Chemistry of ATP synthase (1997 Nobel Prize for Chemistry)

The energy released when cells break down molecules of fat and carbohydrates is used to create an excess of protons on one side of a membrane. Using ATP synthase, cells harness this proton imbalance to power the synthesis of ATP, which stores the energy until it is needed.	Original Image
In Boyer's model, the key to this process is a tiny shaft running through the middle of a barrel-like portion of the enzyme. A flow of protons through the membrane makes the shaft spin, which sucks in raw materials and blows out the fresh ATP. The model has been instrumental in overturning simplistic "lock-and-key" explanations of how enzymes work, in which chemicals simply drop into inflexible enzyme grooves, react and then depart.	The structure contains 22722 atoms and 23211 bonds connected as 2987 amino acid groups. These build a 3D protein macro-structure which contains 7 protein chains : A , B , C , D , E , G (this last one is the barrel link shaft which spins, shown better with this view ). The protein structure contains 120 helix units and 94 sheet units and the x-ray structure was found to contain 5 ligated ADP molecules .
Other Molecules of the Month