A proposed common allosteric mechanism for active transport, muscle contraction, and ribosomal translocation

Abstract

It is suggested that active transport, muscle contraction, and ribosomal translocation may all make use of a common allosteric mechanism in which ATP or GTP serves as both the effector and substrate and in which a conformational change in a protein (enzyme) moves or exerts a force on a second ligand. The enzymatic splitting of ATP or GTP provides the driving force for the process and allows repetition of the steady-state cycle.