An insight into the mechanism of inhibition and reactivation of the F(1)-ATPases by tentoxin

The mechanism of inhibition and reactivation of chloroplast ATP-synthase by the fungal cyclotetrapeptide tentoxin was investigated by photolabeling experiments, binding studies, and kinetic analysis using synthetic analogues of tentoxin. The alpha-subunit of chloroplast F(1)-ATPase (CF(1)) was specifically labeled by a photoactivatable tentoxin derivative, providing the first direct evidence of tentoxin binding to the alpha-subunit, and 3D homology modeling was used to locate tentoxin in its putative binding site at the alpha/beta interface. The non-photosynthetic F(1)-ATPase from thermophilic bacterium (TF(1)) proved to be also tentoxin-sensitive, and enzyme turnover dramatically increased the rate of tentoxin binding to its inhibitory site, contrary to what was previously observed with epsilon-depleted CF(1) Santolini, J., Haraux, F., Sigalat, C., Moal, G., and André, F. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 849-858]. We propose that tentoxin preferentially binds to an ADP-loaded alpha beta pair, and mechanically blocks the catalytic cycle, perhaps by the impossibility of converting this alpha beta pair into an ATP-loaded alpha beta pair. Using (14)C-tentoxin and selected synthetic analogues, we found that toxin binding to the tight inhibitory site of CF(1) exerts some cooperative effect on the loose reactivatory site, but that no reciprocal effect exists. When the two tentoxin-binding sites are filled in reactivated F(1)-ATPase, they do not exchange their role during catalytic turnover, indicating an impairment between nucleotide occupancy and the shape of tentoxin-binding pocket. This analysis provides a mechanical interpretation of the inhibition of F(1)-ATPase by tentoxin and a clue for understanding the reactivation process.