The invention of the organism simulated molecular module (ATP generator).

2000 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 11650814
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 生物・生体工学
• Research Institution: Yamanashi University
• Principal Investigator: AMANO Yoshifumi Yamanashi Univ., Fac. Eng., Professor, 工学部, 教授 (70020401)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NAKAMURA Kazuo Yamanashi Univ., Fac. Eng., Assistant, 工学部, 助手 (80111780)
• Project Period (FY): 1999 – 2000
• Keywords: ATP / ATPase / cytochrome c / cytochrome c oxidase / acid resistant / sulfur oxidizing bacteria

Research Abstract

Thiobacillus thiooxidans, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria with acid resistance, acquires energy (ATP) with the help of the pH gap of extracellar pH (low) and intracellar pH (neutral). The acid-resistant factors in the bacteria seem to be cytochrome c and H^+-ATPase which is ATP synthetase. In this study, these acid-resistant factor were separated, and the property was examined.
Cytochrome c : Cell-free extract of bacteria was divided by centrifugation into membrane fraction and water-soluble fraction. Membrane -bound cytochrome c which existed in the membrane fraction was the basic protein, and the molecular weight was 18 kDa, and the isoelectric point was 8.2. The molecular weight of water-soluble cytochrome c was 10.1 kDa. The reduced cytochrome c had the absorption spectrum for 416.5, 522, and 551 nm. The oxidized cytochrome c had the absorption spectrum for 409.5 nm. The isoelectric point was 8.5. H^+-ATPase : ATPase which existed in the cell membrane was the F_0F_1 type. The optimum activity of ATPase was observed in the decomposition of ATP at pH8.0, 60℃. The activity increased with increasing Mg^<2+> concentration, and it became a maximum at 4 mM-Mg^<2+>. As a characteristic property in ATPase of T.thiooxidans, the ATP decomposing activity was dependent on the sulfurous acid (SO_3^<2->) concentration.