Role of α-Subunit VISIT-DG Sequence Residues Ser-347 and Gly-351 in the Catalytic Sites of Escherichia coli ATP Synthase.

This paper describes the role of α-subunit VISIT-DG sequence residues αSer-347 and αGly-351 in catalytic sites of Escherichia coli F1Fo ATP synthase. X-ray structures show the very highly conserved α-subunit VISIT-DG sequence in close proximity to the conserved phosphate-binding residues αArg- 376, βArg-182, βLys-155, and βArg-246 in the phosphate-binding subdomain. Mutations αS347Q and αG351Q caused loss of oxidative phosphorylation and reduced ATPase activity of F1Fo in membranes by 100- and 150-fold, respectively, whereas αS347A mutation showed only a 13-fold loss of activity and also retained some oxidative phosphorylation activity. The ATPase of αS347Q mutant was not inhibited, and the αS347A mutant was slightly inhibited by MgADP-azide, MgADP-fluoroaluminate, or MgADP-fluoroscandium, in contrast to wild type and αG351Q mutant. Whereas 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1, 3-diazole (NBD-Cl) inhibited wild type and αG351Q mutant ATPase essentially completely, ATPase in αS347A or αS347Q mutant was inhibited maximally by ∼80 -90%, although reaction still occurred at residue βTyr-297, proximal to the α-subunit VISIT-DG sequence, near the phosphate-binding pocket. Inhibition characteristics supported the conclusion that NBD-Cl reacts in βE (empty) catalytic sites, as shown previously by x-ray structure analysis. Phosphate protected against NBD-Cl inhibition in wild type and αG351Q mutant but not in αS347Q or αS347A mutant. The results demonstrate that αSer-347 is an additional residue involved in phosphate-binding and transition state stabilization in ATP synthase catalytic sites. In contrast, αGly-351, although strongly conserved and clearly important for function, appears not to play a direct role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]