The mechanism of stimulation of MgATPase activity of chloroplast F1-ATPase by non-catalytic adenine-nucleotide binding. Acceleration of the ATP-dependent release of inhibitory ADP from a catalytic site.

The presence of ATP at non-catalytic sites of the chloroplast F1-ATPase (CF1) eliminates a considerable lag in onset of enzyme activity that otherwise occurs in the presence of bicarbonate [Milgrom, Y. M., Ehler, L. & Boyer, P. D. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 11551-11558]. Sulfite is known to be much more effective than bicarbonate in stimulating ATPase activity CF1. Results reported here show that when assayed in the presence of sulfite, CF1, with some non-catalytic sites empty or filled with GT(D)P, is able to hydrolyze both ATP and GTP. Thus, the presence of adenine nucleotides at non-catalytic sites is not necessary for catalytic turnover of CF1. However, even though CF1 with empty non-catalytic sites shows a significant initial activity, the prior binding of adenine nucleotides at non-catalytic site(s) results in further activation of MgATPase and MgGTPase activities, even at relatively high sulfite and substrate concentrations. Although extensive activation of CF1 results from the presence of sulfite, with or without nucleotide binding at non-catalytic sites, the Km remains constant, at about 50 microM for MgATP and 400 microM for MgGTP. The results obtained show that the ATPase activity of CF1 is determined by the fraction of the active enzyme. The inactive CF1.ADP.Mg2+ formed during MgATP hydrolysis can be rapidly trapped by azide to provide a measure of the fraction of inactive enzyme. Increasing the concentration of sulfite increases the fraction of active CF1 in the assay medium. Measurements with radioactively labeled nucleotides show that the presence of ATP at non-catalytic sites promotes the ATP-dependent release of inhibitory ADP from a catalytic site. The activating effect of ATP binding at non-catalytic sites results from increasing the portion of CF1 in an active state during steady-state ATP hydrolysis.