The respiratory chain in a ubiquinone-deficient mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

1. Two allelic mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a deficiency in the biosynthesis of ubiquinone have been isolated. The properties of one particular mutant strain were investigated. Submitochondrial particles of this strain contain maximally 3% of the amount of ubiquinone in wild-type particles; the amounts of other components of the respiratory chain are essentially normal. 2. The respiratory rates of mutant cells, mitochondria and submitochondrial particles are low with ubiquinone-dependent substrates, but are restored to normal levels by addition of Q-1; the restored respiration is antimycin sensitive. Intact cells and mitochondria show respiratory control both in the absence and presence of Q-1. 3. The NADH:Q-1 oxidoreductase of submitochondrial particles of the mutant followspseudo first-order kinetics in [Q-1]. QH2-1 inhibits competitively with respect to Q-1, the Ki for QH2-1 being equal to the Km for Q-1. 4. Succinate dehydrogenase in both wild-type and mutant submitochondrial particles can be activated by NADH. 5. The turnover number of succinate dehydrogenase in the mutant, measured with phenazine methosulphate as primary electron acceptor, is about one-half that of wild-type particles. The turnover numbers measured with Q-1 as electron acceptor are about the same in the two types of particles. 6. The kinetics of redox changes in cytochrome b, in the presence of antimycin and oxygen, are distinctly different in the mutant and wild-type particles. They indicate that ubiquinone plays an important role in the phenomenon of the increased reducibility of cytochrome b induced by antimycin plus oxygen.

Steady-state kinetics of high molecular weight (type-I) NADH dehydrogenase.

(1) Studies of the steady-state kinetics of the NADH dehydrogenase activity of Complex I (NADH: Q oxidoreductase) revealed that the reaction mechanism with the one-electron acceptor ferricyanide or the two-electron acceptor 2,6-dichloro-indophenol is ping pong bi bi, with double substrate inhibition. NADH inhibits the reaction of the reduced form of the flavoprotein with the acceptors, and the acceptors prevent NADH from reacting with the oxidized form. This implies that both NADH and acceptors react with the same site on NADH dehydrogenase. (2) The velocity at infinite NADH and acceptor concentrations (corrected for the double substrate inhibition) is much larger with ferricyanide than with the indophenol. It is concluded that the latter binds to the reduced enzyme. Thus, with ferricyanide the rate constant measured refers to the dissociation of bound NAD+ from the reduced enzyme (k2) and with the indophenol to the rate constant of oxidation of reduced enzyme by bound acceptor (k4). The latter value is not an estimate for the situation in vivo, where ubiquinone is the acceptor. (3) The rate constant of the dissociation of bound NAD+ from the reduced enzyme (k2) increases with pH. It is suggested that an ionizing group on the enzyme is involved in the dissociation. (4) After extraction of ubiquinone from Complex I with pentane curve relating activity at infinite ferricyanide concentration to NADH concentration changes from hyperbolic to sigmoidal. The hyperbolic curve is restored by reincorporating ubiquinone. It is concluded that ubiquinone is an effector for NADH dehydrogenase.

Steady-state kinetics of low molecular weight (type-II) NADH dehydrogenase.

(1) The steady-state kinetics of the NADH dehydrogenase activity of Type-II (low molecular weight) NADH dehydrogenase with the acceptors ferricyanide, cytochrome c and 2,6-dichloroindophenol are consistent with the simultaneous operation of an ordered and a ping-pong mechanism. Thus, depending on the acceptor concentration, the reduced enzyme is preferentially oxidized before or after NAD+ disociates from it. (2) The acceptors are able to oxidize the reduced enzyme and its NAD+ complex equally well. In contrast to the kinetics of the Type-I (high molecular weight) enzyme, double substrate inhibition is not found, implying that the site of oxidation of the reduced enzyme by acceptors and the NADH-binding site are remote. (3) With the indophenol, in the concentration range measured, the ordered mechanism is mainly operative. At infinite NADH and acceptor concentrations the rate constant of the reduction of enzyme by bound NADH is measured. (4) With ferricyanide and cytochrome c, in the concentration range measured, erroneous conclusions may be drawn from extrapolations owing to the fact that extrapolated lines in double-reciprocal plots of turnover number against acceptor concentration, at different NADH concentrations, intersect in the third quadrant. A method is described that allows the extrapolation of these data to zero acceptor concentrations. (5) The relation between activity and NADH concentration is sigmoidal (h = 2.0) with ferricyanide or cytochrome c as acceptor, but hyperbolic with 2,6-dichloroindophenol. The latter is also an inhibitor, competitive with respect to NADH. It is concluded that this two-electron acceptor, like ubiquinone, acts as an allosteric effector. (6) Type II is isolated from Type I without gross changes in tertiary structure, as judged by the unaltered rate constants of dissociation of NADH (k-1) and NAD+ (k4) and association of NADH (k1). (7) Type II differs from Type I in two respects, (a) The accessibility of the acceptors is greater by at least two orders of magnitude (k3). (b) The redox potential of the prosthetic group FMN is 120 mV less, as judged by a drop in the value of k2 by four orders of magnitude. It is suggested that one or more of the iron-sulphur proteins present in Type-I but lacking in Type-II dehydrogenase functions as an effector, regulating the redox potential of the FMN.

Ferrocyanide as electron donor to cytochrome aa3. Cytochrome c requirement for oxygen uptake.

1. In the absence of cytochrome c, ferrocyanide or ferrous sulphate reduces cytochrome c oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1), but no continuous oxygen uptake ensues, as it does with N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine or reduced phenazine methosulphate as reductants, unless a substoichiometric amount of cytochrome c or an excess of clupein is present. Cytochrome c cannot be replaced by porphyrin cytochrome c. 2. Cytochrome c, porphyrin cytochrome c and clupein all stimulate the reduction of cytochrome aa3 by ferrocyanide. 3. A model is proposed to explain these findings in which a high-affinity site for cytochrome c on the oxidase regulates the access of hydrophilic electron donors to a low-affinity site, and reduction via the high-affinity site is required for continuous oxygen uptake. 4. Furthermore, it is shown that upon reaction of oxidase with ferrocyanide, cyano-oxidase is formed.

Polypeptide composition of purified QH2:cytochrome c oxidoreductase from beef-heart mitochondria.

1. The polypeptide composition of purified QH2: cytochrome c oxidoreductase prepared by three different methods from beef-heart mitochondria has been determined. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of dodecyl sulphate resolves eight intrinsic polypeptide bands; when, in addition, 8 M urea is present and a more highly cross-linked gel is used, the smallest polypeptide band is resolved into three different bands. 2. The identity of several polypeptide bands has been established by fractionation. The two heaviest polypeptides (bands 1 and 2) represent the so-called core proteins, band 3 the hemoprotein of cytochrome b, band 4 the hemoprotein of cytochrome c1, band 5 and Rieske Fe-S protein, band 6 a polypeptide associated with cytochrome c1 and identified with the so-called oxidation factor, and band 7 a polypeptide peptide associated with cytochrome b. 3. The validity of molecular weight estimate for the polypeptides of the enzyme based on their mobility on dodecyl sulphate gels has been examined. The polypeptides of bands 1, 2 and 3 showed anomalous migration rates. The molecular weights of the other polypeptides have been estimated from their relative mobilities on either dodecyl sulphate gels or 8 M urea-dodecyl sulphate gels as 29 000, 24 000, 12 000, 8000, 6000, 5000 and 4000, respectively. 4. The stoicheiometry of the different polypeptides in the intact complex was determined using separate staining factors for the individual polypeptide band.

Preparation and properties of rabbit-muscle glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase with equal binding parameters for the third and fourth NAD+ molecules.

1. A method of preparing rabbit-muscle glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate: NAD+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.12) is described which yields a preparation differing in important respects from those previously described and resembling the enzyme isolated from sturgeon muscle. 2. Direct binding measurements at 25 degrees C by equilibrium gel filtration fit dissociation constants for the first two molecules that are too low to be measured by this technique and 0.9 micrometer for the third and fourth molecules. The dissociation constant of the fourth molecule is much lower than that previously reported for the rabbit-muscle enzyme. 3. In contrast to previous results with the rabbit-muscle enzyme, the increase in absorbance at 360 nm between three and four molecules of NAD+ bound to the enzyme was, within experimental error, the same as that with each of the first three molecules. 4. Data on the quenching of the protein fluorescence by NAD+ at 15 degrees C at different enzyme concentrations closely fit dissociation constants of 0.028 micrometer for the first two molecules and 0.27 micrometer for the third and fourth molecules.

The effects of phosphate and electron transport on the carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone-induced ATPase of rat-liver mitochondria.

1. The effects of phosphate and electron transport on the ATPase induced in rat-liver mitochondria by the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone have been measured at different uncoupler concentrations and compared with those of ATP, oligomycin and aurovertin. 2. The inhibitory action of respiratory-chain inhibitors on the ATPase activity, which is independent of the actual inhibitor used, is greatly delayed or prevented by the presence of uncoupler, and, in the case of rotenone, can be reversed completely by the subsequent addition of succinate (in the absence of uncoupler). These results can be explained on the basis of the proposal previously made by others that coupled electron transfer causes a structural change in the ATPase complex that results in a decreased affinity of the ATPase inhibitor for the mitochondrial ATPase. 3. Inorganic phosphate specifically stimulates the ATPase activity at high uncoupler concentrations (greater than 0.2 muM), but has no effect at low concentrations. The stimulation is prevented or abolished by sufficiently high concentrations of aurovertin. 4. Aurovertin prevents the inhibition of the uncoupler-induced ATPase by high uncoupler concentrations. 5. It is proposed that the steady-state concentration of endogenous P-i may be an important regulator of the turnover of the ATPase in intact mitochondria and that the inhibition of ATPase activity by high concentrations of uncoupler is at least partially mediated via changes in the concentration of endogenous P-i.

Proteins required for the binding of mitrochondrial ATPase to the mitochondrial inner membrane.

1. Isolated F1 (mitochondrial ATPase) binds to urea-treated submitochondrial particles suspended in sucrose/Tris/EDTA with a dissociation constant of 0.1 muM. 2. About one-third of the F1 and the oligomycin-sensitivity conferring protein (OSCP) are lost during preparation of submitochondrial particles prepared at high pH (A particles). None is lost from particles treated with trypsin (T particles). 3. After further treatment with alkali of urea-treated particles, binding of F1 requires the addition of OSCP. Maximum binding is reached when both OSCP and Fc2 are added. The concentration of F1-binding sites in the presence of both OSCP and Fc2 is about the same as that in TU particles. 4. After further extraction with silicotungstate of urea- and alkali-treated particles, OSCP no longer induces binding of F1, unless Fc2 is also present. Fc2 induces binding in the absence of OSCP but with a lower binding constant and, in contrast to results under all the other conditions studied in this paper, the ATPase activity is oligomycin insensitive. 5. It is tentatively concluded that OSCP is the binding site for F1 and Fc2 is the binding site for OSCP.

The binding of aurovertin to isolated F1 (mitochondrial ATPase).

1. Isolated F1 contains 14.9% N, indicating the presence of at least 8% non-protein material. The Lowry method, standardized with bovine serum albumin, correctly measures the protein content. 2. An extinction coefficient of 28.5 mM-1.cm-1 at 367.5 nm was found for aurovertin D in ethanol. 3. The fluorescence enhancement of aurovertin bound to F1 at pH 7.5 was found to be more than 100-fold. 4. Binding parameters calculated from the fluorescence enhancement with fixed F1 and variable aurovertin concentrations, and vice versa, indicate two binding sites per F1 molecule. 5. The fluorescence data are not readily interpreted on the basis of successive binding of aurovertin by 3-component binding reactions of the form E + A in equilibrium EA, but fit closely a model of two non-interacting sites binding aurovertin in a 4-component reaction, EF + A in equilibrium EA + F, with an equilibrium constant of about 2.

The number and localisation of adenine nucleotide-binding sites in beef-heart mitochondrial ATPase (F1) determined by photolabelling with 8-azido-ATP and 8-azido-ADP.

1. When irradiated 8-azido-ATP becomes covalently bound (as the nitreno compound) to beef-heart mitochondrial ATPase (F1) as the triphosphate, either in the absence or presence of Mg2+, label covalently bound is not hydrolysed. 2. In the presence of Mg2+ the nitreno-ATP is bound to both the alpha and beta subunits, mainly (63%) to the alpha subunits. 3. After successive photolabelling of F1 with 8-azido-ATP (no Mg2+) and 8-azido-ADP (with Mg2+) 4 mol label is bound to F1, 2 mol to the alpha and 2 mol to the beta subunits. 4. When the order of photolabelling is reversed, much less 8-nitreno-ATP is bound to F1 previously labelled with 8-nitreno-ADP. It is concluded that binding to the alpha-subunits hinders binding to the beta subunits. 5. F1 that has been photolabelled with up to 4 mol label still contains 2 mol firmly bound adenine nucleotides per mol F1. 6. It is concluded that at least 6 sites for adenine nucleotides are present in isolated F1.

Inhibition of energy-transducing reactions by 8-nitreno-ATP covalently bound to bovine heart submitochondrial particles: direct interaction between ATPase and redox enzymes.

The photoaffinity label 8-azido-ATP has been used to study the effect of inhibition of ATP synthase on ATP-driven reverse electron transfer from succinate to NAD+ ('reversal'), succinate- and NADH-driven ATP synthesis and ATP-Pi exchange. In reversal, where ATPase functions as primary proton pump, inactivation by covalently bound nitreno-ATP results in an inhibition that is proportional to the inactivation of ATP hydrolysis, or, consequently, with the concentration of inactivated ATP synthases. Up to 60% inactivation of the reversal rate does not lead to a decrease in delta mu H+. Inhibition of ATP synthase as secondary proton pump results in case of NADH-driven ATP synthesis in a proportional inhibition, but with succinate as substrate ATP synthesis is less than proportionally inhibited, compared with inactivation of ATP hydrolysis. Inhibition of one of the primary pumps of NADH-driven ATP synthesis, the NADH:Q oxidoreductase, with rotenone also resulted in an inhibition of the rate of ATP synthesis proportional to that of the NADH oxidation. ATP-Pi exchange is much more affected than ATP hydrolysis by photoinactivation with 8-azido-ATP. Contrary to reversal and NADH-driven ATP synthesis the rate of ATP-Pi exchange does not depend linearly, but quadratically on the concentration of active ATP synthases. The observed proportional relationships between inhibition of the primary or secondary pump and the inhibition of the overall energy-transfer reactions do not support the existence of a pool intermediate in energy-transduction reactions. However, the results are consistent with a direct transfer of energy from redox enzymes to ATP synthase and vice versa.

Uncoupler-inhibitor titrations of ATP-driven reverse electron transfer in bovine submitochondrial particles provide evidence for direct interaction between ATPase and NADH:Q oxidoreductase.

From the chemiosmotic hypothesis it follows that no change is expected in potency of an uncoupler to inhibit an energy-driven reaction in an energy-transducing membrane if the energy-requiring part of the reaction, the so-called secondary proton pump, is partially inhibited by a specific, tightly bound inhibitor. An increase in potency upon inhibition of the primary pump may be expected, due to a lower rate of the total proton flow that can be used by the secondary pump and dissipated by the uncoupler. Contrary to this prediction several uncouplers (S13, SF6847, 2,4-dinitrophenol, valinomycin + nigericin) show an increase in uncoupling efficiency in ATP-driven reverse electron transfer (reversal) upon inhibition of the secondary pump in this reaction, the NADH:Q oxidoreductase, by rotenone. The increase in uncoupling efficiency is proportional to the decrease in the rate of reversal, that is to the decrease in concentration of active secondary pump. Similarly, upon inhibition of the primary pump, the ATPase, with oligomycin, an increase in uncoupling efficiency was found, also proportional to the decrease in the rate of reversal. When the pore-forming uncoupler gramicidin was used, no change in uncoupling potency was found upon inhibition of NADH:Q oxidoreductase. Inhibition of the ATPase, however, resulted in a proportionally lower uncoupling titre for gramicidin, just as was found for S13 in the presence of oligomycin. A difference was also found in the relative concentrations of S13 and gramicidin required to stimulate ATP hydrolysis or to inhibit reversal. The amount of S13 needed to stimulate ATP hydrolysis was clearly higher than the amount needed to inhibit reversal. On the contrary, the titre of gramicidin for both actions was about the same. To explain these results we propose that gramicidin uncouples via dissipation of the bulk delta mu H+, whereas the carrier-type uncouplers preferentially interfere with the direct energy transduction between the ATPase and redox enzymes. This is in accordance with the recently developed collision hypothesis.

EPR studies on the respiratory chain of wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mutants with a deficiency in succinate dehydrogenase.

1. Three nuclear mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae deficient in succinate dehydrogenase have been isolated. Two of these mutants are allelic. 2. The amount of covalently bound flavin of submitochondrial particles of the two allelic mutants is about 14% and that of the third mutant about 50% of the amount in wild-type particles. The turnover number of succinate dehydrogenase of particles is decreased in all mutants. The turnover number of fumarate reductase is increased in the two allelic mutants, but decreased in the third mutant. 3. EPR spectra, measured at 82 degrees K, show that the amplitude of the g equals 1.93 signal in particles of the two allelic mutants is less than 10% of that in wild-type particles. It is concluded that iron-sulphur centres other than those of succinate dehydrogenase make only a negligible contribution to the line at g equals 1.93 in wild-type particles. 4. EPR measurements below 20 degrees K show that the amplitude of the signal at g equals 2.01 detected in oxidized particles is decreased in particles of the two allelic mutants. 5. A signal with lines at g equals 2.027 and g equals 1.933 is detected at low temperatures in all particle preparations, even in those from a cytoplasmic petite mutant. It is suggested that this signal is derived from a contaminant and not from the inner membrane.

Antimycin-insensitive mutants of Candida utilis II. The effects of antimycin on Cytochrome b.

1. Cytochrome b-562 is more reduced in submitochondrial particles of mutant 28 during the aerobic steady-state respiration with succinate than in particles of the wild type. When anaerobiosis is reached, the reduction of cytochrome b is preceded by a rapid reoxidation in the mutnat. A similar reoxidation is observed in the wild type in the present of low concentrations of antimycin. 2. In contrast to the wild type, inhibition of electron transport in the mutant has a much higher antimycin titre than effects on cytochromes b (viz., aerobic steady-state reduction; reduction in the presence of substrate, cyanide and oxygen; the 'red shift' and lowering of E'-o of cytochrome b-562). Moreover, the titration curve of electron transport is hyperbolic whereas the curves for the reduction are sigmoidal. The conclusion is, that in both mutant and wild type, the actions of antimycin on electron transport and cytochromes b are separable. 3. The red shift in the mutant is more extensive than in the wild type. 4. Cytochrome b-558 and cytochrome b-566 (that absorbs in mutant and wild type at 564.5 nm) do not respond simultaneously to addition of antimycin, indicating that they are two separate cytochromes. 5. The difference between the effect of antimycin on electron transport and cytochromes b reduction is also found in intact cells of the mutant. 6. A model is suggested for the wild-type respiratory chain in which (i) the cytochromes b lie, in an uncoupled system, out of the main electron-transfer chain, (ii) antimycin induces a conformation change in QH-2-cytochrome c reductase resulting in effects on cytochrome b and inhibition of electron transport, (iii) a second antimycin-binding site with low affinity to the antibiotic is present, capable of inhibiting electron transport.

Mitochondrial oxygen affinity as a function of redox and phosphate potentials.

1. The conditions under which mitochondria might catalyse a net reversal of oxidative phosphorylation are analysed. 2. Rat-liver mitochondria, incubated under such conditions, show a strongly diminished affinity for oxygen. 3. The velocity of respiration under these conditions is a hyperbolic function of the oxygen concentration. 4. The K-m for oxygen is less than 0.1 muM at low phosphate potential, irrespective of substrate, and 1-3 muM under reversal conditions. 5. The observed kinetics can be accounted for in a simple mechanism for cytochrome oxidase action.

Subunit interactions in rabbit-muscle glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase, as measured by NAD+ and NADH binding.

1. The binding parameters for NADH and NAD+ to rabbit-muscle glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate:NAD+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.12) have been measured by quenching of the flourescence of the protein and the NADH. 2. The fact that the degree of protein fluorescence quenching by bound NAD+ or NADH, excited at 285 nm and measured at 340 nm ('blue' tryptophans), is not linearly related to the saturation functions of these nucleotides, leads to a slight overestimation of the interaction energy and an underestimation of the concentration of sites, if linearity is assumed. 3. This is also the case for NADH, but not for NAD+, when the protein fluorescence is excited at 305 nm and measured at 390 nm ('red' tryptophans). 4. The binding of NAD+ can be described by a model in which the binding of NAD+, via negative interactions within the dimer, induces weaker binding sites, with the result that the microscopic dissociation constant is 0.08 microM at low saturation and 0.18 microM for the holoenzyme. 5. The binding of NADH can be described on the basis of the same model, the dissociation constant at low saturation being 0.5 microM and of the holoenzyme 1.0 microM. 6. The fluorescence of bound NADH is not sensitive to the conformational changes that cause the decrease in affinity of bound NAD+ or NADH. 7. The binding of NAD+ to the 3-phosphoglyceroyl enzyme can be described by a dissociation constant that is at least two orders of magnitude greater than the dissociation constants of the unacylated enzyme. The affinity of NAD+ to this form of the enzyme is in agreement with the Ki calculated from product inhibition by NAD+ of the reductive dephosphorylation of 1,3-diphosphoglycerate.

Tightly bound nucleotides of the energy-transducing ATPase, and their role in oxidative phosphorylation. II. The beef heart mitochondrial system.

1. Beef heart mitochondrial ATPase, in both the membrane-bound and isolated form, contains tightly bound ATP and ADP. Each mol of ATPase contains about 2.2 mol ATP and 1.3 mol ADP. 2. In the absence of ATPase activity, these nucleotides exchange only slowly with nucleotides in solution. The exchange rate is increased during coupled ATPase activity, but not when the ATPase is uncoupled. 3. Oligomycin and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide inhibit exchange of the bound nucleotides, as does the ATPase inhibitor protein, although in each case some residual exchange occurs. Aurovertin, although inhibiting phosphorylation, does not inhibit the exchange. This is discussed in terms of the reversibility of these inhibitors. 4. The stimulation of exchange seen during coupled ATPase activity requires energisation of the ATPase molecule. Using the exchange reaction as a probe of energisation, it is deduced that energy can be transferred between different ATPase molecules. 5. It is proposed that coupled ATPase activity and phosphorylation in submitochondrial particles involve the tight nucleotide binding sites and the (weak) ATPase site, while uncoupled ATPase activity involves only the weak site.

Uncoupling of mitochondrial respiration by ADP.

Even when oxidative phosphorylation is blocked completely by addition of high concentrations of oligomycin plus aurovertin, the addition of ADP to a suspension of mitochondria containing a high concentration of ATP inside the mitochondria induces a stimulation of respiration and oxidation of nicotinamide nucleotide. It is concluded that transport of ADP into mitochondria with a high endogenous ATP/ADP ratio requires energy.

The binding of aurovertin to isolated beta subunit of F1 (mitochondrial ATPase). Stoicheiometry of beta subunit in F1.

1. Beef-heart mitochondrial ATPase (F1) is inactivated and dissociated by incubation with 0.85 M LiCl. ATP partly protects against inactivation. Three dissociation products could be identified after chromatography on diethylaminoethylcellulose: the delta subunit which is not adsorbed, the beta subunit which may be eluted from the column, and the alpha and gamma subunits which remain bound to the column. 2. Aurovertin binds to dissociated F1 with a fluorescence enhancement equal to about 30% that found with F1. Unlike intact F1 which shows two kinetically separated phases of fluorescence enhancement, only a fast phase is found with dissociated enzyme. 3. Fluorescence measurements at varying aurovertin and protein concentrations indicate that aurovertin binds to dissociated F1 in a simple 3-component reaction with dissociation constant 0.4 muM. There are two indistinguishable binding sites, calculated on the basis of the initial F1 concentration before dissociation. 4. The beta subunit was isolated from dissociated F1 by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. It has no ATPase activity but reacts with aurovertin with a fluorescence enhancement similar to that of dissociated F1. 5. The isolated beta subunit contains one aurovertin binding site with a dissociation constant of 0.56 muM. 6. It is concluded that F1 contains two beta subunits.

Nucleotide-binding properties of native and cold-treated mitochondrial ATPase.

1. The bound nucleotides of the beef-heart mitochondrial ATPase (F1) are lost during cold inactivation followed by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation. The release of tightly bound ATP parallels the loss of ATPase activity during this process. 2. During cold inactivation, the sedimentation coefficient (s20, w) of the ATPase first declines from 12.1 S to 9 S, then to 3.5 S. (NH4)2SO4 precipitation of the 9-S component also leads to dissociation into subunits with s20, w of 3.5 S. 3. The 9-S component still contains the bound nucleotides, which are removed when it dissociated into smaller subunits. 4. Reactivation of cold-inactivated ATPase by incubation at 30 degrees C is increased by the presence of 25% glycerol. ATP, however, does not have any clearcut effect on the degree of reactivation in the presence of glycerol. 5. ADP is an inhibitor of the reactivation, probably because it exchanges during reactivation for bound ATP giving rise to an inactive 12-S component. 6. The exchange of tightly bound nucleotides with added adenine nucleotides is more extensive and faster with cold-inactivated ATPase than with the native enzyme. During reactivation up to 1.6 moles of ATP and 1.0 mole ADP can exchange per mole enzyme. 7. Incubation with GTP, CTP or inorganic pyrophosphate induces an increased activity of the ATPase, which, however, soon declines in the presence of ATP. It also disappears on precipitation of GTP-treated enzyme with (NH4)2SO4.