title: The gamma subunit of the Escherichia coli ATP synthase. Mutations in the carboxyl-terminal region restore energy coupling to the amino-terminal mutant gamma Met-23-->Lys.
abstract: The gamma subunit mutations, gamma Met-23-->Lys or Arg, in the Escherichia coli ATP synthase were previously reported to cause dramatically inefficient energy coupling between ATPase catalysis and H+ translocation (Shin, K., Nakamoto, R.K., Maeda, M., and Futai, M. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 20835-20839). In this paper, we report that second-site mutations in the gamma subunit can suppress the effects of gamma Met-23-->Lys. By screening randomly mutagenized uncG (gamma Met-23-->Lys), eight mutations in the carboxyl-terminal region were identified; strains carrying gamma Arg-242-->Cys, gamma Gln-269-->Arg, gamma Ala-270-->Val, gamma Ile-272-->Thr, gamma Thr-273-->Ser, gamma Glu-278-->Gly, gamma Ile-279-->Thr, or gamma Val-280-->Ala in combination with gamma Met-23-->Lys were able to grow by oxidative phosphorylation. H+ pumping assayed in membranes prepared from double mutation strains demonstrated that efficient ATP-dependent H+ transport was restored. Interestingly, the single mutations, gamma Gln-269-->Arg or gamma Thr-273-->Ser, caused reduced growth by oxidative phosphorylation; however, when these mutations were in combination with gamma Met-23-->Lys, growth was substantially increased. Furthermore, strains carrying gamma Met-23-->Lys, gamma Gln-269-->Arg, or gamma Thr-273-->Ser as single mutations were temperature sensitive, whereas, strains with the double mutations, gamma Met-23-->Lys/gamma Gln-269-->Arg or gamma Met-23-->Lys/gamma Thr-273-->Ser, were thermally stable. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that gamma Met-23, gamma Arg-242, and the region between gamma Gln-269 to gamma Val-280 are close to each other and interact to mediate efficient energy coupling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Osaka University, Japan.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Nakamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Futai
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D007700:Kinetics; D008239:Lysine; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008715:Methionine; D008961:Models, Structural; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D008715:Methionine; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases; D008239:Lysine