Deciphering Intrinsic Inter-subunit Couplings That Lead to Sequential Hydrolysis of F-ATPase Ring

Rotary sequential hydrolysis of the metabolic machine F-ATPase is a prominent manifestation of high coordination among multiple chemical sites in ring-shaped molecular machines, and it is also functionally essential for F to tightly couple chemical reactions and central γ-shaft rotation. High-speed AFM experiments have identified that sequential hydrolysis is maintained in the F stator ring even in the absence of the γ-rotor. To explore the origins of intrinsic sequential performance, we computationally investigated essential inter-subunit couplings on the hexameric ring of mitochondrial and bacterial F. We first reproduced in stochastic Monte Carlo simulations the experimentally determined sequential hydrolysis schemes by kinetically imposing inter-subunit couplings and following subsequent tri-site ATP hydrolysis cycles on the F ring. We found that the key couplings to support the sequential hydrolysis are those that accelerate neighbor-site ADP and Pi release upon a certain ATP binding or hydrolysis reaction. The kinetically identified couplings were then examined in atomistic molecular dynamics simulations at a coarse-grained level to reveal the underlying structural mechanisms. To do that, we enforced targeted conformational changes of ATP binding or hydrolysis to one chemical site on the F ring and monitored the ensuing conformational responses of the neighboring sites using structure-based simulations. Notably, we found asymmetrical neighbor-site opening that facilitates ADP release upon enforced ATP binding. We also captured a complete charge-hopping process of the Pi release subsequent to enforced ATP hydrolysis in the neighbor site, confirming recent single-molecule analyses with regard to the role of ATP hydrolysis in F. Our studies therefore elucidate both the coordinated chemical kinetics and structural dynamics mechanisms underpinning the sequential operation of the F ring.