J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 261, Issue 16, 7151-7159, 06, 1986
Chemical modification of thiol groups of mitochondrial F1-ATPase from the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Involvement of alpha- and gamma- subunits in the enzyme activity
P Falson, A Di Pietro and DC Gautheron
Mitochondrial F1-ATPase from the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been
prepared under a stable form and in relatively high amounts by an improved
purification procedure. Specific chemical modification of the enzyme by the
thiol reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) at pH 6.8 leads to complete
inactivation characterized by complex kinetics and pH dependence,
indicating that several thiols are related to the enzyme activity. A
complete protection against NEM effect is afforded by low concentrations of
nucleotides in the presence of Mg2+, with ADP and ATP being more efficient
than GTP. A total binding of 5 mol of [14C]NEM/mol of F1-ATPase is obtained
when the enzyme is 85% inactivated: 3 mol of the label are located on the
alpha-subunits and 2 on the gamma-subunit. Two out of the 3 mol on the
alpha-subunits bind very rapidly before any inactivation occurs, indicating
that the two thiols modified are unrelated to the inactivation process.
Complete protection by ATP against inactivation by NEM prevents the
modification of three essential thiols out of the group of five thiols
labeled in the absence of ATP: one is located on a alpha-subunit and two on
the gamma-subunit. These two essential thiols of the gamma-subunit can be
differentiated by modification with 6,6'-dithiodinicotinic acid (CPDS),
another specific thiol reagent. A maximal binding of 4 mol of [14C]CPDS/mol
of enzyme is obtained, concomitant to a 25% inhibition. Sequential
modification of the enzyme by CPDS and [14C]NEM leads to the same final
deep inactivation as that obtained with [14C]NEM alone. One out of the two
thiols of the gamma-subunit is no longer accessible to [14C]NEM after CPDS
treatment. When incubated at pH 6.8 with [3H]ATP in the presence of Mg2+,
F1-ATPase is able to bind 3, largely exchangeable, mol of nucleotide/mol of
enzyme. Modification of the three essential thiols by NEM dramatically
decreases the binding of 3H-nucleotide down to about 1 mol/mol of enzyme.
Partial modification modifies the cooperative properties, the enzyme being
no longer sensitive to anion activation.