Purification and Characterization of a Glycerol-Resistant CF(0)-CF(1) and CF(1)-ATPase from the Halotolerant Alga Dunaliella bardawil

Abstract

The isolation of the chloroplast ATP synthase complex (CF(0)-CF(1)) and of CF(1) from Dunaliella bardawil is described. The subunit structure of the D. bardawil ATPase differs from that of the spinach in that the D. bardawil alpha subunit migrates ahead of the beta subunit and epsilon-migrates ahead of subunit II of CF(0) when separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The CF(1) isolated from D. bardawil resembles the CF(1) isolated from Chladmydomonas reinhardi in that a reversible, Mg(2+)-dependent ATPase is induced by selected organic solvents. Glycerol stimulates cyclic photophosphorylation catalyzed by D. bardawil thylakoid membranes but inhibits photophosphorylation catalyzed by spinach thylakoid membranes. Glycerol (20%) also stimulates the rate of ATP-P(i) exchange catalyzed by D. bardawil CF(0)-CF(1) proteoliposomes but inhibits the activity with the spinach enzyme. The ethanol-activated, Mg(2+)-ATPase of the D. bardawil CF(1) is more resistant to glycerol inhibition than the octylglucoside-activated, Mg(2+)-ATPase of spinach CF(1) or the ethanol-activated, Mg(2+)-dependent ATPase of the C. reinhardi CF(1). Both cyclic photophosphorylation and ATP-P(i) exchange catalyzed by D. bardawil CF(0)-CF(1) are more sensitive to high concentrations of NaCl than is the spinach complex.