2015/04/04 by Wolfgang Junge, Nathan Nelson · 351 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Chemistry · #ATP Synthase and ATPases Research #Mitochondrial Function and Pathology #Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms #ATP synthase #Chemiosmosis #Photophosphorylation #Photosystem II #Photosynthesis #F-ATPase #Chemistry #Biophysics #Photosystem I #Electron transport chain #Photosystem #Biochemistry #Enzyme #Biology #Chloroplast #Thylakoid
paper · pdf · doi:10.1146/annurev-biochem-060614-034124
published in Annual Review of Biochemistry 84(1), 631-657 (Annual Reviews)
openalex publication_date 2015/04/04 · openalex created_date 2022/05/12 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Oxygenic photosynthesis is the principal converter of sunlight into chemical energy. Cyanobacteria and plants provide aerobic life with oxygen, food, fuel, fibers, and platform chemicals. Four multisubunit membrane proteins are involved: photosystem I (PSI), photosystem II (PSII), cytochrome b6f (cyt b6f), and ATP synthase (FOF1). ATP synthase is likewise a key enzyme of cell respiration. Over three billion years, the basic machinery of oxygenic photosynthesis and respiration has been perfected to minimize wasteful reactions. The proton-driven ATP synthase is embedded in a proton tight-coupling membrane. It is composed of two rotary motors/generators, FO and F1, which do not slip against each other. The proton-driven FO and the ATP-synthesizing F1 are coupled via elastic torque transmission. Elastic transmission decouples the two motors in kinetic detail but keeps them perfectly coupled in thermodynamic equilibrium and (time-averaged) under steady turnover. Elastic transmission enables operation with different gear ratios in different organisms.