Changes in the adenine nucleotide content of beef-heart mitochondrial F1 ATPase during ATP synthesis in dimethyl sulfoxide

Functional interaction between the two halves of the photoreceptor-specific ATP binding cassette protein ABCR (ABCA4). Evidence for a non-exchangeable ADP in the first nucleotide binding domain

ABCR, also known as ABCA4, is a member of the superfamily of ATP binding cassette transporters that is believed to transport retinal or retinylidene-phosphatidylethanolamine across photoreceptor disk membranes. Mutations in the ABCR gene are responsible for Stargardt macular dystrophy and related retinal dystrophies that cause severe loss in vision. ABCR consists of two tandemly arranged halves each containing a membrane spanning segment followed by a large extracellular/lumen domain, a multi-spanning membrane domain, and a nucleotide binding domain (NBD). To define the role of each NBD, we examined the nucleotide binding and ATPase activities of the N and C halves of ABCR individually and co-expressed in COS-1 cells and derived from trypsin-cleaved ABCR in disk membranes. When disk membranes or membranes from co-transfected cells were photoaffinity labeled with 8-azido-ATP and 8-azido-ADP, only the NBD2 in the C-half bound and trapped the nucleotide. Co-expressed half-molecules displayed basal and retinal-stimulated ATPase activity similar to full-length ABCR. The individually expressed N-half displayed weak 8-azido-ATP labeling and low basal ATPase activity that was not stimulated by retinal, whereas the C-half did not bind ATP and exhibited little if any ATPase activity. Purified ABCR contained one tightly bound ADP, presumably in NBD1. Our results indicate that only NBD2 of ABCR binds and hydrolyzes ATP in the presence or absence of retinal. NBD1, containing a bound ADP, associates with NBD2 to play a crucial, non-catalytic role in ABCR function.

Properties of bound inorganic phosphate on bovine mitochondrial F1F0-ATP synthase

Beef-heart mitochondrial F1F0-ATP synthase contained six molecules of bound inorganic phosphate (Pi). This phosphate exchanged completely with exogenous 32Pi when the enzyme was exposed to 30% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and then returned to a DMSO-free buffer (Beharry and Bragg 2001). Only two molecules were replaced by 32Pi when the enzyme was not pretreated with DMSO. These two molecules of 32Pi were not displaced from the enzyme by the treatment with 1 mM ATP. Similarly, two molecules of bound 32Pi remained on the DMSO-pretreated enzyme following addition of ATP, that is, four molecules of 32Pi were displaced by ATP. The ATP-resistant 32Pi was removed from the enzyme by pyrophosphate. It is proposed that these molecules of 32Pi are bound at an unfilled adenine nucleotide-binding noncatalytic site on the enzyme. Brief exposure of the enzyme loaded with two molecules of 32Pi to DMSO, followed by removal of the DMSO, resulted in the loss of the bound 32Pi and in the formation of two molecules of bound ATP from exogenous ADP. A third catalytic site on the enzyme was occupied by ATP, which could undergo a Pi <--> ATP exchange reaction with bound Pi. The presence of two catalytic sites containing bound Pi is consistent with the X-ray crystallographic structure of F1 (Bianchet, et al., 1998). Thus, five of the six molecules of bound Pi were accounted for. Three molecules of bound Pi were at catalytic sites and participated in ATP synthesis or Pi <--> ATP exchange. Two other molecules of bound Pi were present at a noncatalytic adenine nucleotide-binding site. The location and role of the remaining molecule of bound Pi remains to be established. We were unable to demonstrate, using chemical modification of sulfhydryl groups by iodoacetic acid, any gross difference in the conformation of F1F0 in DMSO-containing compared with DMSO-free buffers.

Phosphate exchange and ATP synthesis by DMSO-pretreated purified bovine mitochondrial ATP synthase

Purified soluble bovine mitochondrial F(1)F(o)-ATP synthase contained 2 mol of ATP, 2 mol of ADP and 6 mol of P(i)/mol. Incubation of this enzyme with 1 mM [(32)P]P(i) caused the exchange of 2 mol of P(i)/mol of F(1)F(o)-ATP synthase. The labelled phosphates were not displaced by ATP. Transfer of F(1)F(o)-ATP synthase to a buffer containing 30% (v/v) DMSO and 1 mM [(32)P]P(i) resulted in the loss of bound nucleotides with the retention of 1 mol of ATP/mol of F(1)F(o)-ATP synthase. Six molecules of [(32)P]P(i) were incorporated by exchange with the existing bound phosphate. Removal of the DMSO by passage of the enzyme through a centrifuged column of Sephadex G-50 resulted in the exchange of one molecule of bound [(32)P]P(i) into the bound ATP. Azide did not prevent this [(32)P]P(i)<-->ATP exchange reaction. The bound labelled ATP could be displaced from the enzyme by exogenous ATP. Addition of ADP to the DMSO-pretreated F(1)F(o)-ATP synthase in the original DMSO-free buffer resulted in the formation of an additional molecule of bound ATP. It was concluded that following pretreatment with and subsequent removal of DMSO the F(1)F(o)-ATP synthase contained one molecule of ATP at a catalytic site which was competent to carry out a phosphate-ATP exchange reaction using enzyme-bound inorganic radiolabelled phosphate. In the presence of ADP an additional molecule of labelled ATP was formed from enzyme-bound P(i) at a second catalytic site. The bound phosphate-ATP exchange reaction is not readily accommodated by current mechanisms for the ATP synthase.

Acceleration of unisite catalysis of mitochondrial F1-adenosinetriphosphatase by ATP, ADP and pyrophosphate--hydrolysis and release of the previously bound [gamma-32P]ATP

The effect of ATP, ADP and pyrophosphate (PPi) on hydrolysis and release of [gamma-32P]ATP bound to the high-affinity catalytic site of soluble F1 from bovine heart mitochondria under unisite conditions [Grubmeyer, C., Cross, R. L. & Penefsky, H. S. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 12092-12100] was studied. In accord with the previous data, it was observed that millimolar concentrations of ATP or ADP added to F1 undergoing unisite hydrolysis of [gamma-32P]ATP accelerated its hydrolysis. PPi also produced a hydrolytic burst of a fraction of the previously bound [gamma-32P]ATP; kinetic data suggested that for production of optimal hydrolysis by PPi of the bound [gamma-32P]ATP, two binding sites with apparent Kd of 27 microM and 240 microM must be filled. The extent of the hydrolytic burst induced by MgPPi was lower than that induced by ADP and ATP. In F1 in which PPi had produced a hydrolytic burst of the bound [gamma-32P]ATP, the addition of ATP induced a second burst of hydrolysis. By filtration experiments and enzyme trapping, it was also studied whether ATP, ADP and PPi produce release of the tightly bound [gamma-32P]ATP. At millimolar concentrations, ATP and ADP brought about release of about 25% of the previously bound [gamma-32P]ATP. At micromolar concentrations, ADP accelerated the hydrolysis of the previously bound [gamma-32P]ATP but not its release. Hence, the hydrolytic and release reactions could be separated, indicating that the two reactions require the occupancy of different sites in F1. With PPi, no release of the tightly bound [gamma-32P]ATP was observed. The ADP induced hydrolysis and release of the F1-bound [gamma-32P]ATP were inhibited by sodium azide to the same extent (60%). Since release of ATP from a high-affinity catalytic site of F1 represents the terminal step of oxidative phosphorylation, the data illustrate that the binding energy of substrates to F1 is critical to the ejection of ATP into the media. The failure of PPi to induce release of [gamma-32P]ATP bound to F1 under unisite conditions is probably due to its lower binding energy.

Synthesis of medium pyrophosphate by soluble mitochondrial F1 through dimethyl sulfoxide-water transitions

Soluble F1 from heart mitochondria incubated in mixtures that have Mg2+, inorganic phosphate, and dimethyl sulfoxide (40% (v/v)) catalyzes the spontaneous synthesis of ATP and pyrophosphate (Tuena de Gómez-Puyou, M., García, J. J., and Gómez-Puyou, A. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 2213-2218). By filtration techniques, it was determined that synthesized ATP and pyrophosphate are enzyme bound, albeit the affinity for pyrophosphate was lower than that of ATP. After ATP and pyrophosphate were formed in dimethyl sulfoxide mixtures, dilution with aqueous buffer to a dimethyl sulfoxide concentration of 6.0% brought about the partition of pyrophosphate into the media. This was evidenced by filtration experiments as well as by the accessibility of synthesized pyrophosphate to soluble inorganic pyrophosphatase. Release of pyrophosphate induced by dilution occurred in less than 15 s. Under conditions that produce release of pyrophosphate, no release of ATP was observed; instead, ATP underwent hydrolysis. Studies on the effect of arsenate on the synthesis and hydrolysis of ATP and PPi in F1 showed that hydrolysis of synthesized PPi at its site of synthesis was slower than that of ATP. Thus, the question of whether differences in the rates of hydrolysis accounted for the dilution-induced release of PPi but not of ATP was addressed. Synthesis and hydrolysis of ATP and pyrophosphate were examined in preparations of soluble F1 in complex with its inhibitor protein; the complex had an ATPase activity about 100 times lower than that of free F1. In mixtures that contained dimethyl sulfoxide, the complex synthesized ATP and pyrophosphate at nearly the same rates; upon dilution, hydrolysis of both compounds occurred also at similar rates, yet only pyrophosphate was released. The same phenomenon was observed in F1 that had been depleted of adenine nucleotides. Hence, dilution-induced release of PPi was independent of the overall catalytic properties of the enzyme or its content of adenine nucleotides. Since synthesis of ATP occurs at the expense of the ADP that remains after depletion of adenine nucleotides, it is likely that the failure of ATP to be released is due to the high affinity that F1 exhibits for the synthesized ATP. Nevertheless, the results illustrate that a complete catalytic cycle that starts with medium Pi and ends with medium pyrophosphate may be reproduced in soluble mitochondrial F1.

Phosphate stimulates CFTR Cl- channels

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) Cl- channels appear to be regulated by hydrolysis of ATP and are inhibited by a product of hydrolysis, ADP. We assessed the effect of the other product of hydrolysis, inorganic phosphate (P(i)), on CFTR Cl- channel activity using the excised inside-out configuration of the patch-clamp technique. Millimolar concentrations of P(i) caused a dose-dependent stimulation of CFTR Cl- channel activity. Single-channel analysis demonstrated that the increase in macroscopic current was due to an increase in single-channel open-state probability (po) and not single-channel conductance. Kinetic modeling of the effect of P(i) using a linear three-state model indicated that the effect on po was predominantly the result of an increase in the rate at which the channel passed from the long closed state to the bursting state. P(i) also potentiated activity of channels studied in the presence of 10 mM ATP and stimulated Cl- currents in CFTR mutants lacking much of the R domain. Binding studies with a photoactivatable ATP analog indicated that Pi decreased the amount of bound nucleotide. These results suggest that P(i) increased CFTR Cl- channel activity by stimulating a rate-limiting step in channel opening that may occur by an interaction of P(i) at one or both nucleotide-binding domains.

Synthesis of pyrophosphate and ATP by soluble mitochondrial F1

Soluble F1 from beef heart that has been depleted of adenine nucleotides to values of 0.4 mol of ADP and 0.1 mol ATP/mol of enzyme has the capacity to synthetize about 0.1 mol of ATP/mol of enzyme from medium phosphate in the presence of Mg2+ and 30% dimethyl sulfoxide. Under the same conditions, native and adenine nucleotide depleted F1 can also synthesize pyrophosphate to values that range from 0.03 to 0.05 mol/mol of F1. The formation of pyrophosphate requires Mg2+ and dimethyl sulfoxide. The formed pyrophosphate remains bound to F1 during filtration through Sephadex centrifugation columns. In all water media, adenine nucleotide depleted, but not native, F1 can hydrolyze pyrophosphate to values of about 0.2 nmol min-1 mg-1. This activity is inhibited or stimulated by agents (adenylyl imidodiphosphate, aurovertin, and methanol) that produce such effects on the ATPase activity of F1; NaN3 stimulated the activity. Therefore, F1 from bovine heart mitochondria has the capacity to catalyze synthesis and hydrolysis of ATP. Synthesis of pyrophosphate by the soluble F1 appears to follow the same energetic considerations that have been postulated for ATP synthesis by the soluble enzyme [de Meis (1989) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 973, 339-349].