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.     

Regulatory proteins of F1F0-ATPase: Role of ATPase inhibitor

An intrinsic ATPase inhibitor inhibits the ATP-hydrolyzing activity of mitochondrial F₁F₀-ATPase and is released from its binding site on the enzyme upon energization of mitochondrial membranes to allow phosphorylation of ADP. The mitochondrial activity to synthesize ATP is not influenced by the absence of the inhibitor protein. The enzyme activity to hydrolyze ATP is induced by dissipation of the membrane potential in the absence of the inhibitor. Thus, the inhibitor is not responsible for oxidative phosphorylation, but acts only to inhibit ATP hydrolysis by F₁F₀-ATPase upon deenergization of mitochondrial membranes. The inhibitor protein forms a regulatory complex with two stabilizing factors, 9K and 15K proteins, which facilitate the binding of the inhibitor to F₁F₀-ATPase and stabilize the resultant inactivated enzyme. The 9K protein, having a sequence very similar to the inhibitor, binds directly to F₁ in a manner similar to the inhibitor. The 15K protein binds to the F₀ part and holds the inhibitor and the 9K protein on F₁F₀-ATPase even when one of them is detached from the F₁ part.     

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.     

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.     

Existence of stoichiometric amounts of an intrinsic ATPase inhibitor and two stabilizing factors with mitochondrial ATP synthase in yeast

Two proteinaceous factors, 15K and 9K proteins, which acted together to stabilize the inactivated yeast F1F0-ATPase-inhibitor complex [Hashimoto, T., et al. (1984) J. Biochem. 95, 131-136] were hardly distinguishable from the sigma and epsilon subunits, respectively, of yeast F1-ATPase by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. However, they were clearly distinguishable from these subunits by analyses of the sequences at their amino terminals and by immunoblotting combined with SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The two stabilizing factors and an ATPase inhibitor existed in mitochondria in equimolar ratios to F1-ATPase. These three protein factors were not present in purified F1-ATPase or in F1F0-ATPase preparations, but remained in the mitochondrial membranes after extraction of F1F0-ATPase with Triton X-100. These observations strongly suggest that the two stabilizing factors and the ATPase inhibitor form a regulatory substructure of mitochondrial ATP synthase, in addition to the F1 and F0 subunits.     

Binding of an intrinsic ATPase inhibitor to the F(1)FoATPase in phosphorylating conditions of yeast mitochondria

Yeast mitochondrial ATP synthase has three regulatory proteins; ATPase inhibitor, 9K protein, and 15K protein. A mutant yeast lacking these three regulatory factors was constructed by gene disruption. Rates of ATP synthesis of both wild-type and the mutant yeast mitochondria decreased with decrease of respiration, while their membrane potential was maintained at 170-160 mV under various respiration rates. When mitochondrial respiration was blocked by antimycin A, the membrane potential of both types of mitochondria was maintained at about 160 mV by ATP hydrolysis. ATP hydrolyzing activity of F(1)FoATPase solubilized from normal mitochondria decreased in proportion to the rate of ATP synthesis, while the activity of the mutant F(1)FoATPase was constant regardless of changes in the rate of phosphorylation. These observations strongly suggest that F(1)FoATPase in the phosphorylating mitochondria is a mixture of two types of enzyme, phosphorylating and non-phosphorylating enzymes, whose ratio is determined by the rate of respiration and that the ATPase inhibitor binds preferentially to the non-phosphorylating enzyme.     

Diethylstilbestrol. A novel F0-directed probe of the mitochondrial proton ATPase

At low concentrations, diethylstilbestrol (DES) is shown to be a potent F0-directed inhibitor of the F0F1-ATPase of rat liver mitochondria. In analogy to other F0-directed inhibitors, DES inhibits both the ATPase and ATP-dependent proton-translocation activities of the purified and membrane bound enzyme. When added at low concentrations with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), a covalent inhibitor, DES acts synergistically to inhibit ATPase activity of the complex. At higher concentrations, DES restores DCCD-inhibited ATPase activity. However, there is no restoration of ATP-dependent proton translocation. Under these conditions DCCD remains covalently bound to the F0F1-ATPase complex and F1 remains bound to Fo. Significantly, when the F0F1-ATPase is inhibited by the Fo-directed inhibitor venturicidin rather than DCCD, DES is also able to restore ATPase activity. In contrast, DES is unable to restore ATPase activity to F0F1 preparations inhibited by the Fo-directed inhibitors oligomycin or tricyclohexyltin. However, combinations of [DES + DCCD] or [DES + venturicidin] can restore ATPase activity to F0F1 preparations inhibited by either oligomycin or tricyclohexyltin. Results presented here indicate that the F0 moiety of the rat liver mitochondrial proton ATPase contains a distinct binding site for DES. In addition, they suggest that at saturating concentrations simultaneous occupancy of the DES binding site and sites for either DCCD or venturicidin promote "uncoupled" ATP hydrolysis.     

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.     

Epsilon subunit of Escherichia coli F1-ATPase: effects on affinity for aurovertin and inhibition of product release in unisite ATP hydrolysis

The epsilon subunit of Escherichia coli F1-ATPase is a tightly bound but dissociable partial inhibitor of ATPase activity. The effects of epsilon on the enzyme were investigated by comparing the ATPase activity and aurovertin binding properties of the epsilon-depleted F1-ATPase and the epsilon-replete complex. Kinetic data of multisite ATP hydrolysis were analyzed to give the best fit for one, two, or three kinetic components. Each form of F1-ATPase contained a high-affinity component, with a Km near 20 microM and a velocity of approximately 1 unit/mg. Each also exhibited a component with a Km in the range of 0.2 mM. The velocity of this component was 25 units/mg for epsilon-depleted ATPase but only 4 units/mg for epsilon-replete enzyme. The epsilon-depleted enzyme also contained a very low affinity component not present in the epsilon-replete enzyme. In unisite hydrolysis studies, epsilon had no effect on the equilibrium between substrate ATP and product ADP.P1 at the active site but reduced the rate of product release 15-fold. These results suggest that epsilon subunit slows a conformational change that is required to reduce the affinity at the active site, allowing dissociation of product. It is suggested that inhibition of multisite hydrolysis by epsilon is also due to a reduced rate of product release. epsilon-depleted F1-ATPase showed little of no modulation of aurovertin fluorescence by added ADP and ATP. Aurovertin fluorescence titrations in buffer containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) revealed that epsilon-depleted enzyme had high affinity for aurovertin (Kd less than 0.1 microM) regardless of the presence of nucleotides.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

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.     

Downmodulation of mitochondrial F0F1 ATP synthase by diazoxide in cardiac myoblasts: a dual effect of the drug

Similar to ischemic preconditioning, diazoxide was documented to elicit beneficial bioenergetic consequences linked to cardioprotection. Inhibition of ATPase activity of mitochondrial F(0)F(1) ATP synthase may have a role in such effect and may involve the natural inhibitor protein IF(1). We recently documented, using purified enzyme and isolated mitochondrial membranes from beef heart, that diazoxide interacts with the F(1) sector of F(0)F(1) ATP synthase by promoting IF(1) binding and reversibly inhibiting ATP hydrolysis. Here we investigated the effects of diazoxide on the enzyme in cultured myoblasts. Specifically, embryonic heart-derived H9c2 cells were exposed to diazoxide and mitochondrial ATPase was assayed in conditions maintaining steady-state IF(1) binding (basal ATPase activity) or detaching bound IF(1) at alkaline pH. Mitochondrial transmembrane potential and uncoupling were also investigated, as well as ATP synthesis flux and ATP content. Diazoxide at a cardioprotective concentration (40 muM cell-associated concentration) transiently downmodulated basal ATPase activity, concomitant with mild mitochondria uncoupling and depolarization, without affecting ATP synthesis and ATP content. Alkaline stripping of IF(1) from F(0)F(1) ATP synthase was less in diazoxide-treated than in untreated cells. Pretreatment with glibenclamide prevented, together with mitochondria depolarization, inhibition of ATPase activity under basal but not under IF(1)-stripping conditions, indicating that diazoxide alters alkaline IF(1) release. Diazoxide inhibition of ATPase activity in IF(1)-stripping conditions was observed even when mitochondrial transmembrane potential was reduced by FCCP. The results suggest that diazoxide in a model of normoxic intact cells directly promotes binding of inhibitor protein IF(1) to F(0)F(1) ATP synthase and enhances IF(1) binding indirectly by mildly uncoupling and depolarizing mitochondria.     

Binding of intrinsic ATPase inhibitor to mitochondrial ATPase--stoichiometry of binding of nucleotides, inhibitor, and enzyme

F1-ATPase inhibitor was purified from yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The purified inhibitor blocked ATPase activity in the presence of ATP and Mg2+ by forming a latent equimolar enzyme-inhibitor complex with ATP and ADP newly bound to loose sites on the enzyme. A small portion of externally added ATP was hydrolyzed before the latent complex was formed but the hydrolysis was not directly related to the complex formation. Newly bound ATP tended to be converted to ADP when the ATP concentration of the medium was low. ATP tightly bound to the enzyme was not directly involved in formation of the complex. The complex was fairly stable in the presence of excess inhibitor and ATP but at a high concentration of the enzyme (10(-5) M), the inhibition was not complete, although only about 0.03% of the original activity remained unblocked.     

Isolation of a gene for a regulatory 15-kDa subunit of mitochondrial F1F0-ATPase and construction of mutant yeast lacking the protein

A gene coding for yeast 15-kDa protein, a regulatory factor of mitochondrial F1F0-ATPase, was isolated. The cloned gene was disrupted in vitro and mutant strains that did not contain the 15-kDa protein were constructed by transformation of yeast cells with the disrupted gene. The ATP-synthesizing activity of the mutant mitochondria was the same as that of wild-type cells, suggesting that the 15-kDa protein is not required for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Collapse of the membrane potential induced ATP-hydrolyzing activity of F1F0-ATPase of the mutant mitochondria but not of normal mitochondria. Activation of the enzyme was also observed during incubation of submitochondrial particles from mutant cells, but not of those from wild-type cells. Thus, it is inferred that the 15-kDa protein supports the action of an intrinsic ATPase inhibitor of the ATP-hydrolyzing activity of the enzyme upon de-energization of mitochondrial membranes.     

The native mitochondrial F1-inhibitor protein complex carries out uni- and multisite ATP hydrolysis

The rate of ATP hydrolysis under multi- and unisite conditions was determined in the native F1-inhibitor protein complex of bovine heart mitochondria (Adolfsen, R., MacClung, J.A., and Moudrianakis, E.N. (1975) Biochemistry 14, 1727-1735). Aurovertin was used to distinguish between hydrolytic activity catalyzed by the F1-ATPase or the F1-inhibitor protein (F1.I) complex. We found that incubation of aurovertin with the F1.I complex, prior to the addition of substrate, results in a stimulation of the hydrolytic activity from 1 to 8-10 mumol min-1 mg-1. The addition of aurovertin to a F1.I complex simultaneously with ATP results in a 30% inhibition with respect to the untreated F1.I. In contrast, if the F1.I complex is activated up to a hydrolytic activity of 80 mumol min-1 mg-1, aurovertin inhibits the enzyme in a manner similar to that described for F1-ATPase devoid of the inhibitor protein. The native F1.I complex catalyzes the hydrolysis of ATP under conditions for single catalytic site, liberating 0.16-0.18 mol of Pi/mol of enzyme. Preincubation with aurovertin before the addition of substrate had no effect under these conditions. On the other hand, if the F1.I ATPase was allowed to hydrolyze ATP at a single catalytic site, catalysis was inhibited by 98% by aurovertin. In F1-ATPase, the hydrolysis of [gamma-32P]ATP bound to the first catalytic site is promoted by the addition of excess ATP, in the presence or absence of aurovertin. Under conditions for single site catalysis, hydrolysis of [gamma-32P]ATP in the F1.I complex was not promoted by excess ATP. We conclude that the endogenous inhibitor protein regulates catalysis by promoting the entrapment of adenine nucleotides at the high affinity catalytic site, thus hindering cooperative ATP hydrolysis.     

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.     

Kinetic studies on mitochondrial F(1)-ATPase from crayfish (Orconectes virilis) gills

The substrate kinetics and the role of free Mg(2+) and free ATP were studied in membrane-bound F(1)-ATPase from crayfish (Orconectes virilis) gills. It was shown that the MgATP complex was the true substrate for the ATPase activity with a K(m) value of 0.327 mM. In the absence of bicarbonate, the maximum azide-sensitive activities in the presence and absence (<18 microM) of free ATP were 0.878 and 0.520 micromol P(i)/mg protein/min, respectively, while the maximum bicarbonate-stimulated activity in absence of free ATP was 1.486 micromol P(i)/mg protein/min. Free ATP was a competitive inhibitor (K(i)=0.77 mM) and free Mg(2+) was a mixed inhibitor (K(i)=0.81 mM, K(i)'=5.89 mM). However, free ATP also acted as an activator. Lineweaver-Burk plots for MgATP hydrolysis at high free Mg(2+) concentrations exhibited an apparent negative cooperativity, which was not the case for high free ATP levels. These results suggest that, although free ATP inhibited the enzyme by binding to catalytic sites, it stimulated ATPase activity by binding to non-catalytic sites and promoted the dissociation of inhibitory MgADP from the catalytic site.     

Structural and functional differences in H+-ATPases with native and reconstituted inhibitor protein

Anti F1 antibodies that react with the alpha and beta subunits of the mitochondrial F0-F1 ATPase complex do not interfere with the natural inhibitor protein-ATPase interaction as revealed by inhibitor peptide titration curves. Submitochondrial particles with endogenous or added bound inhibitor protein show differences in immunoprecipitation. Submitochondrial particles which are partially depleted of inhibitor protein gave the same immunoprecipitation curve as the Mg-ATP particle. Anti F1 antibodies induce differential effects in ATP hydrolysis and ATP-Pi exchange. ATP hydrolysis is stimulated in Mg-ATP particles to 200%, while inhibitor depleted and inhibitor reconstituted particles are inhibited by the presence of the antibodies. ATP-Pi exchange is stimulated in inhibitor reconstituted particles and inhibited in Mg-ATP and inhibitor depleted particles. These results suggest that the inhibitor protein when endogenously bound confers a different conformation to the F1-ATPase than that of the F1 ATPase with added bound inhibitor protein.     

F1-ATPase from different submitochondrial particles.

1. F1-ATPase has been extracted by the diphosphatidylglycerol procedure from mitochondrial ATPase complexes that differ in ATPase activity, cold stability, ATPase inhibitor and magnesium content. 2. The ATPase activity of the isolated enzymes was dependent upon the activity of the original particles. In this respect, F1-ATPase extracted from submitochondrial particles prepared in ammonia (pH 9.2) and filtered through Sephadex G-50 was comparable to the enzyme purified by conventional procedures (Horstman, L.L. and Racker, E. (1970) J. Biol. Chem. 245, 1336--1344), whereas F1-ATPase extracted from submitochondrial particles prepared in the presence of magnesium and ATP at neutral pH was similar to factor A (Andreoli, T.E., Lam, K.W. and Sanadi, D.R. (1965) J. Biol. Chem. 240, 2644--2653). 3. No systematic relationship has been found in these F1-ATPase preparations between their ATPase inhibitor content and ATPase activity. Rather, a relationship has been observed between this activity and the efficiency of the ATPase inhibitor-F1-ATPase association within the membrane. 4. It is concluded that the ATPase activity of isolated F1-ATPase reflects the properties of original ATPase complex provided a rapid and not denaturing procedure of isolation is employed.     

Binding of adenine nucleotides to the F1-inhibitor protein complex of bovine heart submitochondrial particles.

The binding of ATP radiolabeled in the adenine ring or in the gamma- or alpha-phosphate to F1-ATPase in complex with the endogenous inhibitor protein was measured in bovine heart submitochondrial particles by filtration in Sephadex centrifuge columns or by Millipore filtration techniques. These particles had 0.44 +/- 0.05 nmol of F1 mg-1 as determined by the method of Ferguson et al. [(1976) Biochem. J. 153, 347]. By incubation of the particles with 50 microM ATP, and low magnesium concentrations (less than 0.1 microM MgATP), it was possible to observe that 3.5 mol of [gamma-32P]ATP was tightly bound per mole of F1 before the completion of one catalytic cycle. With [gamma-32P]ITP, only one tight binding site was detected. Half-maximal binding of adenine nucleotides took place with about 10 microM. All the bound radioactive nucleotides were released from the enzyme after a chase with cold ATP or ADP; 1.5 sites exchanged with a rate constant of 2.8 s-1 and 2 with a rate constant of 0.45 s-1. Only one of the tightly bound adenine nucleotides was released by 1 mM ITP; the rate constant was 3.2 s-1. It was also observed that two of the bound [gamma-32P]ATP were slowly hydrolyzed after removal of medium ATP; when the same experiment was repeated with [alpha-32P]ATP, all the label remained bound to F1, suggesting that ADP remained bound after completion of ATP hydrolysis. Particles in which the natural ATPase inhibitor protein had been released bound tightly only one adenine nucleotide per enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Mutations in the conserved proline 43 residue of the uncE protein (subunit c) of Escherichia coli F1F0-ATPase alter the coupling of F1 to F0

The conserved Pro43 residue of the uncE protein (subunit c) of the Escherichia coli F1F0-ATPase was changed to Ser or Ala by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, and the mutations were incorporated into the chromosome. The resultant mutant strains were capable of oxidative phosphorylation as indicated by their ability to grow on succinate and had growth yields on glucose that were 80-90% of wild type. Membrane vesicles from the mutants were slightly less efficient than wild type vesicles in ATP-driven proton pumping as indicated by ATP-dependent quenching of quinacrine fluorescence. The decreased quenching response was not due to increased H+ leakiness of the mutant membranes or to loss of F1-ATPase activity from the membrane. These results indicate that the mutant F1F0-ATPases are defective in coupling ATP hydrolysis to H+ translocation. The membrane ATPase activity of the mutants was inhibited less by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide than that of wild type. The decrease in sensitivity to inhibition by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide was caused primarily by dissociation of the F1-ATPase from the mutant F0 in the ATPase assay mixture. These results support the idea that Pro43, and neighboring conserved polar residues play an important role in the binding and functional coupling of F1 to F0. Although a Pro residue is found at position 43 in all species of subunit c studied, surprisingly, it is not absolutely essential to function.