Subunit interaction during catalysis. Alternating site cooperativity of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase

ATP concentration modulates oxygen exchange catalyzed by purified, soluble mitochondrial ATPase during ATP hydrolysis so that water oxygen incorporation into each Pi formed increases markedly as ATP concentration is lowered. This behavior is readily explained by catalytic cooperativity between subunits of the ATPase. However, other reasonable explanations also need consideration. A new approach for assessing these various explanations is used, based on measurement of the [18O]Pi species formed by hydrolysis of ATP highly labeled with 18O in the gamma-phosphoryl group. The results and other supporting data give what appears to be the most compelling evidence yet attained for alternating site catalytic cooperativity in an enzymic catalysis.