Do the bacterial flagellar motor and ATP synthase operate as water turbines?
Despite much progress in the study of the rotary motors ATP synthase (F0F1) and the bacterial flagellar motor, we still cannot answer the most basic and simple question, how the random thermal movement of H+ (or Na+) ions down a pH (or Na+) gradient spins the rotors. I suggest consideration of the possibility that the motors operate like water turbines, i.e., rotation is the outcome of water mini-jets impinging tangentially on the rotors. The vectorial jets are formed when the cations lose part or all of their hydration water upon interacting with a properly positioned site on a protein component which is part of the rotor or is located on a peripheral protein.
Oplatka
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A
Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D005407:Flagella / Q000378:metabolism*; D017136:Ion Transport; D008954:Models, Biological; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011522:Protons; D012399:Rotation; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D055672:Static Electricity; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014867:Water
D011522:Protons; D014867:Water; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D012964:Sodium; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases