Abstact

The N-termini of E and H of A1AO ATP synthase have been shown to interact and an NMR structure of N-terminal H1-47 has been solved recently. In order to understand the E-H assembly and the N-terminal structure of E, the truncated construct E1-52 of Methanocaldococcus jannaschii A1AO ATP synthase was produced, purified and the solution structure of E1-52 was determined by NMR spectroscopy. The protein is 60.5 A in length and forms an alpha helix between the residues 8-48. The molecule is amphipathic with a strip of hydrophobic residues, discussed as a possible helix-helix interaction with neighboring subunit H.