Analysis of the homodimeric structure of a D-Ala-D-Ala metallopeptidase, VanX, from vancomycin-resistant bacteria.

Bacteria that have acquired resistance to most antibiotics, particularly those causing nosocomial infections, create serious problems. Among these, the emergence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci was a tremendous shock, considering that vancomycin is the last resort for controlling methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an inhibitor of VanX, a protein involved in vancomycin resistance. Although the crystal structure of VanX has been resolved, its asymmetric unit contains six molecules aligned in a row. We have developed a structural model of VanX as a stable dimer in solution, primarily utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) residual dipolar coupling. Despite the 46 kDa molecular mass of the dimer, the analyses, which are typically not as straightforward as those of small proteins around 10 kDa, were successfully conducted. We assigned the main chain using an amino acid-selective unlabeling method. Because we found that the zinc ion-coordinating active sites in the dimer structure were situated in the opposite direction to the dimer interface, we generated an active monomer by replacing an amino acid at the dimer interface. The monomer consists of only 202 amino acids and is expected to be used in future studies to screen and improve inhibitors using NMR.

Structural analysis of ATP bound to the F1-ATPase ß-subunit monomer by solid-state NMR- insight into the hydrolysis mechanism in F1.

ATP-hydrolysis-associated conformational change of the ß-subunit during the rotation of F1-ATPase (F1) has been discussed using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Since it is worthwhile to further investigate the conformation of ATP at the catalytic subunit through an alternative approach, the structure of ATP bound to the F1ß-subunit monomer (ß) was analyzed by solid-state NMR. The adenosine conformation of ATP-ß was similar to that of ATP analog in F1 crystal structures. 31P chemical shift analysis showed that the Pα and Pß conformations of ATP-ß are gauche-trans and trans-trans, respectively. The triphosphate chain is more extended in ATP-ß than in ATP analog in F1 crystals. This appears to be in the state just before ATP hydrolysis. Furthermore, the ATP-ß conformation is known to be more closed than the closed form in F1 crystal structures. In view of the cryo-EM results, ATP-ß would be a model of the most closed ß-subunit with ATP ready for hydrolysis in the hydrolysis stroke of the F1 rotation.

Strategies for elucidation of the structure and function of the large membrane protein complex, FoF1-ATP synthase, by nuclear magnetic resonance.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigation of large membrane proteins requires well-focused questions and critical techniques. Here, research strategies for FoF1-ATP synthase, a membrane-embedded molecular motor, are reviewed, focusing on the ß-subunit of F1-ATPase and c-subunit ring of the enzyme. Segmental isotope-labeling provided 89% assignment of the main chain NMR signals of thermophilic Bacillus (T)F1ß-monomer. Upon nucleotide binding to Lys164, Asp252 was shown to switch its hydrogen-bonding partner from Lys164 to Thr165, inducing an open-to-closed bend motion of TF1ß-subunit. This drives the rotational catalysis. The c-ring structure determined by solid-state NMR showed that cGlu56 and cAsn23 of the active site took a hydrogen-bonded closed conformation in membranes. In 505 kDa TFoF1, the specifically isotope-labeled cGlu56 and cAsn23 provided well-resolved NMR signals, which revealed that 87% of the residue pairs took a deprotonated open conformation at the Foa-c subunit interface, whereas they were in the closed conformation in the lipid-enclosed region.

Chemical Conformation of the Essential Glutamate Site of the c-Ring within Thermophilic Bacillus FoF1-ATP Synthase Determined by Solid-State NMR Based on its Isolated c-Ring Structure.

Proton translocation through the membrane-embedded Fo component of F-type ATP synthase (FoF1) is facilitated by the rotation of the Fo c-subunit ring (c-ring), carrying protons at essential acidic amino acid residues. Cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) structures of FoF1 suggest a unique proton translocation mechanism. To elucidate it based on the chemical conformation of the essential acidic residues of the c-ring in FoF1, we determined the structure of the isolated thermophilic Bacillus Fo (tFo) c-ring, consisting of 10 subunits, in membranes by solid-state NMR. This structure contains a distinct proton-locking conformation, wherein Asn23 (cN23) CγO and Glu56 (cE56) CδOH form a hydrogen bond in a closed form. We introduced stereo-array-isotope-labeled (SAIL) Glu and Asn into the tFoc-ring to clarify the chemical conformation of these residues in tFoF1-ATP synthase (tFoF1). Two well-separated 13C signals could be detected for cN23 and cE56 in a 505 kDa membrane protein complex, respectively, thereby suggesting the presence of two distinct chemical conformations. Based on the signal intensity and structure of the tFoc-ring and tFoF1, six pairs of cN23 and cE56 surrounded by membrane lipids take the closed form, whereas the other four in the a-c interface employ the deprotonated open form at a proportion of 87%. This indicates that the a-c interface is highly hydrophilic. The pKa values of the four cE56 residues in the a-c interface were estimated from the cN23 signal intensity in the open and closed forms and distribution of polar residues around each cE56. The results favor a rotation of the c-ring for ATP synthesis.

Structure and dynamics of phospholipids in membranes elucidated by combined use of NMR and vibrational spectroscopies.

NMR is a sophisticated method for investigation of structure and dynamics of lipid and protein molecules in membranes. Vibrational spectroscopy is also powerful because of relatively high resolution and sensitivity, and easier access than NMR. A combined use of these spectroscopies could provide important insights into the membrane biophysics. A structural analysis of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) bilayers in built-up films by infrared dichroism suggested that polar groups oriented parallel to the membrane surface. A Raman analysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) revealed that the gauche conformation was preferred for the choline backbone not only in solid, but also in the gel and liquid-crystalline states. The polar group structure of DPPC bilayers in the liquid-crystalline state was determined by analyzing deuterium quadrupole splitting of the choline group and phosphorus chemical shift anisotropy of the phosphate group in combination with restriction of the gauche conformation of the choline group determined by Raman spectroscopy. This was an excellent complementarity of NMR and vibrational spectroscopies. The deuterium quadrupole splitting values mentioned above were found to change on addition of ions such as NaCl, CaCl2, and LaCl3, suggesting that a structural change takes place on ion binding and the polar group of PC works as an electric charge sensor of membranes. The ion-bound structure was determined by NMR using the restriction from Raman spectroscopy. The PN vector of phosphorylcholine group was inclined by 63° from the membrane surface, while the inclination was 18° in the ion-free form. The deuterium quadrupole splitting values and phosphorus powder patterns revealed that on mixing with phosphatidylglycerol (PG) or cardiolipin (CL), PC did not change its dynamic structure of the glycerol backbone, but PE did. The mixture of PE with PG or CL shared a new dynamic structure, suggesting their adaptive miscibility in the molecular level. PC was molecularly immiscible with any of PE, PG, and CL. The molecular miscibility would regulate not only interactions of proteins with mixed bilayers but also formation of asymmetric lipid membranes. Interactions of crown-ether (CE) modified artificial microbial peptides with phospholipid bilayers were investigated by NMR and FTIR. CE-modified 14-mers with one or two basic amino acid residues revealed position-specific selectivity for the suppression of calcein leakage from PC vesicles but did not for that from PG vesicles, suggesting that structures of the lipid polar groups play crucial roles in different responses of the vesicles to the positively charged peptides. Manipulation of the peptide-polar group interaction can be used for drug design.

A novel chitin-binding mode of the chitin-binding domain of chitinase A1 from Bacillus circulans WL-12 revealed by solid-state NMR.

Chitin-binding domain of chitinase A1 (ChBDChiA1 ) is characteristic because it binds only to insoluble crystalline chitin. While binding sites of major carbohydrate-binding modules carry multiple aromatic rings aligned on a surface, lethal mutations for ChBDChiA1 were reported only at W687, a location completely different from the site mentioned above, in spite of their similar main-chain folds. Here, the structural mechanism underlying its crystalline chitin binding was uncovered by solid-state NMR. Based on 13 C- and 15 N-signal assignment of microcrystalline ChBDChiA1 , the chemical shift perturbation on chitin binding was carefully examined. The perturbation was greatest at W687 and nonaromatic residues surrounding it, revealing their direct involvement in chitin binding. These residues and Q679 should provide a novel chitin-binding platform parallel to the W687 ring.

Direct assignment of 13C solid-state NMR signals of TFoF1 ATP synthase subunit c-ring in lipid membranes and its implication for the ring structure.

FoF1-ATP synthase catalyzes ATP hydrolysis/synthesis coupled with a transmembrane H+ translocation in membranes. The Fo c-subunit ring plays a major role in this reaction. We have developed an assignment strategy for solid-state 13C NMR (ssNMR) signals of the Fo c-subunit ring of thermophilic Bacillus PS3 (TFo c-ring, 72 residues), carrying one of the basic folds of membrane proteins. In a ssNMR spectrum of uniformly 13C-labeled sample, the signal overlap has been a major bottleneck because most amino acid residues are hydrophobic. To overcome signal overlapping, we developed a method designated as COmplementary Sequential assignment with MInimum Labeling Ensemble (COSMILE). According to this method, we generated three kinds of reverse-labeled samples to suppress signal overlapping. To assign the carbon signals sequentially, two-dimensional Cα(i+1)-C'Cα(i) correlation and dipolar assisted rotational resonance (DARR) experiments were performed under magic-angle sample spinning. On the basis of inter- and intra-residue 13C-13C chemical shift correlations, 97% of Cα, 97% of Cß and 92% of C' signals were assigned directly from the spectra. Secondary structure analysis predicted a hairpin fold of two helices with a central loop. The effects of saturated and unsaturated phosphatidylcholines on TFo c-ring structure were examined. The DARR spectra at 15 ms mixing time are essentially similar to each other in saturated and unsaturated lipid membranes, suggesting that TFo c-rings have similar structures under the different environments. The spectrum of the sample in saturated lipid membranes showed better resolution and structural stability in the gel state. The C-terminal helix was suggested to locate in the outer layer of the c-ring.

Dynamic mechanisms driving conformational conversions of the ß and ε subunits involved in rotational catalysis of F1-ATPase.

F-type ATPase is a ubiquitous molecular motor. Investigations on thermophilic F1-ATPase and its subunits, ß and ε, by NMR were reviewed. Using specific isotope labeling, pKa of the putative catalytic carboxylate in ß was estimated. Segmental isotope-labeling enabled us to monitor most residues of ß, revealing that the conformational conversion from open to closed form of ß on nucleotide binding found in ATPase was an intrinsic property of ß and could work as a driving force of the rotational catalysis. A stepwise conformational change was driven by switching of the hydrogen bond networks involving Walker A and B motifs. Segmentally labeled ATPase provided a well resolved NMR spectra, revealing while the open form of ß was identical for ß monomer and ATPase, its closed form could be different. ATP-binding was also a critical factor in the conformational conversion of ε, an ATP hydrolysis inhibitor. Its structural elucidation was described.

Active-site structure of the thermophilic Foc-subunit ring in membranes elucidated by solid-state NMR.

FoF1-ATP synthase uses the electrochemical potential across membranes or ATP hydrolysis to rotate the Foc-subunit ring. To elucidate the underlying mechanism, we carried out a structural analysis focused on the active site of the thermophilic c-subunit (TFoc) ring in membranes with a solid-state NMR method developed for this purpose. We used stereo-array isotope labeling (SAIL) with a cell-free system to highlight the target. TFoc oligomers were purified using a virtual ring His tag. The membrane-reconstituted TFoc oligomer was confirmed to be a ring indistinguishable from that expressed in E. coli on the basis of the H(+)-translocation activity and high-speed atomic force microscopic images. For the analysis of the active site, 2D (13)C-(13)C correlation spectra of TFoc rings labeled with SAIL-Glu and -Asn were recorded. Complete signal assignment could be performed with the aid of the C(α)i+1-C(α)i correlation spectrum of specifically (13)C,(15)N-labeled TFoc rings. The C(δ) chemical shift of Glu-56, which is essential for H(+) translocation, and related crosspeaks revealed that its carboxyl group is protonated in the membrane, forming the H(+)-locked conformation with Asn-23. The chemical shift of Asp-61 C(γ) of the E. coli c ring indicated an involvement of a water molecule in the H(+) locking, in contrast to the involvement of Asn-23 in the TFoc ring, suggesting two different means of proton storage in the c rings.

An automated system designed for large scale NMR data deposition and annotation: application to over 600 assigned chemical shift data entries to the BioMagResBank from the Riken Structural Genomics/Proteomics Initiative internal database.

Biomolecular NMR chemical shift data are key information for the functional analysis of biomolecules and the development of new techniques for NMR studies utilizing chemical shift statistical information. Structural genomics projects are major contributors to the accumulation of protein chemical shift information. The management of the large quantities of NMR data generated by each project in a local database and the transfer of the data to the public databases are still formidable tasks because of the complicated nature of NMR data. Here we report an automated and efficient system developed for the deposition and annotation of a large number of data sets including (1)H, (13)C and (15)N resonance assignments used for the structure determination of proteins. We have demonstrated the feasibility of our system by applying it to over 600 entries from the internal database generated by the RIKEN Structural Genomics/Proteomics Initiative (RSGI) to the public database, BioMagResBank (BMRB). We have assessed the quality of the deposited chemical shifts by comparing them with those predicted from the PDB coordinate entry for the corresponding protein. The same comparison for other matched BMRB/PDB entries deposited from 2001-2011 has been carried out and the results suggest that the RSGI entries greatly improved the quality of the BMRB database. Since the entries include chemical shifts acquired under strikingly similar experimental conditions, these NMR data can be expected to be a promising resource to improve current technologies as well as to develop new NMR methods for protein studies.

Purification, characterization and reconstitution into membranes of the oligomeric c-subunit ring of thermophilic F(o)F(1)-ATP synthase expressed in Escherichia coli.

F(o)F(1)-ATP synthase catalyzes ATP synthesis coupled with proton-translocation across the membrane. The membrane-embedded F(o) portion is responsible for the H(+) translocation coupled with rotation of the oligomeric c-subunit ring, which induces rotation of the γ subunit of F(1). For solid-state NMR measurements, F(o)F(1) of thermophilic Bacillus PS3 (TF(o)F(1)) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and the intact c-subunit ring (TF(o)c-ring) was isolated by new procedures. One of the key improvement in this purification was the introduction of a His residue to each c-subunit that acts as a virtual His(10)-tag of the c-ring. After solubilization from membranes by sodium deoxycholate, the c-ring was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography, followed by anion-exchange chromatography. The intactness of the isolated c-ring was confirmed by high-resolution clear native PAGE, sedimentation analysis, and H(+)-translocation activity. The isotope-labeled intact TF(o)c-ring was successfully purified in such an amount as enough for solid-state NMR measurements. The isolated TF(o)c-rings were reconstituted into lipid membranes. A solid-state NMR spectrum at a high quality was obtained with this membrane sample, revealing that this purification procedure was suitable for the investigation by solid-state NMR. The purification method developed here can also be used for other physicochemical investigations.

Combined use of replica-exchange molecular dynamics and magic-angle-spinning solid-state NMR spectral simulations for determining the structure and orientation of membrane-bound peptide.

We report an approach to determining membrane peptides and membrane protein complex structures by magic-angle-spinning solid-state NMR and molecular dynamics simulation. First, an ensemble of low energy structures of mastoparan-X, a wasp venom peptide, in lipid bilayers was generated by replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) simulation with the implicit membrane/solvent model. Next, peptide structures compatible with experimental (13)C(α), C(ß), and C' chemical shifts were selected from the ensemble. The (13)C(α) chemical shifts alone were sufficient for the selection with backbone rmsd's of ∼0.8 Å from the experimentally determined structure. The dipolar couplings between the peptide protons and lipid (2)H/(31)P nuclei were obtained from the (13)C-observed (2)H/(31)P-selective (1)H-demagnetization experiments for selecting the backbone and side chain structures relative to the membrane. The simulated structure agreed with the experimental one in the depth and orientation. The REMD simulation can be used for supplementing the limited structural constraints obtainable from the solid-state NMR spectra.

Structure analysis of membrane-reconstituted subunit c-ring of E. coli H+-ATP synthase by solid-state NMR.

The subunit c-ring of H(+)-ATP synthase (F(o) c-ring) plays an essential role in the proton translocation across a membrane driven by the electrochemical potential. To understand its structure and function, we have carried out solid-state NMR analysis under magic-angle sample spinning. The uniformly [(13)C, (15)N]-labeled F(o) c from E. coli (EF(o) c) was reconstituted into lipid membranes as oligomers. Its high resolution two- and three-dimensional spectra were obtained, and the (13)C and (15)N signals were assigned. The obtained chemical shifts suggested that EF(o) c takes on a hairpin-type helix-loop-helix structure in membranes as in an organic solution. The results on the magnetization transfer between the EF(o) c and deuterated lipids indicated that Ile55, Ala62, Gly69 and F76 were lined up on the outer surface of the oligomer. This is in good agreement with the cross-linking results previously reported by Fillingame and his colleagues. This agreement reveals that the reconstituted EF(o) c oligomer takes on a ring structure similar to the intact one in vivo. On the other hand, analysis of the (13)C nuclei distance of [3-(13)C]Ala24 and [4-(13)C]Asp61 in the F(o) c-ring did not agree with the model structures proposed for the EF(o) c-decamer and dodecamer. Interestingly, the carboxyl group of the essential Asp61 in the membrane-embedded EF(o) c-ring turned out to be protonated as COOH even at neutral pH. The hydrophobic surface of the EF(o) c-ring carries relatively short side chains in its central region, which may allow soft and smooth interactions with the hydrocarbon chains of lipids in the liquid-crystalline state.

Dynamic nuclear polarization experiments at 14.1 T for solid-state NMR.

Instrumentation for high-field dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) at 14.1 T was developed to enhance the nuclear polarization for NMR of solids. The gyrotron generated 394.5 GHz submillimeter (sub-mm) wave with a power of 40 W in the second harmonic TE(0,6) mode. The sub-mm wave with a power of 0.5-3 W was transmitted to the sample in a low-temperature DNP-NMR probe with a smooth-wall circular waveguide system. The (1)H polarization enhancement factor of up to about 10 was observed for a (13)C-labeled compound with nitroxyl biradical TOTAPOL. The DNP enhancement was confirmed by the static magnetic field dependence of the NMR signal amplitude at 90 K. Improvements of the high-field DNP experiments are discussed.

Analysis of the open and closed conformations of the beta subunits in thermophilic F1-ATPase by solution NMR.

F(1)-ATPase, composed of alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and epsilon subunits, is a unique enzyme in terms of its rotational catalytic activity. The smallest unit showing this function is the alpha(3)beta(3)gamma complex. We have investigated the alpha(3)beta(3)gamma epsilon(Delta C) (epsilon(Delta C), truncated epsilon) complex from thermophilic Bacillus PS3 (TF(1)', 360 kDa) in the solution state by using the combination of extensive deuteration, segmental-labeling, and CRINEPT (cross-correlated relaxation-enhanced polarization transfer) NMR. Well-resolved CRINEPT-HMQC (heteronuclear multiple-quantum correlation) spectra of partially (15)N-labeled TF(1)' were obtained for this huge and asymmetric protein complex. The spectrum of the C-terminal domain of the beta subunit revealed that the open form of the beta subunit in the TF(1)' complex is similar to that of the free beta monomer. The open beta subunit in the TF(1)' complex does not exhibit high affinity for nucleotides unlike the monomer, but this is in agreement with the results of single-molecule analysis of TF(1)alpha(3)beta(3)gamma. On the other hand, the closed form of the beta subunit in the TF(1)' complex was shown to be distinct from that of the nucleotide-bound beta monomer. This is consistent with a previous report that the closed form of the TF(1)beta monomer could be a catalytically activated state. The loop between the N-terminal beta-barrel and the central domain is highly flexible in the TF(1)' complex, in contrast to that in the alpha(3)beta(3) hexamer, suggesting that it is affected by the presence of the gamma subunit in this area.

1H-detected 1H-1H correlation spectroscopy of a stereo-array isotope labeled amino acid under fast magic-angle spinning.

The combined use of selective deuteration, stereo-array isotope labeling (SAIL), and fast magic-angle spinning effectively suppresses the 1H-1H dipolar couplings in organic solids. This method provided the high-field 1H NMR linewidths comparable to those achieved by combined rotation and multiple-pulse spectroscopy. This technique was applied to two-dimensional 1H-detected 1H-1H polarization transfer CHH experiments of valine. The signal sensitivity for the 1H-detected CHH experiments was greater than that for the 13C-detected 1H-1H polarization transfer experiments by a factor of 2-4. We obtained the 1H-1H distances in SAIL valine by CHH experiments with an accuracy of about 0.2A by using a theory developed for 1H-1H polarization transfer in 13C-labeled organic compounds.

Atomic structure of the bacteriochlorophyll c assembly in intact chlorosomes from Chlorobium limicola determined by solid-state NMR.

Green sulfur photosynthetic bacteria optimize their antennas, chlorosomes, especially for harvesting weak light by organizing bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) assembly without any support of proteins. As it is difficult to crystallize the organelles, a high-resolution structure of the light-harvesting devices in the chlorosomes has not been clarified. We have determined the structure of BChl c assembly in the intact chlorosomes from Chlorobium limicola on the basis of (13)C dipolar spin-diffusion solid-state NMR analysis of uniformly (13)C-labeled chlorosomes. About 90 intermolecular C-C distances were obtained by the simultaneous assignment of distance correlations and the structure optimization preceded by the polarization-transfer matrix analysis. An atomic structure was obtained, using these distance constraints. The determined structure of the chlorosomal BChl c assembly is built with the parallel layers of piggyback-dimers. This supramolecular structure would provide insights into the mechanism of weak-light capturing.

Structural and functional analysis of the intrinsic inhibitor subunit epsilon of F1-ATPase from photosynthetic organisms.

The epsilon subunit, a small subunit located in the F1 domain of ATP synthase and comprising two distinct domains, an N-terminal beta-sandwich structure and a C-terminal alpha-helical region, serves as an intrinsic inhibitor of ATP hydrolysis activity. This inhibitory function is especially important in photosynthetic organisms as the enzyme cannot synthesize ATP in the dark, but may catalyse futile ATP hydrolysis reactions. To understand the structure-function relationship of this subunit in F1 from photosynthetic organisms, we solved the NMR structure of the epsilon subunit of ATP synthase obtained from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1, and examined the flexibility of the C-terminal domains using molecular dynamics simulations. In addition, we revealed the significance of the C-terminal alpha-helical region of the epsilon subunit in determining the binding affinity to the complex based on the assessment of the inhibition of ATPase activity by the cyanobacterial epsilon subunit and the chimaeric subunits composed of the N-terminal domain from the cyanobacterium and the C-terminal domain from spinach. The differences observed in the structural and biochemical properties of chloroplast and bacterial epsilon subunits explains the distinctive characteristics of the epsilon subunits in the ATPase complex of the photosynthetic organism.

Stepwise propagation of the ATP-induced conformational change of the F1-ATPase beta subunit revealed by NMR.

The rotation of F1-ATPase (F1) is driven by the open/close bending motion of the beta subunit. The mechanism underlying the bending motion was investigated for the F1beta monomer from thermophilic Bacillus PS3 (TF1beta) in solution, using mutagenesis and NMR. The hydrogen bond networks involving the side chains of Lys-164 (numbering for TF1beta; 162 for mitochondrial F1beta in parentheses), Thr-165(163), Arg-191(189), Asp-252(256), Asp-311(315), and Arg-333(337) in the catalytic region are significantly different for the ligand-bound and freebeta subunits in the crystal structures of mitochondrial F1. The role of each amino acid residue was examined by Ala substitution. beta(K164A) reduced the affinity constant for 5'-adenyl-beta,gamma-imidodiphosphate by 20-fold and abolished the conformational change associated with nucleotide binding and the ATPase activity of alpha3beta(K164A)3gamma.beta(T165A) and beta(D252A) exhibited no effect on the binding affinity but abolished the conformational change and the ATPase activity. The chemical shift perturbation of backbone amide signals of the segmentally labeled beta(mutant)s indicated stepwise propagation of the open/close conversion on ligand binding. The key action in the conversion is the switching of the hydrogen-bonding partner of Asp-252 from Lys-164 to Thr-165. Residual dipolar coupling analysis revealed that the closed conformation of the beta monomer was more closed than that in the crystal structure and was different for MgATP- and MgADP-bound beta subunits. Actually, MgATP induced a conformational change around Tyr-307 (311 for MF1beta), whereas MgADP did not. The significance of these findings is discussed in connection with the catalytic rotation of F1-ATPase.