Mechanically driven ATP synthesis by F₁-ATPase

ATP, the main biological energy currency, is synthesized from ADP and inorganic phosphate by ATP synthase in an energy-requiring reaction. The F ₁ portion of ATP synthase, also known as F₁-ATPase, functions as a rotary molecular motor: in vitro its γ-subunit rotates against the surrounding α₃β₃ subunits, hydrolysing ATP in three separate catalytic sites on the β-subunits. It is widely believed that reverse rotation of the γ-subunit, driven by proton flow through the associated F_o portion of ATP synthase, leads to ATP synthesis in biological systems. Here we present direct evidence for the chemical synthesis of ATP driven by mechanical energy. We attached a magnetic bead to the γ-subunit of isolated F₁ on a glass surface, and rotated the bead using electrical magnets. Rotation in the appropriate direction resulted in the appearance of ATP in the medium as detected by the luciferase-luciferin reaction. This shows that a vectorial force (torque) working at one particular point on a protein machine can influence a chemical reaction occurring in physically remote catalytic sites, driving the reaction far from equilibrium.