Article
- The EMBO Journal (2006) 25, 2911 - 2918
- doi:10.1038/sj.emboj.7601177
Published online: 8 June 2006
Subject Categories:
On the structure of the stator of the mitochondrial ATP synthase
Veronica Kane Dickson1, Jocelyn A Silvester1, Ian M Fearnley1, Andrew G W Leslie2 and John E Walker1
- The Medical Research Council Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, Cambridge, UK
- The Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
Correspondence to:
John E Walker, Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust/MRC Building, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2XY, UK. Tel.: +44 1223 252701; Fax: +44 1223 252705; E-mail: walker@mrc-dunn.cam.ac.uk
Andrew G W Leslie, The Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QH, UK. Tel.: +44 1223 248011; Fax: +44 1223 213556; E-mail: andrew@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk
Received 10 April 2006; Accepted 10 May 2006
Abstract
The structure of most of the peripheral stalk, or stator, of the F-ATPase from bovine mitochondria, determined at 2.8 Å resolution, contains residues 79–183, 3–123 and 5–70 of subunits b, d and F6, respectively. It consists of a continuous curved 
-helix about 160 Å long in the single b-subunit, augmented by the predominantly -helical d- and F6-subunits. The structure occupies most of the peripheral stalk in a low-resolution structure of the F-ATPase. The long helix in subunit b extends from near to the top of the F1 domain to the surface of the membrane domain, and it probably continues unbroken across the membrane. Its uppermost region interacts with the oligomycin sensitivity conferral protein, bound to the N-terminal region of one -subunit in the F1 domain. Various features suggest that the peripheral stalk is probably rigid rather than resembling a flexible rope. It remains unclear whether the transient storage of energy required by the rotary mechanism takes place in the central stalk or in the peripheral stalk or in both domains.
Keywords:
- ATP synthase,
- mitochondria,
- stator,
- structure,
- function
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