Directed mutagenesis of the dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-reactive carboxyl residues in beta-subunit of F1-ATPase of Escherichia coli.

Previous studies in which dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) was used to inactivate F1-ATPase enzymes have suggested that two glutamate residues in the beta-subunit are essential for catalysis. In the Escherichia coli F1-ATPase, these are residues beta-Glu-181 and beta-Glu-192. Oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis was used to change these residues to beta-Gln-181 and beta-Gln-192. The beta-Gln-181 mutation produced strong impairment of oxidative phosphorylation in vivo and also of ATPase and ATP-driven proton-pumping activities in membranes assayed in vitro. A low level of each activity was detected and an F1-ATPase appeared to be assembled normally on the membranes. Therefore, it is suggested that the carboxyl side chain at residue beta-181 is important, although not absolutely required, for catalysis in both directions on E. coli F1-ATPase. The beta-Gln-192 mutation produced partial inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation in vivo and membrane ATPase activity was reduced by 78%. These results contrast with the complete or near-complete inactivation seen when E. coli F1-ATPase is reacted with DCCD and imply that DCCD-inactivation is attributable more to the attachment of the bulky DCCD molecule than to the derivatization of the carboxyl side chain of residue beta-Glu-192. M. Ohtsubo and colleagues (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. (1987) 146, 705-710) described mutagenesis of the F1-beta-subunit of thermophilic bacterium PS3. Mutations (Glu----Gln) of the residues homologous to Glu-181 and Glu-192 of E. coli F1-beta-subunit both caused total inhibition of ATPase activity. Therefore, there was a marked difference in results obtained when the same residues were modified in the PS3 and E. coli F1-beta-subunits.