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Entrapment of water by subunit c of ATP synthase.

ABSTRACT: We consider an ancient protein, and water as a smooth surface, and show that the interaction of the two allows the protein to change its hydrogen bonding to encapsulate the water. This property could have made a three-dimensional microenvironment, 3-4 Gyr ago, for the evolution of subsequent complex water-based chemistry. Proteolipid, subunit c of ATP synthase, when presented with a water surface, changes its hydrogen bonding from an alpha-helix to beta-sheet-like configuration and moves away from its previous association with lipid to interact with water surface molecules. Protein sheets with an intra-sheet backbone spacing of 3.7A and inter-sheet spacing of 6.0 A hydrogen bond into long ribbons or continuous surfaces to completely encapsulate a water droplet. The resulting morphology is a spherical vesicle or a hexagonal crystal of water ice, encased by a skin of subunit c. Electron diffraction shows the crystals to be highly ordered and compressed and the protein skin to resemble beta-sheets. The protein skin can retain the entrapped water over a temperature rise from 123 to 223 K at 1 x 10(-4) Pa, whereas free water starts to sublime significantly at 153 K.

SUBMITTER: McGeoch JE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2500151 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:New findingsWhat is the central question of this study? Humans with obesity have lower ATP synthesis in muscle along with lower content of the β-subunit of the ATP synthase (β-F1-ATPase), the catalytic component of the ATP synthase. Does lower synthesis rate of β-F1-ATPase in muscle contribute to these responses in humans with obesity? What is the main finding and its importance? Humans with obesity have a lower synthesis rate of β-F1 -ATPase and ATP synthase specific activity in muscle. These findings indicate that reduced production of subunits forming the ATP synthase in muscle may contribute to impaired generation of ATP in obesity.AbstractThe content of the β-subunit of the ATP synthase (β-F1 -ATPase), which forms the catalytic site of the enzyme ATP synthase, is reduced in muscle of obese humans, along with a reduced capacity for ATP synthesis. We studied 18 young (37 ± 8 years) subjects of which nine were lean (BMI = 23 ± 2 kg m-2 ) and nine were obese (BMI = 34 ± 3 kg m-2 ) to determine the fractional synthesis rate (FSR) and gene expression of β-F1 -ATPase, as well as the specific activity of the ATP synthase. FSR of β-F1 -ATPase was determined using a combination of isotope tracer infusion and muscle biopsies. Gene expression of β-F1 -ATPase and specific activity of the ATP synthase were determined in the muscle biopsies. When compared to lean, obese subjects had lower muscle β-F1 -ATPase FSR (0.10 ± 0.05 vs. 0.06 ± 0.03% h-1 ; P < 0.05) and protein expression (P < 0.05), but not mRNA expression (P > 0.05). Across subjects, abundance of β-F1 -ATPase correlated with the FSR of β-F1 -ATPase (P < 0.05). The specific activity of muscle ATP synthase was lower in obese compared to lean subjects (0.035 ± 0.004 vs. 0.042 ± 0.007 arbitrary units; P < 0.05), but this difference was not significant after the activity of the ATP synthase was adjusted to the β-F1 -ATPase content (P > 0.05). Obesity impairs the synthesis of β-F1 -ATPase in muscle at the translational level, reducing the content of β-F1 -ATPase in parallel with reduced capacity for ATP generation via the ATP synthase complex.

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Entrapment of water by subunit c of ATP synthase.

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