title: ATP synthase: constrained stoichiometry of the transmembrane rotor.
abstract: Recent structural data suggest that the number of identical subunits (c or III) assembled into the cation-powered rotor of F1F0 ATP synthase depends on the biological origin. Atomic force microscopy allowed individual subunits of the cylindrical transmembrane rotors from spinach chloroplast and from Ilyobacter tartaricus ATP synthase to be directly visualized in their native-like environment. Occasionally, individual rotors exhibit structural gaps of the size of one or more subunits. Complete rotors and arch-shaped fragments of incomplete rotors revealed the same diameter within one ATP synthase species. These results suggest the rotor diameter and stoichiometry to be determined by the shape of the subunits and their nearest neighbor interactions.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany. daniel.mueller@mpi-cbg.de
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Dencher
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dimroth
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stahlberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seelert
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Matthey
mesh_terms: D025181:ATP Synthetase Complexes; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000737:chemistry; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000737:chemistry*; D017856:Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor) / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016622:Silver Staining; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D025181:ATP Synthetase Complexes; D017856:Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor)