Structural model of F ₁ –ATPase and the implications for rotary catalysis

The crystal structure of bovine mitochondrial F1-ATPase is described. Several features of the structure are consistent with the binding change mechanism of catalysis, in which binding of substrates induces conformational changes that result in a high degree of cooperativity between the three catalytic sites. Furthermore, the structure also suggests that catalysis is accompanied by a physical rotation of the centrally placed gamma-subunit relative to the approximately spherical alpha3beta3 subassembly.