ATP synthase: from single molecule to human bioenergetics

ATP synthase (FoF1) consists of an ATP-driven motor (F1) and a H+-driven motor (Fo), which rotate in opposite directions. FoF1 reconstituted into a lipid membrane is capable of ATP synthesis driven by H+ flux. As the basic structures of F1 (α3β3γδε) and Fo (ab2c10) are ubiquitous, stable thermophilic FoF1 (TFoF1) has been used to elucidate molecular mechanisms, while human F1Fo (HF1Fo) has been used to study biomedical significance. Among F1s, only thermophilic F1 (TF1) can be analyzed simultaneously by reconstitution, crystallography, mutagenesis and nanotechnology for torque-driven ATP synthesis using elastic coupling mechanisms. In contrast to the single operon of TFoF1, HFoF1 is encoded by both nuclear DNA with introns and mitochondrial DNA. The regulatory mechanism, tissue specificity and physiopathology of HFoF1 were elucidated by proteomics, RNA interference, cytoplasts and transgenic mice. The ATP synthesized daily by HFoF1 is in the order of tens of kilograms, and is primarily controlled by the brain in response to fluctuations in activity

Detection of autoantigens in experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU)

Shown is a two-dimensional gel image of murine retinal proteins stained with SYPRO Ruby. Approximately 2,000 spots were observed. Among the SYPRO Ruby stained protein spots, the 2D-WB positive spots either in control or EAU were randomly numbered. The numbers and the positions of the seven candidate autoantigens in EAU on a SYPRO Ruby stained gel are shown in panel . The spot numbers of the candidate autoantigens are common between panel , , and . Extracted murine retinal proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis, transferred onto nitrocellulose membranes. Western blotting was performed using sera from EAU or control mice. Representative membranes reacted with sera from complete Freund's adjuvant-treated control mice are shown in subpanel , and those reacted with sera from EAU mice are shown in subpanel . Each set of and subpanels shows the corresponding area. Arrowheads indicate the position of each candidate autoantigen on the EAU membranes. membranes.<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Proteomic surveillance of retinal autoantigens in endogenous uveitis: implication of esterase D and brain-type creatine kinase as novel autoantigens"</p><p></p><p>Molecular Vision 2008;14():1094-1104.</p><p>Published online 12 Jun 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2426731.</p><p></p