Guanidine-induced dissociation of mitochondrial F1-ATPase.

The effect of guanidine hydrochloride on ATPase activity, gel filtration, turbidity, and the fluorescence emission intensity of mitochondrial F1-ATPase was examined. Purified F1 from bovine heart mitochondria was slowly inactivated at low denaturant concentration, and inactivation was associated with delta and epsilon subunit dissociation. delta and epsilon subunits were bound together to form a stable and soluble heterodimer.