Proton gradient phosphorylation

Many inhibitors of substrate oxidations, substrate transport, electron transport, and ATP synthesis are known including many well-known toxins (see Sherratt, 1981 Harold, 1986 Nicholls and Ferguson, 1992). These are not discussed here except to mention specific uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. Classic uncouplers such as 2,4-dinitrophenol have protonated and unprotonated forms, both of which are lipid soluble and cross the inner mitochondrial membrane discharging the proton gradient. This prevents ATP synthesis and stimulates respiration. 

Uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation Compounds that uncouple oxidative phosphorylatiou from electron transport in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Most are weak lipophilic acids that can run down the proton gradient across this membrane. 

Figure 12-8. Principles of the chemiosmotic theory of oxidative phosphorylation. The main proton circuit is created by the coupling of oxidation in the respiratory chain to proton translocation from the inside to the outside of the membrane, driven by the respiratory chain complexes I, III, and IV, each of which acts as a protonpump. Q, ubiquinone C, cytochrome c F Fq, protein subunits which utilize energy from the proton gradient to promote phosphorylation. Uncoupling agents such as dinitrophenol allow leakage of H" across the membrane, thus collapsing the electrochemical proton gradient. Oligomycin specifically blocks conduction of H" through Fq.

Spanning the membrane are ATP synthase complexes that use the potential energy of the proton gradient to synthesize ATP from ADP and P,. In this way, oxidation is closely coupled to phosphorylation to meet the energy needs of the cell. 

Hsu, CC, Thomas, C, Chen, W, Davis, KM, Foos, T, Chen, JL, Wu, E, Floor, E, Schloss, JV and Wu, JY (1999) Role of synaptic vesicle proton gradient and protein phosphorylation on ATP-mediated activation of membrane-associated brain glutamate decarboxylase. J. Biol. Chem. 274 24366-24371. 

BIOENERGETICS GENERATION OF PHOSPHORYL TRANSFER POTENTIAL AT THE EXPENSE OF PROTON GRADIENTS... 

The chemi-osmotic theory of oxidative phosphorylation has been reviewed,74 a model for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in which a membrane potential or proton gradient might transmit energy from an oxidation step to ATP synthesis has been proposed,76 and adenine nucleotide transport in mitochondria has been reviewed.76... 

The respiratory chain is one of the pathways involved in oxidative phosphorylation (see p. 122). It catalyzes the steps by which electrons are transported from NADH+H or reduced ubiquinone (QH2) to molecular oxygen. Due to the wide difference between the redox potentials of the donor (NADH+H or QH2) and the acceptor (O2), this reaction is strongly exergonic (see p. 18). Most of the energy released is used to establish a proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane (see p. 126), which is then ultimately used to synthesize ATP with the help of ATP synthase. 

Substances that functionally separate oxidation and phosphorylation from one another are referred to as uncouplers. They break down the proton gradient by allowing ions to pass from the intermembrane space back into the mitochondrial matrix without the involvement of ATP synthase. Uncoupling effects are produced by mechanical damage... 

The inner membrane itself plays an important part in oxidative phosphorylation. As it is impermeable to protons, the respiratory chain—which pumps protons from the matrix into the intermembrane space via complexes 1, 111, and IV—establishes a proton gradient across the inner membrane, in which the chemical energy released during NADH oxidation is conserved (see p. 126). ATP synthase then uses the energy stored in the gradient to form ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate. Several of the transport systems are also dependent on the H"" gradient. 

The reaction catalyzed by F-type ATPases is reversible, so a proton gradient can supply the energy to drive the reverse reaction, ATP synthesis (Fig. 11-40). When functioning in this direction, the F-type ATPases are more appropriately named ATP synthases. ATP synthases are central to ATP production in mitochondria during oxidative phosphorylation and in chloroplasts during photophosphorylation, as well as in eubacteria and archaebacteria. The proton gradient needed to drive ATP synthesis is produced by other types of proton pumps powered by substrate oxidation or sunlight. As noted above, we return to a detailed description of these processes in Chapter 19. 

Acts as energy-conserving mechanism in oxidative phosphorylation, converting electron flow into proton gradient... 

FIGURE 19-19 Two chemical uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. Both DNP and FCCP have a dissociable proton and are very hydrophobic. They carry protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane, dissipating the proton gradient. Both also uncouple photophosphorylation (see Fig. 19-57). 

Although the primary role of the proton gradient in mitochondria is to furnish energy for the synthesis of ATP, the proton-motive force also drives several transport processes essential to oxidative phosphorylation. The inner mitochondrial membrane is generally impermeable to charged species, but two specific systems transport ADP and Pj into the matrix and ATP out to the cytosol (Fig. 19-26). 

A second membrane transport system essential to oxidative phosphorylation is the phosphate translocase, which promotes symport of one H2PO4 and one H+ into the matrix. This transport process, too, is favored by the transmembrane proton gradient (Fig. 19-26). Notice that the process requires movement of one proton from the P to the N side of the inner membrane, consuming some of the energy of electron transfer. A complex of the ATP synthase and both translocases, the ATP synthasome, can be isolated from... 

A Proton Gradient Couples Electron Flow and Phosphorylation... 

N2 under anaerobic conditions, a process called denitrification (Fig. 22-1). These soil bacteria use N03 rather than 02 as the ultimate electron acceptor in a series of reactions that (like oxidative phosphorylation) generates a transmembrane proton gradient, which is used to synthesize ATP. 

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