Structure of oxidative- and photo-phosphorylation coupling factor complexes

Interpretation of current-voltage relationships for "active" ion transport systems: I. Steady-state reaction-kinetic analysis of class-I mechanisms

This paper develops a simple reaction-kinetic model to describe electrogenic pumping and co- (or counter-) transport of ions. It uses the standard steady-state approach for cyclic enzyme- or carrier-mediated transport, but does not assume rate-limitation by any particular reaction step. Voltage-dependence is introduced, after the suggestion of Läuger and Stark (Biochim. Biophys. Acta 211:458-466, 1970), via a symmetric Eyring barrier, in which the charge-transit reaction constants are written as k12 = ko12 exp(zF delta psi/2RT) and k21 = ko21 exp(-zF delta psi/2RT). For interpretation of current-voltage relationships, all voltage-independent reaction steps are lumped together, so the model in its simplest form can be described as a pseudo-2-state model. It is characterized by the two voltage-dependent reaction constants, two lumped voltage-independent reaction constants (k12, k21), and two reserve factors (ri, ro) which formally take account of carrier states that are indistinguishable in the current-voltage (I-V) analysis. The model generates a wide range of I-V relationships, depending on the relative magnitudes of the four reaction constants, sufficient to describe essentially all I-V datas now available on "active" ion-transport systems. Algebraic and numerical analysis of the reserve factors, by means of expanded pseudo-3-, 4-, and 5-state models, shows them to be bounded and not large for most combinations of reaction constants in the lumped pathway. The most important exception to this rule occurs when carrier decharging immediately follows charge transit of the membrane and is very fast relative to other constituent voltage-independent reactions. Such a circumstance generates kinetic equivalence of chemical and electrical gradients, thus providing a consistent definition of ion-motive forces (e.g., proton-motive force, PMF). With appropriate restrictions, it also yields both linear and log-linear relationships between net transport velocity and either membrane potential or PMF. The model thus accommodates many known properties of proton-transport systems, particularly as observed in "chemiosmotic" or energy-coupling membranes.

Isolation, purification, and characterization of coupling factor 1 from Chlamydomonas reinhardi

Chloroplast thylakoid particles were prepared from wild-type Chlamydomonas reinhardi by gentle sonication. These particles catalyzed phenazine methosulfate dependent photophosphorylation with rates ranging from 300 to 700 mumol of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) formed (mg of chlorophyll)-1h-1. Photophosphorylation was not sensitive to tentoxin but was sensitive to an anticoupling factor 1 (CF1) antiserum preparation made against spinach CF1. The C. reinhardi chloroplast CF1 was isolated from thylakoid particles by either chloroform or ethylenediaminetraacetic acid extraction. The former enzyme appeared to be missing the gamma subunit and did not reconstitute with partially resolved thylakoid particles. The latter enzyme reconstituted with partially resolved particles and had a specific activity at 37 degrees C of 2-5 umol of ATP hydrolyzed (mg of protein)-1 min-1. The enzyme utilized both MnATP and MgATP. CaATP was a poor substrate, and SrATP was not hydrolyzed. The enzyme was not activated by heat or proteolysis but was stimulated approximately 2-fold by 50 mM dithiothreitol. Alcohols reversibly stimulated the ATPase activity of the enzyme 5-25-fold. Ethanol, 20%, dramatically lowered the temperature optimum from approximately 75 to approximately 45 degrees C and slightly lowered the pH optimum from 8.5 to 8.2. Ethanol had no effect on the activation energy of the ATPase reaction (17 +/- 1.7 kcal/mol). The kinetics of the ATPase reaction catalyzed by the C. reinhardi enzyme are complex. Both free divalent cations and divalent cation ATP inhibited the activity of the enzyme. The apparent Km for MgTAP (55 uM free Mg2+) was approximately 0.2 mM.

Identification of a bacterial energy-transducing ATPase as a metallo (Zn2+) protein. Effect of chelating agents and divalent metal ions on ATPase activity

Purified F1-ATPase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus contains zinc in the amount of 1 mol/mol of enzyme. This zinc content correlates with standard values of ATPase activity (assayed with Ca2+-ATP as substrate) of the protein, i.e. 5--6 mumol substrate hydrolysed . min-1 . mg-1. Prolonged dialysis against EDTA results in a zinc-free protein which concomitantly loses its ATPase activity. Chelators such as Zincon, EDTA and L-cysteine inhibit the ATPase activity in concentration and/or time dependence related to their affinity for the metal ion involved. Reconstitution of the metallo (Zn2+) protein is demonstrated by the incorporation to the zinc-free protein of 65Zn2+ in amount near the 1 mol/mol of enzyme. This incorporation was concomitant with the regain of ATPase activity. The inhibition by EDTA and Zincon is reversed specifically by Zn2+ while the inhibition by EDTA is prevented by Zn2+ and Mn2+ and to, a minor extent, by Cd2+. Zn2+ and Ca2+ ions are involved and are probably mandatory in the ATPase activity of M. lysodeikticus F1 but their roles appear to be different and not exchangeable. Other divalent metal ions inhibit the Ca2+-ATPase activity of the Zn2+ protein by the following decreasing order; Hg2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Cd2+, Mn2+, Mg2+. M. lysodeikticus F1-ATPase is thus identified as a metallo (zinc) protein, which requires additional divalent metal ions for ATP hydrolysis.

Isolation and properties of chloroplast coupling factor from wheat

1. Wheat chloroplast coupling factor (CF1) was extracted with a modification of the chloroform extraction method of Younis et al. (J. Biol. Chem. 252, 1814--1818, 1977). A one-step purification on an 8--25% sucrose gradient yielded a CF1 which was at least 98% pure as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 2. Inclusion of proteolysis inhibitors during extraction and purification consistently gave a CF1 containing all five subunits. Selective loss of the sigma and epsilon subunits was observed when proteolysis inhibitors were omitted. 3. Proteolysis inhibitors prevented the release of wheat CF1 from the thylakoid by the low-ionic-strength wash method of Strotmann et al. (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 314, 202--210, 1973). The enzyme extracted with chloroform and low ionic strength were compared by electrophoresis and no evidence of a difference in molecular weight of any subunit was observed. This suggests that a proteolytic event is not required for release of wheat CF1 by the low-ionic-strength method, even though release is inhibited by proteolysis inhibitors. 4. The gamma subunit of wheat CF1 probably contains at least one internal disulfide bridge, as the electrophoretic mobility of this subunit is lower in the presence of reducing agent than in its absence. 5. Wheat CF1 was viewed by the electron microscope after negative staining. Discrete particles, many appearing hexagonal, were observed at high magnifications. Markham rotational analysis confirmed that the enzyme has sixfold symmetry in at least one of its orientations.

Size and shape of the alpha subunit of the (Ca,Mg)-dependent adenosinetriphosphate from Escherichia coli in solution in the presence and absence of ATP

The alpha subunit of the (Ca, Mg)-dependent ATPase from Escherichia coli was studied in solution by means of X-ray scattering experiments at variable contrast and in the presence of ATP. The experiments were carried out on an absolute scale in the range of (45.0 nm-1) less than h less than (1.5 nm-1) at pH 8.0. The experiments show that this system and the complex of the alpha subunit with ATP can be considered to be ideal and monodisperse so that the following parameters for the alpha subunit and its complex with ATP were determined: the radius of gyration, the volume, the degree of hydration, the maximum particle diameter, and the molecular weight. The molecular weight of the alpha subunit was determined as 58 500 +/- 3000 by means of light scattering measurements, and 57 700 +/- 25 000 by the small-angle X-ray scattering experiments. The radius of gyration of the alpha subunit at pH 8.0 was determined to 2.64 +/- 0.02 nm, the maximum chord in solution to 10.0 +/- 0.5 nm, the volume to 102.4 +/- 2.5 nm3, and the degree of hydration to 0.34 +/- 0.02 mg X g-1. Binding of ATP to the alpha subunit causes structural changes. These changes are reflected in the radius of gyration, Rg = 2.45 +/- 0.015 nm, in the volume, 117.6 +/- 1.5 nm3, and in the maximum chord length in solution, 7.8 +/- 0.5 nm. These changes imply a decrease of the axial ratio from 2.4 to 1.4, i.e. ATP-binding induced an increase in isometry of the alpha subunit.

Structural analysis of the isolated chloroplast coupling factor and the N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide binding proteolipid

Negative staining of purified spinach dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) sensitive ATPase revealed a population of 110 A subunits attached by stalks to short string-like aggregates. The interpretation of these data is that 110 A CF1 are attached by stalks to an aggregate of CF0. The CF1-CF0 complex was incorporated into phospholipid vesicles; freeze-fracture analysis of this preparation revealed a homogeneous population of particles spanning the lipid bilayer; those averaged 96 A in diameter. The DCCD binding proteolipid (apparent molecular weight 7500), an integral component of CF0, was isolated from membranes by butanol extraction and was incorporated into phospholipid vesicles. Freeze-fracture analysis of the DCCD-binding proteolipid/vesicle preparation revealed a population of particles averaging 83 A in diameter suggesting that the DCCD-binding proteolipid self-associates in lipid to form a stable complex. This complex may be required for proton transport across chloroplast membranes in vivo. The size difference between CF0 and DCCD-proteolipid freeze-fracture particles may be related to differences in polypeptide composition of the two complexes.

Photolabelling with 8-azido-adenine nucleotides of adenine nucleotide-binding sites in isolated spinach chloroplast ATPase (CF1)

1. Photolabelling of chloroplast ATPase (CF1) with either 8-azido-ATP or 8-azido-ADP leads to inactivation of the ATPase activity. ATP and ADP protect against the inactivation, whereas AMP dose not. 2. Ca2+ has little if any effect on the degree of inactivation by photolabelling with 8-azido-ADP, but, at the same degree of inactivation, twice as much label is bound in the presence of Ca2+ as in its absence. 3. The degree of inactivation of ATPase and the amount of bound photolabel are independent of the extent of pre-activation of the CF1. 4. Upon extrapolation to complete inactivation, 2 mol label, either 8-azido-ATP or 8-azido-ADP can be bound. 5. In all cases the label is bound specifically to the alpha and beta subunits in almost equal amounts. The location of the bound label is not affected by addition of Ca2+, ATP or ADP.

Organization of unc gene cluster of Escherichia coli coding for proton-translocating ATPase of oxidative phosphorylation

The proton-translocating ATPase (F1-F0) of oxidative phosphorylation (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) is coded for by a set of structural genes comprising the unc operon in Escherichia coli. We have analyzed several new transducing phages and plasmids carrying various lengths of the DNA segments of the unc operon by complementation assay using 14 new unc- mutants and representatives of previously described strains which were made available to us. Transducing phages carrying parts of the unc gene cluster were isolated: lambda uncA-9 and lambda glmS phages converted only some of the unc- mutants to the Unc+, as determined by complementation assays. A new hybrid plasmid (pMCR533) carrying part of the unc operon was constructed by inserting the HindIII fragment of lambda asn-5 DNA (a phage carrying the entire unc operon) into the unique HindIII site of pBR322. This plasmid transformed eight unc- strains to Unc+, including uncB402 and uncA401, but did not complement uncD11 or four other strains. Two minichromosomes which carry the E. coli replication origin were also tested: plasmid pNH05 transformed the uncB402 but not the uncA401 strain to Unc+, whereas plasmid pMCF1 transformed none of the mutants tested. Analysis of the DNAs from these transducing phages and plasmids with restriction endonucleases suggested that all of the structural genes for the F1-F0 complex are localized within a DNA segment of approximately 4.5 megadaltons containing two EcoRI sites. The approximate locations of the unc- mutations were mapped on this DNA segment.

Reconstitution of mitochondrial oligomycin and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-sensitive ATPase

1. Oligomycin and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-sensitive ATPase was isolated from beef-heart mitochondria and treated with 3.5 M NaBr in order to remove F1. The residue, called F0, was found to consist of seven components. Five of these are stained by Coomassie blue after dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Two of them correspond to the oligomycin-sensitivity-conferring protein and coupling factor F6, with apparent molecular weights of 21,000 and 9,400, respectively. Three additional polypeptides of molecular weights 23,000, 10,500 and 8,600 were not identified with known proteins. Two components not stained with Coomassie blue were detected by autoradiography of the gels of F0 preincubated with [14C]dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. These two components probably represent monomeric and oligomeric forms of the dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-binding protein. 2. F0 induced an oligomycin and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-sensitive enhancement of K+ + valinomycin-driven proton translocation across the membrane of artificial phospholipid vesicles. 3. The interaction of F0 with purified, soluble beef heart F1 was investigated. F0 was capable of binding F1 and conferring oligomycin and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide sensitivity and cold stability on its ATPase activity. Furthermore F0 was found to diminish the specific activity of F1-ATPase. A comparison of these effects at varying F0/F1 ratios shows that F0 binds F1 in both an oligomycin-sensitive and an oligomycin-insensitive manner, and that both types of binding involve a conferral of cold stability and a decrease in specific activity. High F0/F1 ratios favoured in oligomycin-sensitive type of binding, indicating that F1 binds preferentially to oligomycin-sensitivity-conferring sites. Treatment of ATPase complex with trypsin resulted in an F0 with a decreased proportion of oligomycin-sensitivity-conferring binding sites and a diminished ability to lower the specific activity an cold lability of F1. 4. Reconstitution of F0 treated with trypsin and F1, oligomycin-sensitivity-conferring protein and F6 showed that at a constant amount of F1 bound, both oligomycin-sensitivity-conferring protein and F6 increased the oligomycin sensitivity of ATPase activity. It was therefore concluded that both of these coupling factors are involved in the conferral of oligomycin sensitivity. 5. The effect of the order of addition of F1, oligomycin-sensitivity-conferring protein and F6 to F0 on the reconstitution of oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity, and of F1 and oligomycin-sensitivity-conferring protein to submitochondrial particles on the reconstitution of respiratory control, was investigated. The highest values of oligomycin sensitivity and respiratory control were obtained when F1 was added as the first component, indicating that F1 plays a directing role in the organisation of the components.

Effect of phosphate and adenine nucleotides on the rate of labeling of functional groups at the catalytic site of F1-ATPase

The effect of inorganic phosphate, ADP, ATP, and their analogues on the rate of labeling of F1-ATPase by 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl) and phenylglyoxal have been investigated. Analysis of the kinetic data indicate that the labeled functional groups of the essential tyrosine and arginine residues respectively are both located at the catalytic site of F1. The active phenolic group of tyrosine is located closer to the bound inorganic phosphate or the gamma-phosphate group than the alpha- and beta-phosphate groups of the bound ATP at the catalytic site, whereas the guanidinium group of arginine is located closer to the alpha- and beta-phosphate groups of the bound ATP than to its gamma-phosphate group or the bound inorganic phosphate. The kinetically deduced dissociation constants are 1.3 mM and 210 microM for the inorganic phosphate and aDP respectively bound to this catalytic site. Labeling the essential tyrosine residue by NBD-Cl has been found to facilitate subsequent labeling of the essential arginine residue by phenylglyoxal.

A cross-linking study of the Ca2+, Mg2+-activated adenosine triphosphatase of Escherichia coli

The solubilized Ca2+,Mg2+-activated adenosine triphosphatase of Escherichia coli is composed of five subunits designated alpha, beta, gamma, delta and epsilon in order of decreasing molecular weight. The subunit structure of the enzyme has been investigated by the use of the cleavable cross-linking agents dithiobis(succinimidyl propionate), methyl-4-mercaptobutyrimidate, dimethyl-3,3'-dithiobispropionimidate, disuccinimidyl tartarate, and cupric 1,10-phenanthrolinate. The products of cross-linking were analyzed by two different two-dimensional gel electrophoresis systems. The following cross-linked subunit dimers were observed: alpha 2, beta 2, alpha beta, alpha delta, beta gamma, beta delta, beta epsilon and gamma epsilon. These results, together with other published data, are discussed in relation to a model of the arrangement of the subunits in the ATPase molecule.