No Arabic abstract
FoF1-ATP synthase is the enzyme that provides the chemical energy currency adenosine triphosphate, ATP, for living cells. The formation of ATP is accomplished by a stepwise internal rotation of subunits within the enzyme. Briefly, proton translocation through the membrane-bound Fo part of ATP synthase drives a 10-step rotary motion of the ring of c subunits with respect to the non-rotating subunits a and b. This rotation is transmitted to the gamma and epsilon subunits of the F1 sector resulting in 120 degree steps. In order to unravel this symmetry mismatch we monitor subunit rotation by a single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) approach using three fluorophores specifically attached to the enzyme: one attached to the F1 motor, another one to the Fo motor, and the third one to a non-rotating subunit. To reduce photophysical artifacts due to spectral fluctuations of the single fluorophores, a duty cycle-optimized alternating three-laser scheme (DCO-ALEX) has been developed. Simultaneous observation of the stepsizes for both motors allows the detection of reversible elastic deformations between the rotor parts of Fo and F1.
Color centers in diamond nanocrystals are a new class of fluorescence markers that attract significant interest due to matchless brightness, photostability and biochemical inertness. Fluorescing diamond nanocrystals containing defects can be used as markers replacing conventional organic dye molecules, quantum dots or autofluorescent proteins. They can be applied for tracking and ultrahigh-resolution localization of the single markers. In addition the spin properties of diamond defects can be utilized for novel magneto-optical imaging (MOI) with nanometer resolution. We develop this technique to unravel the details of the rotary motions and the elastic energy storage mechanism of a single biological nanomotor FoF1-ATP synthase. FoF1-ATP synthase is the enzyme that provides the chemical energy currency adenosine triphosphate, ATP, for living cells. The formation of ATP is accomplished by a stepwise internal rotation of subunits within the enzyme. Previously subunit rotation has been monitored by single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and was limited by the photostability of the fluorophores. Fluorescent nanodiamonds advance these FRET measurements to long time scales.
Confocal time resolved single-molecule spectroscopy using pulsed laser excitation and synchronized multi channel time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) provides detailed information about the conformational changes of a biological motor in real time. We studied the formation of adenosine triphosphate, ATP, from ADP and phosphate by FoF1-ATP synthase. The reaction is performed by a stepwise internal rotation of subunits of the lipid membrane-embedded enzyme. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, FRET, we detected rotation of this biological motor by sequential changes of intramolecular distances within a single FoF1-ATP synthase. Prolonged observation times of single enzymes were achieved by functional immobilization to the glass surface. The stepwise rotary subunit movements were identified by Hidden Markov Models (HMM) which were trained with single-molecule FRET trajectories. To improve the accuracy of the HMM analysis we included the single-molecule fluorescence lifetime of the FRET donor and used alternating laser excitation to co-localize the FRET acceptor independently within a photon burst. The HMM analysis yielded the orientations and dwell times of rotary subunits during stepwise rotation. In addition, the action mode of bactericidal drugs, i.e. inhibitors of FoF1-ATP synthase like aurovertin, could be investigated by the time resolved single-molecule FRET approach.
FoF1-ATP synthase is the enzyme that provides the chemical energy currency adenosine triphosphate, ATP, for living cells. The formation of ATP is accomplished by a stepwise internal rotation of subunits within the enzyme. We monitor subunit rotation by a single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) approach using two fluorophores specifically attached to the enzyme. To identify the stepsize of rotary movements by the motors of ATP synthase we simulated the confocal single-molecule FRET data of freely diffusing enzymes and developed a step finder algorithm based on Hidden Markov Models (HMM). The HMM is able to find the proximity factors, P, for a three-level system and for a five-level system, and to unravel the dwell times of the simulated rotary movements. To identify the number of hidden states in the system, a likelihood parameter is calculated for the series of one-state to eight-state HMMs applied to each set of simulated data. Thereby, the basic prerequisites for the experimental single-molecule FRET data are defined that allow for discrimination between a 120 degree stepping mode or a 36 degree substep rotation mode for the proton-driven Fo motor of ATP synthase.
Conformational changes of single proteins are monitored in real time by Forster-type resonance energy transfer, FRET. Two different fluorophores have to be attached to those protein domains, which move during function. The distance between the fluorophores is measured by relative fluorescence intensity changes of FRET donor and acceptor fluorophore, or by fluorescence lifetime changes of the FRET donor. The fluorescence spectrum of a single FRET donor fluorophore is influenced by local protein environment dynamics causing apparent fluorescence intensity changes on the FRET donor and acceptor detector channels. To discriminate between those spectral fluctuations and distance-dependent FRET, alternating pulsed excitation schemes (ALEX) have recently been introduced which simultaneously probe the existence of a FRET acceptor fluorophore. Here we employ single-molecule FRET measurements to a membrane protein. The membrane-embedded KdpFABC complex transports potassium ions across a lipid bilayer using ATP hydrolysis. Our study aims at the observation of conformational fluctuations within a single P-type ATPase functionally reconstituted into liposomes by single-molecule FRET and analysis by Hidden-Markov-Models.
F1F0 ATP synthase (ATPase) either facilitates the synthesis of ATP in the mitochondrial membranes and bacterial inner membranes in a process driven by the proton moving force (pmf), or uses the energy from ATP hydrolysis to pump protons against the concentration gradient across the membrane. ATPase is composed of two rotary motors, F0 and F1, which generate the opposing rotation and compete for control of their shared central gamma-shaft. Here we present a self-consistent physical model of the F1 motor as a simplified two-state Brownian ratchet based on the asymmetry of torsional elastic energy of the coiled-coil gamma-shaft. This stochastic model unifies the physical description of linear and rotary motors and explains the stepped unidirectional rotation of the $gamma$-shaft, in agreement with the `binding-change ideas of Boyer. Substituting the model parameters, all independently known from recent experiments, our model quantitatively reproduces the ATPase operation, e.g. the `no-load angular velocity is ca. 400~rad/s anticlockwise at 4 mM ATP, in close agreement with experiment. Increasing the pmf torque exerted by F0 can slow, stop and overcome the torque generated by F1, switching from ATP hydrolysis to synthesis at a very low value of `stall torque. We discuss the matters of the motor efficiency, which is very low if calculated from the useful mechanical work it produces - but is quite high when the `useful outcome is measured in the number of H+ pushed against the chemical gradient in the F1 ATP-driven operation.