Conformational interactions between alpha and beta subunits in the F1 ATPase of Escherichia coli as shown by chemical modification of uncA401 and uncD412 mutant enzymes

In contrast to wild-type F1 adenosine triphosphatase, the beta subunits of soluble ATPase from Escherichia coli mutant strains AN120 (uncA401) and AN939 (uncD412) were not labeled by the fluorescent thiol-specific reagents 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein, 2-(4'-iodoacetamidoanilino)naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid or 4-[N-(iodoacetoxy)ethyl-N-methyl]amino-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole. The mutation in the alpha subunit (uncA401) of F1 ATPase thus influences the accessibility of the single cysteinyl residue in the beta subunit. Following reaction of ATPase with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole or N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, the alpha and beta subunits of the uncA401, but not of the uncD412 mutant F1 ATPase were intensely labeled by a fluorescent thiol reagent. The mutation in the beta subunit (uncD412) thus influences the accessibility of the cysteinyl residues in the alpha subunit. In other work [Stan-Lotter, H. and Bragg, P.D. (1986) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 248] we have shown that 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole and 2-(4'-iodoacetamidoanilino)naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid react with a different beta subunit from that labeled by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. This asymmetry with respect to modification by 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole and N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide was seen in both mutant enzymes. In addition, the modification of one beta subunit of the uncA401 F1 ATPase induced the previously unreactive sulfhydryl group of another beta subunit to react with 2-(4'-iodoacetamidoanilino-naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid. These results provide evidence for at least three types of conformational interactions of the major subunits of F1 ATPase: from alpha to beta, from beta to alpha, and from beta to beta. As in wild-type ATPase, labeling of membrane-bound unc mutant ATPase by a fluorescent thiol reagent modified the alpha subunits. This suggests that a conformational change of yet a different type occurs when the enzyme binds to the membrane.     

N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan bind to different beta subunits of the F1 ATPase of Escherichia coli

The fluorescent thiol reagent 2-(4'-iodoacetamidoanilino)naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid (IAANS) labels the gamma, delta, and one of the three beta subunits of the F1 ATPase from Escherichia coli (ECF1). This is the same beta subunit which incorporates 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (Nbf) [H. Stan-Lotter and P. D. Bragg (1986) Eur. J. Biochem. 154, 321-327]. After inactivation of ECF1 with N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), IAANS labels in addition to the beta, gamma, and delta subunits also the alpha subunit. This suggests a conformational change of ECF1 upon binding of DCCD. The beta subunit which incorporates DCCD does does not bind IAANS. Likewise, IAANS-modified ECF1 does not incorporate DCCD into the same beta subunit. It is concluded that DCCD and Nbf bind to different beta subunits. Since neither of these reagents binds to that beta subunit which can be crosslinked to to the epsilon subunit by 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide, these data show that there is a difference in the chemical reactivity of each of the three beta subunits of ECF1, despite their identical primary structures. This suggests that there is an asymmetry in the F1 molecule.     

Partial resolution of the enzymes catalyzing photophosphorylation. XV. Approaches to the active site of coupling factor I.

1. Prolonged treatment of coupling factor I (CF1) from spinach chloroplasts with trypsin free of chymotrypsin yielded an active ATPase. The isolated preparation showed only two polypeptide chains (mol wt 55,000 to 60,000) on acrylamide gels run in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The three smaller subunits of CF1 were not detectable. The preparation no longer served as a coupling factor for photophosphorylation in either EDTA- or silicotungstate-treated chloroplasts. 2. An antiserum prepared against coupling factor I from chloroplasts inhibited the ATPase activity of the trypsin-treated CF1. In contrast, antisera prepared against the two individual (denatured) subunits did not inhibit the ATPase activity when tested either alone or together, although each interacted with the trypsin-treated protein, forming precipitin lines in Ouchterlony plates. 3. The trypsin-treated enzyme was still cold-labile, showing that the three smaller subunits are not required for this property. However, the enzyme was no longer sensitive to the natural inhibitor protein which is one of its subunits (subunit epislon), but was still sensitive to inhibition by the flavonoid quercetin. 4. Two equivalents of 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole were sufficient to inhibit about 80% of the ATPase activity of the coupling factor, irrespective of whether it contained two of five subunits. The inhibition was completely reversed by dithiothreitol. 5. Triated 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole was prepared. Treatment of the coupling factor with this tritium-labeled inhibitor followed by electrophoresis on acrylamide gels revealed that most of the radioactivity was incorporated into the beta subunit of the enzyme (molecular weight 56,000).     

Role of minor subunits in the structural asymmetry of the Escherichia coli F1-ATPase

The beta subunits of the Escherichia coli F1-ATPase react independently with chemical reagents (Stan-Lotter, H. and Bragg, P.D. (1986) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 248, 116-120). Thus, one beta subunit is readily crosslinked to the epsilon subunit, another reacts with N-N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), and a third one is modified by 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NbfCl). This asymmetric behaviour is not due to the association of the delta and epsilon subunits of the ATPase molecule with specific beta subunits since it is maintained in a delta, epsilon-deficient form of the enzyme.     

Properties of the partially purified tonoplast H+-pumping ATPase from oat roots

Higher plant cells have one or more vacuoles important for maintaining cell turgor and for the transport and storage of ions and metabolites. One driving force for solute transport across the vacuolar membrane (tonoplast) is provided by an ATP-dependent electrogenic H+ pump. The tonoplast H+-pumping ATPase from oat roots has been solubilized with Triton X-100 and purified 16-fold by Sepharose 4B chromatography. The partially purified enzyme was sensitive to the same inhibitors (N-ethylmaleimide, N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole, 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene disulfonic acid, and NO-3) as the native membrane-bound enzyme. The partially purified enzyme was stimulated by Cl- (Km(app) = 1.0 mM) and hydrolyzed ATP with a Km(app) of 0.25 mM. Thus, the partially purified tonoplast ATPase has retained the properties of the native membrane-bound enzyme. [14C]DCCD labeled a single polypeptide (14-18 kDa) in the purified tonoplast ATPase preparation. Two major polypeptides, 72 and 60 kDa, that copurified with the ATPase activity and the 14-18-kDa DCCD-binding peptide are postulated to be subunits of a holoenzyme of 300-600 kDa (estimated by gel filtration). Despite several catalytic similarities with the mitochondrial H+-ATPase, the major polypeptides of the tonoplast ATPase differed in mass from the alpha and beta subunits (58 and 55 kDa) and the [14C] DCCD-binding proteolipid (8 kDa) of the oat F1F0-ATPase.     

Involvement of tyrosyl residues in the structure-function relationships of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase: a phospholipid-requiring enzyme

The involvement of tyrosyl residues in the function of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, a lipid-requiring enzyme, has been investigated by using several tyrosyl modifying reagents, i.e., N-acetylimidazole, a hydrophilic reagent, and 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole and tetranitromethane, two hydrophobic reagents. Modification of the tyrosyl residues highly inactivates the derived enzyme: Treatment of the enzyme with 7-chloro-4-nitro[14C]benzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole leads to an absorbance at 380 nm and to an incorporation of about 1 mol of 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole per polypeptide chain for complete inactivation. Inactivation by N-acetylimidazole induces a decrease in absorbance at 280 nm which can be reversed by hydroxylamine treatment. On the other hand, the ligands of the active site, such as methylmalonate, a pseudosubstrate, and NAD+ (or NADH), do not protect the enzyme against inactivation. In contrast, the presence of phospholipids strongly protects the enzyme against hydrophobic reagents. Finally, previous modification of the enzyme with N-acetylimidazole does not affect the incorporation of 7-chloro-4-nitro[14C]benzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole while modification with tetranitromethane does. These results indicate the existence of two classes of tyrosyl residues which are essential for enzymatic activity, and demonstrate their location outside of the active site. One of these residues appears to be located close to the enzyme-phospholipid interacting sites. These essential residues may also be essential for maintenance of the correct active conformation.     

Structure-function investigations of the membrane (Na+ + Mg2+)-ATPase from Acholeplasma laidlawii B: studies of reactive amino acid residues using group-specific reagents

The purified, lipid-reconstituted (Na+ + Mg2+)-ATPase from Acholeplasma laidlawii B was treated with a variety of reagents which specifically modify various amino acid residues on the enzyme. In all cases reaction of this enzyme with any of the reagents tested results in at least a partial inactivation of its activity. The modification of one reactive lysine by dinitrofluorobenzene, of one reactive arginine by phenylglyoxal, or of two tyrosine residues by 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole or fluorosulfonylbenzoyl adenosine results in a complete inactivation of the enzyme. Partial inactivation of enzymatic activity with N-ethylmaleimide, p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonic acid, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, and Woodward's reagent K suggests an indirect involvement of sulfhydryl and carboxylic acid groups in the maintenance of enzymatic activity, although inhibition by these reagents may also be the result of nonspecific effects such as subunit crosslinking. These studies also show that all of the subunits of the ATPase can be labeled by aqueous-phase reagents directed at amino groups and phenolic groups, and provide evidence for a specific affinity labeling of the alpha subunit of the enzyme by a nucleotide analog directed at phenolic and/or sulfhydryl groups.     

Interaction of glutathione transferase from horse erythrocytes with 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole

7-Chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole reacts with two thiol groups of the dimeric horse erythrocyte glutathione transferase at pH 5.0, with strong inactivation reversible on dithiothreitol treatment. The inactivation kinetic follows a biphasic pattern, similar to that caused by other thiol reagents as recently reported. Both S-methylglutathione and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene protect the enzyme from inactivation. Analysis of the reactive SH group-containing peptide gives the sequence Ala-Ser-Cys-Leu-Tyr, identical with that of the peptide that contains the reactive cysteine 47 of the human placental transferase. In the presence of glutathione, the enzyme is not inactivated by this reagent, but it catalyzes its conjugation to glutathione. At higher pH values, 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole reacts with 2 tyrosines/dimer and lysines, as well as with cysteines. Reaction with lysine seems essentially without effect on activity; whether the reactive tyrosines are important for activity could not be determined using this reagent only. However, 2 tyrosines among the 4 that are nitrated by tetranitro-methane are important for activity.     

Mitochondrial F1-ATPase will bind and cleave ATP but only slowly release ADP after N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide or 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole derivatization

The ATPase from the inner mitochondrial membrane is known to be inhibited by modification of one of the three catalytic subunits with N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) or 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole. An experimental approach described in this paper shows that most of the residual ATPase activity observed after the usual DCCD or 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole modification is due to the presence of unmodified enzyme, although the large fraction of modified enzyme retains a weak catalytic activity. This weak catalytic activity can be stimulated by methanol or dimethyl sulfoxide. When the modified enzymes are exposed to Mg2+ and [3H]ATP, about equal amounts of [3H]ATP and [3H]ADP appear at catalytic sites. The turnover rate for these enzymes is less than 1/1000 that of the native enzyme when it is calculated from the rate at which the enzyme becomes labeled at the catalytic sites with [3H]ATP and [3H]ADP during steady state hydrolysis. In addition, a higher ATP concentration is required for steady state turnover and, after ATP binding, the principal rate-limiting step is the capacity of the derivatized enzyme to undergo the binding changes necessary for the release of ADP and Pi. When the modified enzymes are not hydrolyzing ATP, they convert to form(s) that show a distinct lag in the replacement of bound nucleotides at catalytic sites. The replacement of bound nucleotides is still promoted by MgATP, even though the enzymes have been converted to sluggish forms. Contrary to a recent suggestion based on the study of the DCCD-modified enzyme (Soong, K.S., and Wang, J.H. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 136-141), our data provide evidence for the existence of catalytic cooperatively between at least two alternating sites in the modified enzyme and are consistent with continued sequential participation of all three sites.     

Some peculiarities of functioning of H+-ATPase from the membranes of the anaerobic bacterium Lactobacillus casei

Radiation inactivation analysis gave the target sizes of 176 +/- 5 kDa and 275 +/- 33 kDa for ATPase from anaerobic Lactobacillus casei and aerobic Micrococcus luteus bacteria respectively. The values are close to the known molecular masses of the enzymes. Thus, to function the L. casei ATPase, like the F1-ATPases, requires a complete structure composed of all the enzyme subunits. L. casei ATPase is inhibited by 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole owing to modification of an amino acid residue(s) with pK greater than 8.5. L. casei ATPase consists of six identical subunits and differs from alpha 3 beta 3 gamma delta epsilon-type F1-ATPases in a number of catalytic properties. Namely, ATP hydrolysis under the 'unisite' conditions proceeds at a relatively high rate suggesting the absence of cooperative interactions between the catalytic sites. Contrary to mitochondrial F1-ATPase. L. casei ATPase does not form an inactive complex with ADP. These findings imply essential differences in the operating mechanism for L. casei ATPase and F1 ATPase.     

Reaction of 2-azido-ATP with beta subunits in the F1-adenosine triphosphatase of Escherichia coli

The three beta subunits of the Escherichia coli F1-ATPase react independently with chemical reagents (Stan Lotter, H. and Bragg, P.D. (1986) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 248, 116-120). Thus, one beta subunit is readily cross-linked to the epsilon subunit, another reacts with N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), and the third one is modified by 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NbfCl). The relationship of the binding site for 2-azido-ATP to the three types of beta subunit recognized by chemical labeling was examined. The binding site for 2-azido-ATP was not associated with a specific type of beta-subunit. There was no relationship between the site of nucleotide and the association of the epsilon subunit with a particular beta subunit. It is concluded that the presence of the epsilon subunit (possibly in association with the other minor subunits) does not determine the position of the catalytic site. The possibility that the lack of a specific relationship between the 2-azido-ATP binding site and a specific beta subunit was due to turnover of the enzyme, making each beta a catalytic site in turn, could not be entirely rejected. However, the rate of hydrolysis of 2-azido-ATP by the DCCD-modified ATPase was very low in the presence of EDTA, and was likely due to catalysis at single sites.     

Fluorescence energy transfer between ligand binding sites on chloroplast coupling factor 1.

The method of fluorescence energy transfer is used to measure the distance from the tight nucleotide binding sites to the 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole reactive sites on solubilized spinach chloroplast coupling factor 1 (CF1). The fluorescent adenine nucleotide analogs 1,N-6-ethenoadenosine diphosphate and 1,N-6-ethenoadenylyl imidodiphosphate were used as donors and 4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole bound to a tyrosine group and to an amino group were used as acceptors of energy transfer. Using three different donor-acceptor pairs, the distance measured varied from 38 to 43 A assuming both donor sites are equidistant from the acceptor site. A model is proposed for the location of the tight nucleotide binding sites and the active site on the alpha and beta subunits of CF1.     

Activation and inhibition of the Escherichia coli F1-ATPase by monoclonal antibodies which recognize the epsilon subunit

The properties of two monoclonal antibodies which recognize the epsilon subunit of Escherichia coli F1-ATPase were studied in detail. The epsilon subunit is a tightly bound but dissociable inhibitor of the ATPase activity of soluble F1-ATPase. Antibody epsilon-1 binds free epsilon with a dissociation constant of 2.4 nM but cannot bind epsilon when it is associated with F1-ATPase. Likewise epsilon cannot associate with F1-ATPase in the presence of high concentrations of epsilon-1. Thus epsilon-1 activates F1-ATPase which contains the epsilon subunit, and prevents added epsilon from inhibiting the enzyme. Epsilon-1 cannot bind to membrane-bound F1-ATPase. The epsilon-4 antibody binds free epsilon with a dissociation constant of 26 nM. Epsilon-4 can bind to the F1-ATPase complex, but, like epsilon-1, it reverses the inhibition of F1-ATPase by the epsilon subunit. The epsilon subunit remains crosslinkable to both the beta and gamma subunits in the presence of epsilon-4, indicating that it is not grossly displaced from its normal position by the antibody. Presumably the activation arises from more subtle conformational effects. Antibodies epsilon-4 and delta-2, which recognizes the delta subunit, both bind to F1F0 in E. coli membrane vesicles, indicating that these subunits are substantially exposed in the membrane-bound complex. Epsilon-4 inhibits the ATPase activity of the membrane-bound enzyme by about 50%, and Fab prepared from epsilon-4 inhibits by about 40%. This inhibition is not associated with any substantial change in the major apparent Km for ATP. These results suggest that inhibition of membrane-bound F1-ATPase arises from steric effects of the antibody.     

Nucleotide binding sites and chemical modification of the chromaffin granule proton ATPase

The purified proton ATPase of chromaffin granules contains five different polypeptides denoted as subunits I to V in the order of decreasing molecular weights of 115,000, 72,000, 57,000, 39,000, and 17,000, respectively. The purified enzyme was reconstituted as a highly active proton pump, and the binding of N-ethylmaleimide and nucleotides to individual subunits was studied. N-Ethylmaleimide binds to subunits I, II, and IV, but inhibition of both ATPase and proton pumping activity correlated with binding to subunit II. In the presence of ADP, the saturation curve of ATP changed from hyperbolic to a sigmoid shape, suggesting that the proton ATPase is an allosteric enzyme. Upon illumination of the purified enzyme in the presence of micromolar concentrations of 8-azido-ATP, alpha-[35S]ATP, or alpha-[32P]ATP subunits I, II, and IV were labeled. However, at concentrations of alpha-[32P]ATP below 0.1 microM, subunit II was exclusively labeled in both the purified and reconstituted enzyme. This labeling was absolutely dependent on the presence of divalent cations, like Mg2+ and Mn2+, while Ca2+, Co2+, and Zn2+ had little or no effect. About 0.2 mM Mg2+ was required to saturate the reaction even in the presence of 50 nM alpha-[32P]ATP, suggesting a specific and separate Mg2+ binding site on the enzyme. Nitrate, sulfate, and thiocyanate at 100 mM or N-ethylmaleimide and 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole at 100 microM prevented the binding of the nucleotide to subunit II. The labeling of this subunit was effectively prevented by micromolar concentrations of three phosphonucleotides including those that cannot serve as substrate for the enzyme. It is concluded that a tightly bound ADP on subunit II is necessary for the activity of the enzyme.     

Reaction of membrane-bound F1-adenosine triphosphatase of Escherichia coli with chemical ligands and the asymmetry of beta subunits

The three beta subunits of the isolated Escherichia coli F1-ATPase react independently with chemical reagents (Stan-Lotter, H. and Bragg, P.D. (1986) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 284, 116-120). Thus, one beta subunit is readily cross-linked to the epsilon subunit, Another reacts with N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), and the third one is modified on a lysine residue by 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NbfCl). The binding site for the ATP analog, 2-azido-ATP, was not associated with a specific type of beta subunit (Bragg, P.D. and Hou, C. (1989) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 974, 24-29). We now show that this binding site is a catalytic site as opposed to a noncatalytic nucleotide-binding site. NbfCl reacted with a tyrosine residue on the DCCD-reacting beta subunit in contrast to the different subunit location of the lysine residue labeled by the reagent. Thus, O to N transfer of the Nbf group in the free F1-ATPase involves transfer between subunits. The chemical labelling pattern of membrane-bound F1-ATPase differed from that of free F1. The strict asymmetry of labeling of the free F1-ATPase was not observed. Thus, double labeling of beta subunits by several reagents was found. This suggests that the asymmetry was not induced by chemical modification, but is inherent in the structure of the ATPase.     

Purification and properties of the ATPase solubilized from membranes of an acidothermophilic archaebacterium, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

A novel ATPase was solubilized from membranes of an acidothermophilic archaebacterium, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, with low ionic strength buffer containing EDTA. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by hydrophobic chromatography and gel filtration. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 360,000. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed that it consisted of three kinds of subunits, alpha, beta, and gamma, whose molecular weights were approximately 69,000, 54,000, and 28,000, respectively, and the most probable subunit stoichiometry was alpha 3 beta 3 gamma 1. The purified ATPase hydrolyzed ATP, GTP, ITP, and CTP but not UTP, ADP, AMP, or p-nitrophenylphosphate. The enzyme was highly heat stable and showed an optimal temperature of 85 degrees C. It showed an optimal pH of around 5, very little activity at neutral pH, and another small activity peak at pH 8.5. The ATPase activity was significantly stimulated by bisulfite and bicarbonate ions, the optimal pH remaining unchanged. The Lineweaver-Burk plot was linear, and the Km for ATP and the Vmax were estimated to be 1.6 mM and 13 mumol Pi.mg.-1.min-1, respectively, at pH 5.2 at 60 degrees C in the presence of bisulfite. The chemical modification reagent, 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole, caused inactivation of the ATPase activity although the enzyme was not inhibited by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, N-ethyl-maleimide, azide or vanadate. These results suggest that the ATPase purified from membranes of S. acidocaldarius resembles other archaebacterial ATPases, although a counterpart of the gamma subunit has not been found in the latter. The relationship of the S. acidocaldarius ATPase to other ion-transporting ATPases, such as F0F1 type or E1E2 type ATPases, was discussed.     

A 40-kDa polypeptide from papain digestion of the rabbit intestinal Na+/phosphate cotransporter retains Na+ and phosphate cotransport

We searched for new fluorescent probes of catalytic-site nucleotide binding in F(1)F(0)-ATP synthase by introducing Cys mutations at positions in or close to catalytic sites and then reacting Cys-mutant F(1) with thiol-reactive fluorescent probes. Four suitable mutant/probe combinations were identified. beta F410C labeled by 7-fluorobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole-4-sulfonamide (ABD-F) gave very large signal changes in response to nucleotide, allowing facile measurement of fluorescence and nucleotide-binding parameters, not only in F(1) but also in F(1)F(0). The results are consistent with the presence of three asymmetric catalytic sites of widely different affinities, with similar properties in both enzymes, and revealed a unique probe environment at the high-affinity site 1. beta Y331C F(1) labeled by ABD-F gave a large signal which monitored catalytic site polarity changes that occur along the ATP hydrolysis pathway. Two other mutant/probe combinations with significant nucleotide-responsive signals were beta Y331C labeled by 5-((((2-iodoacetyl)amino)ethyl)amino)naphthaline-1-sulfonic acid and alpha F291C labeled by 2-4'-(iodoacetamido)anilino)naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid. The signal of the latter responds differentially to nucleoside diphosphate versus triphosphate bound in catalytic sites.     

The H+-translocating ATP synthase in Halobacterium halobium differs from F0F1-ATPase/synthase

Cell envelope vesicles of Halobacterium halobium synthesize ATP by utilizing base-acid transition (an outside acidic pH jump) under optimal conditions (1 M NaCl, 80 mM MgCl2, pH 6.8) even in the presence of azide (a specific inhibitor of F0F1-ATPase) (Mukohata & Yoshida (1987) J. Biochem. 101, 311-318). An azide-insensitive ATPase was isolated from the inner face of the vesicle membrane, and shown to hydrolyze ATP under very specific conditions (1.5 M Na2SO4, 10 mM MnCl2, pH 5.8) (Nanba & Mukohata (1987) J. Biochem. 102, 591-598). This ATPase activity could also be detected when the vesicle components were solubilized by detergent. The relationship between ATP synthesis and the membrane-bound ATPase was investigated by modification of the vesicles with 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl) or N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). The inhibition pattern of ATP synthesis in the modified vesicles and that of ATP hydrolysis of the solubilized modified vesicles were compared under the individual optimum conditions. The inhibition patterns were almost identical, suggesting that the ATP synthesis and hydrolysis are catalyzed by a single enzyme complex. The ATP synthase includes the above ATPase (300-320 kDa), which is composed of two pairs of 86 and 64 kDa subunits. This is a novel H+-translocating ATP synthase functioning in the extremely halophilic archaebacterium. This "archae-ATP-synthase" differs from F0F1-ATPase/synthase, which had been thought to be ubiquitous among all respiring organisms on our biosphere.     

Molecular polymorphism and mechanisms of activation and deactivation of the hydrolytic function of the coupling factor of oxidative phosphorylation.

The 13S coupling factor of oxidative phosphorylation from Alcaligenes faecalis has a latent adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) function that can be activated by heating at 55 degrees C for 10 min at pH 8.5 in 50% glycerol. The specific activity increases from 0.1 to 20--30 mumol min-1 mg-1. Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is not required for stabilization at 55 degreesC when glycerol is present. Activation involves displacement of the endogenous ATPase inhibitor subunit (epsilon subunit), and readdition of this subunit results in deactivation. In the deactivation process the ATPase inhibitor subunit can be replaced by other cationic proteins such as protamine, histones, or poly(lysine). Mg2+ and H+ also are effective deactivators. The fact that every positively charged substance tested deactivated the enzyme suggests that the inhibitor subunit is complexed with the enzyme at a site containing a surplus of negative charges. The activated enzyme is not labile, but it is salt labile, having a half-life of 2-3 min in 0.1 M KI at either 25 or 0 degrees C. The activated ATPase is also inhibited by aurovertin, 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD), and by the cross-linking agent dimethyl suberimidate. Evidence for polymorphism comes from finding that the properties of the unactivated enzyme (intrinsic ATPase) are different in many ways from the properties of activated ATPase. With respect to the coupling factor's ability to hydrolyze ATP, the data in this study suggest that there are at least four distinct functional allomorphs of this enzyme: (1) the latent enzyme, which has no kinetically measurable ATPase activity, (2) intrinsic ATPase, which is catalyzed by a small percentage of the molecular population that has been activated by some natural mechanism, (3) activated ATPase, which has properties different from those of intrinsic ATPase, and (4) aged activated ATPase, in which some of the properties (Km for substrate, sensitivity to deactivation by Mg2+ and H+) spontaneously change within 30 min.     

Biochemical characterization of the yeast vacuolar H(+)-ATPase

The yeast vacuolar proton-translocating ATPase was isolated by two different methods. A previously reported purification of the enzyme (Uchida, E., Ohsumi, Y., and Anraku, Y. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 1090-1095) was repeated. This procedure consisted of isolation of vacuoles, solubilization with the zwitterionic detergent ZW3-14, and glycerol gradient centrifugation of the solubilized vacuoles. The fraction with the highest specific activity (11 mumol of ATP hydrolyzed mg-1 min-1) included eight polypeptides of apparent molecular masses of 100, 69, 60, 42, 36, 32, 27, and 17 kDa, suggesting that the enzyme may be more complex than the three-subunit composition proposed from the original purification. The 69-kDa polypeptide was recognized by antisera against the catalytic subunits of two other vacuolar ATPases and labeled with the ATP analog 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole, indicating that it contains all or part of the catalytic site. A monoclonal antibody was prepared against this subunit. Under nondenaturing conditions, the antibody immunoprecipitated eight polypeptides, of the same molecular masses as those seen in the glycerol gradient fraction, from solubilized vacuolar vesicles. All eight of these polypeptides are therefore good candidates for being genuine subunits of the enzyme. The structure and function of the yeast vacuolar H+-ATPase were further characterized by examining the inhibition of ATPase activity by KNO3. In the presence of 5 mM MgATP, 100 mM KNO3 inhibited 71% of the ATPase activity of vacuolar vesicles, and the 69- and 60-kDa subunits (and possibly the 42-kDa subunit) were removed from the vacuolar membrane to a similar extent. At concentrations of less than 200 mM KNO3, the stripping of the ATPase subunits and the inhibition of ATPase activity were dependent on the presence of MgATP, suggesting that this is a conformation-specific disassembly of the enzyme. The yeast vacuolar H+-ATPase is a multisubunit enzyme, consisting of a combination of peripheral and integral membrane subunits. Its structure and subunit composition are very similar to other vacuolar ATPase, and it shares some characteristics with the F1F0-ATPases.