The stimulating role of subunit F in ATPase activity inside the A1-complex of the Methanosarcina mazei Gö1 A1AO ATP synthase

• Enzymatic studies show that the M. mazei Gö1 A-ATP synthase subunit F is an ATPase activating subunit.
• Deletions of the N- or C-terminus of subunit F abolished the effect of ATP hydrolysis activation.
• Interaction of subunits B and F is proposed to affect the transition state, stabilized by the subunit B residue R349.

A1AO ATP synthases couple ion-transport of the AO sector and ATP synthesis/hydrolysis of the A3B3-headpiece via their stalk subunits D and F. Here, we produced and purified stable A3B3D- and A3B3DF-complexes of the Methanosarcina mazei Gö1 A-ATP synthase as confirmed by electron microscopy. Enzymatic studies with these complexes showed that the M. mazei Gö1 A-ATP synthase subunit F is an ATPase activating subunit. The maximum ATP hydrolysis rates (Vmax) of A3B3D and A3B3DF were determined by substrate-dependent ATP hydrolysis experiments resulting in a Vmax of 7.9 s− 1 and 30.4 s− 1, respectively, while the KM is the same for both. Deletions of the N- or C-termini of subunit F abolished the effect of ATP hydrolysis activation. We generated subunit F mutant proteins with single amino acid substitutions and demonstrated that the subunit F residues S84 and R88 are important in stimulating ATP hydrolysis. Hybrid formation of the A3B3D-complex with subunit F of the related eukaryotic V-ATPase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae or subunit ε of the F-ATP synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis showed that subunit F of the archaea and eukaryotic enzymes are important in ATP hydrolysis.