunochemical determination of the amount of the natural ATPase inhibitor revealed that the tumor mitochondria contain 2-3-times more ATPase inhibitor than control mitochondria. It is concluded that the low ATPase activity of the tumor mitochondria results from the inhibition of the enzyme activity by the natural ATPase inhibitor.     

The calcium-binding ATPase inhibitor protein from bovine heart mitochondria. Purification and properties

Two ATPase inhibitor proteins were isolated together from bovine heart mitochondria by a new procedure; each was purified further. The one inhibitor is a Ca2+-binding protein. It was found to contain 2 cysteine residues/mol as well as threonine and proline residues, all of which the other inhibitor (first isolated by Pullman and Monroy (Pullman, M.E., and Monroy, G. C. (1963) J. Biol. Chem. 238, 3762-3769] lacks. Its minimal molecular weight was 6390 with 62 amino acid residues/mol, and its isoelectric point was 4.6. Besides differences in size, composition, and response to Ca2+, the two inhibitor proteins also differed in response to sulfhydryl compounds, pH, KCl, and cardiolipin. Inhibition by the two inhibitor proteins was additive. Both cross-reacted with mitochondrial ATPase from rat skeletal muscle. Calmodulin, with or without Ca2+, had no effect on the activity of either inhibitor protein. Antibody to the Ca2+-binding inhibitor protein did not interact with the Pullman-Monroy inhibitor or have any effect on its activity. The antibody interacted with intact submitochondrial particles that contained both inhibitor proteins but not with particles from which only the Ca2+-binding inhibitor had been removed. Clearly, the two inhibitors are distinct immunologically as well as in other properties. The two types of inhibitor protein were also isolated from rat skeletal muscle mitochondria by the new procedure.     

Spontaneous aggregation of the mitochondrial natural ATPase inhibitor in salt solutions as demonstrated by gel filtration and neutron scattering. Application to the concomitant purification of the ATPase inhibitor and F1-ATPase

(1) The natural ATPase inhibitor (IF₁) from beef heart mitochondria has a tendency to form aggregates in aqueous solutions. The extent of aggregation and the structure of the aggregates were assessed by gel filtration and small-angle neutron scattering. IF₁ polymerization was found to depend on the salt concentrations, pH of the medium and concentration of IF₁. The higher the salt concentration, the lower the aggregation state. Aggregation of IF₁ was decreased at slightly acidic pH. It increased with the concentration of IF₁ as expected from the law of mass action. (2) Neutron scattering showed the aggregation of IF₁ in 2 M ammonium sulfate solutions. The predominant species is the dimer which has a somewhat elongated shape. (3) The Sephadex G-50 chromatography that is supposed to deprive beef heart submitochondrial particles of loosely bound IF₁ (Racker, E. and Horstman, L.L. (1967) J. Biol. Chem. 242, 2547–2551) was shown to have a limited effectiveness as a trap for IF₁. The reason was that IF₁ released from the particles formed high molecular weight aggregates that were not separated from the membrane vesicles by Sephadex G-50 chromatography. (4) The above observations provide the basis for a simple method of purification of beef heart IF₁ which combines the recovery of the supernatant from submitochondrial particles with the last three steps of the IF₁ preparation described by Horstman and Racker (J. Biol. Chem. (1970) 265, 1336–1344). The particles recovered in the sediment were deprived of IF₁ and could therefore be used for preparation of F₁-ATPase. The advantage of this method is that both IF₁ and F₁-ATPase can be prepared from the same batch of mitochondria.     

Spermine binding to submitochondrial particles and activation of adenosine triphosphatase.

Studies on the effects of polyamines on oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity of ox heart submitochondrial particles showed that, of the polyamines tested, only spermine affected the enzyme activity. Spermine within the physiological concentration range increased the Vmax. of the enzyme, but the Km for ATP was virtually unaffected. Binding studies of [14C]spermine to submitochondrial particles, under the same conditions as used for the ATPase assay, showed that the spermine binds to submitochondrial particles in a co-operative way; Hill plots of the data gave a Hill coefficient of 2 and a Kd of 8 microM. When submitochondrial particles were treated with trypsin, ATPase was not stimulated by spermine and the amount of spermine bound concomitantly was drastically decreased. The ATPase activity of isolated F1-ATPase was not affected by spermine. Removal of the natural protein ATPase inhibitor did not suppress either the stimulation of the ATPase activity by spermine or the spermine binding to the particles. The results obtained suggested that the polyamine binds and acts at the level of the liaison between the coupling factor F1 and the membrane sector F0 of the ATPase complex.     

Nickel(II) transport in human blood serum. Studies of nickel(II) binding to human albumin and to native-sequence peptide, and ternary-complex formation with l-histidine

1. The initial rapid phase of ATP hydrolysis by bovine heart submitochondrial particles or by soluble F1-ATPase is insensitive to anion activation (sulphite) or inhibition (azide). 2. The second slow phase of ATP hydrolysis is hyperbolically inhibited by azide (Ki approximately 10(-5) M); the inosine triphosphatase activity of submitochondrial particles or F1-ATPase is insensitive to azide or sulphite. 3. The rate of interconversion between rapid azide-insensitive and slow azide-sensitive phases of ATP hydrolysis does not depend on azide concentration, but strongly depends on ATP concentration. 4. Sulphite prevents the interconversion of the rapid initial phase of the reaction into the slower second phase, and also prevents and slowly reverses the inhibition by azide. 5. The presence of sulphite in the mixture when ADP reacts with ATPase of submitochondrial particles changes the pattern of the following activation process. 6. Azide blocks the activation of ATP-inhibited ATPase of submitochondrial particles by phosphoenolpyruvate and pyruvate kinase. 7. The results obtained suggest that the inhibiting effect of azide on mitochondrial ATPase is due to stabilization of inactive E*.ADP complex formed during ATP hydrolysis; the activation of ATPase by sulphite is also realized through the equilibrium between intermediate active E.ADP complex and inactive E*.ADP complex.     

Regulatory role of the ATPase inhibitor protein on proton conduction by mitochondrial H+-ATPase complex

This study shows that the natural inhibitor protein of mitochondrial H+-ATPase complex (IF1) inhibits, in addition to the catalytic activity, the proton conductivity of the complex. The inhibition of ATPase activity by IF1 is less effective in the purified F1 than in submitochondrial particles where F1 is bound to F0. No inhibition of H+ conductivity by F0 is observed in F1-depleted particles.     

Binding properties of an intrinsic ATPase inhibitor and occurrence in yeast mitochondria of a protein factor which stabilizes and facilitates the binding of the inhibitor to F1F0-ATPase

The content of an intrinsic ATPase inhibitor in mitochondria was determined by a radioimmunoassay procedure which showed the molar ratio of the inhibitor to ATPase to be 1:1. The ratio in submitochondrial particles, where half of the enzyme was activated, was the same as that of mitochondria, indicating that the inhibitor protein has affinity for the mitochondrial membrane as well as for F1-ATPase. The inhibitor protein could be removed from the mitochondrial membrane by incubation with 0.5 M Na2SO4 and concomitantly the enzyme was fully activated. The enzyme fully activated by the salt treatment was inactivated again by the externally added ATPase inhibitor in the presence of ATP and Mg2+. The enzyme-inhibitor complex (inactive) on the mitochondrial membrane was more stable than the solubilized enzyme-inhibitor complex but gradually dissociated in the absence of ATP and Mg2+. However, in mitochondria, the enzyme activity was inhibited even in the absence of the cofactors. A protein factor stabilizing the enzyme-inhibitor complex on the mitochondrial membrane was isolated from yeast mitochondria. This factor stabilized the inhibitor complex of membrane-bound ATPase while having no effect on that of purified F1-ATPase. It also efficiently facilitated the binding of the inhibitor to membrane-bound ATPase to form the complex, which reversibly dissociated at slightly alkaline pH.     

Effect of polyamines on mitochondrial F1-ATPase catalyzed reactions

The effect of polyamines on F1-ATPase catalyzed reactions has been studied through the use of submitochondrial particles and F1-ATPase. ATP degradation catalyzed by submitochondrial particles and F1-ATPase was inhibited by spermine and spermidine. Spermine's inhibition was much greater than spermidine's effect. In contrast, P1-ATP exchange and succinate dependent ATP synthesis catalyzed by submitochondrial particles were both stimulated by spermine. The inhibition of ATPase activity by polyamines probably occurs through polyamine's replacement of Mg2+ on ATP, for the following reasons. (a) The ATPase activity inhibited by spermine was partially recovered when Mg2+ was added. (b) Spermine bound to ATP and phospholipids but not to F1-ATPase; yet spermine inhibited the ATPase reaction catalyzed by F1-ATPase, a protein free of phospholipid. (c) The binding of spermine to ATP was inhibited by Mg2+. The ATP content in polyamine-deficient cells definitely was lower than that in normal cells. On the basis of these results, the possible role of spermine in keeping the ATP concentration at a high level is discussed.     

Isolation and comparative studies of mitochondrial F1-ATPase from Morris hepatoma and rat liver.

A simple method of isolating mitochondrial ATPase from rat liver and Morris hepatoma cell lines by chloroform extraction and chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex is described. This method is suitable even when small amounts of starting material with relatively low specific ATPase activity (in the case of hepatoma mitochondria and submitochondrial particles) are available. The isolated enzyme from both rat liver and hepatomas had a high specific activity, was similarly activated by bicarbonate and 2,4-dinitrophenol, and had a typical five-band pattern in sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis. Prior to DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, an additional protein band which migrates between the δ and ? subunits in the tumor F₁-ATPase preparation was observed. The purified enzymes were cold labile and restored oxidative phosphorylation function of F₁-ATPase depleted submitochondrial particles prepared from rat liver. The ATPase activity of the isolated enzymes was inhibited by mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor protein. The apparent stoichiometry of the inhibitor protein to the purified ATPase was extrapolated to be 2:1.     

Inactivation of the mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor protein by chemical modification with diethylpyrocarbonate

Modification of histidine residue(s) by diethylpyrocarbonate treatment of submitochondrial particles obtained by sonication results in inhibition of ATPase activity and stimulation of oligomycin-sensitive H+ conduction. The inhibition of the ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) activity persisted in F1 isolated from diethylpyrocarbonate-treated submitochondrial particles, which exhibited the absorbance spectrum of modified histidine. Thus the inhibition of the ATPase activity results from histidine modification in F1 subunits. Removal of the natural inhibitor protein from submitochondrial particles resulted in stimulation of proton conduction. After removal of F1 inhibitor protein from the particles the stimulatory effect exerted by diethylpyrocarbonate treatment on proton conduction was lost. Reconstitution experiments showed that purified F1 inhibitor protein lost, after histidine modification, its capacity to inhibit the ATPase activity and proton conduction. These observations show that the stimulation of proton conduction by the ATPase complex effected by diethylpyrocarbonate treatment results from histidine modification in F1 inhibitor protein.     

Regulation of the synthesis and hydrolysis of ATP by mitochondrial ATPase. Role of the natural ATPase inhibitor protein

The action of the natural ATPase inhibitor protein of Pullman and Monroy (Pullman, M. E., and Monroy, G. C. (1963) J. Biol. Chem. 238, 3762-3769) on the mechanisms of energy conservation of heart mitochondria has been explored. The synthesis and hydrolysis of ATP and the Pi-ATP exchange reaction were studied in submitochondrial particles that possess the ATPase-inhibitor protein complex in two distinguishable states. In addition to their different rates of hydrolysis, the two states of the complex have been identified from their different accessibility to antibodies directed against the inhibitor protein, and from the different action of antibodies and trypsin on the ATPase activity of the two types of particles studied. The steady state rates of hydrolysis and of the Pi-ATP exchange reaction of the particles are determined by the state in which the ATPase-inhibitor complex exists. Apparently by modifying the rate of one of the steps involved in the catalytic reaction of the ATPase, the inhibitor protein determines the extent to which the enzyme is able to catalyze ATP hydrolysis and the Pi-ATP exchange reaction. This action of the inhibitor protein also reflects the rate at which the particles carry out oxidative phosphorylation.     

Purification and properties of ATPase inhibitor from rat liver mitochondria.

(1) The ATPase inhibitior protein has been isolated from rat liver mitochondria in purified form. The molecular weight determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis is approximately 9500, and the isoelectric point is 8.9. (2) The protein inhibits both the soluble ATPase and the particle-bound ATPase from rat liver mitochondria. It also inhibits ATPase activities of soluble F1, and inhibitor-depleted submitochondrial particles derived from bovine heart mitochondria. (3) On particle-bound ATPase the inhibitor has its maximal effect if incubated in the presence of Mg2+. ATP at slightly acidic pH. (4) The inhibitor has a minimal effect on Pi-ATP exchange activity in sonicated submitochondrial particles. However, unexpectedly the inhibitor greatly stimules Pi-ATP exchange activity in whole mitochondria while the low ATPase activity of the mitochondria is not affected. The possible mechanism of action of the inhibitor on intact mitochondria is offered.     

Changes in activity and F1 content of mitochondrial H+-ATPase in regenerating rat liver

Submitochondrial particles prepared from rat liver during hepatic regeneration exhibit a depressed ATPase activity which is correlated with a decrease in F1 subunit content as shown by SDS-PAGE. Use of an antibody directed against the F1 portion of the H+-ATPase complex demonstrated that there is a definite decrease in the amount of beta-subunit of F1 in both submitochondrial particles and mitochondria from rat liver 24 h after partial hepatectomy.