Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
09:58
Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
Published on: May 22, 2016
ATP synthesis by decarboxylation phosphorylation
Peter Dimroth1, Christoph von Ballmoos
1Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland. dimroth@micro.biol.ethz.ch
Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation
|December 1, 2007
Summary
This study explores how anaerobic bacteria generate cellular energy using Na(+)-translocating decarboxylases. It details the mechanism of decarboxylation phosphorylation and the structure of ATP synthases involved in energy production.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cellular Biology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the universal energy currency of cells.
- ATP synthase generates most ATP by converting electrochemical gradients into mechanical rotation.
- Cells energize membranes through diverse reactions like oxidative phosphorylation, photophosphorylation, and fermentation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey Na(+)-translocating decarboxylases in various organisms.
- To describe the mechanism of decarboxylation phosphorylation.
- To detail the structure of Na(+)-translocating ATP synthases.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature on Na(+)-translocating decarboxylases.
- Detailed structural analysis of F(1)F(0) ATP synthases.
- Focus on Na(+)-translocating variants.
Main Results:
- Fermentation in anaerobic bacteria utilizes decarboxylation to create Na(+) gradients.
- This process, decarboxylation phosphorylation, generates ATP via ATP synthase.
- Na(+)-translocating ATP synthases are crucial for this energy production.
Conclusions:
- Decarboxylation phosphorylation is a key ATP generation strategy in anaerobic bacteria.
- Understanding Na(+)-translocating decarboxylases and ATP synthases provides insight into microbial energy metabolism.
Related Concept Videos
01:48ATP Synthase: Mechanism
In animals, the mitochondrial F1F0 ATP synthase is the key protein that synthesizes ATP molecules through a complex catalytic mechanism. While the nuclear genome encodes the majority of ATP synthase subunits, the mitochondrial genome encodes some of the enzyme's most critical components. The formation of this multi-subunit enzyme is a complex multi-step process regulated at the level of transcription, translation, and assembly. Defects in one or more of these steps can result in decreased ATP...
01:23ATP and Energy Production
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a critical molecule that functions as the main energy carrier in cells. Structurally, ATP consists of an adenosine molecule—comprising adenine and ribose—bonded to three phosphate groups. The high-energy bonds between these phosphate groups store significant amounts of potential energy. This energy is released during hydrolysis, wherein ATP is converted to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or adenosine monophosphate (AMP), driving a variety of essential cellular...
01:31ATP Energy Storage and Release
ATP is a highly unstable molecule. Unless quickly used to perform work, ATP spontaneously dissociates into ADP and inorganic phosphate (Pi), and the free energy released during this process is lost as heat. The energy released by ATP hydrolysis is used to perform work inside the cell and depends on a strategy called energy coupling. Cells couple the exergonic reaction of ATP hydrolysis with endergonic reactions, allowing them to proceed.
One example of energy coupling using ATP involves a...
One example of energy coupling using ATP involves a...
01:31ATP Energy Storage and Release
ATP is a highly unstable molecule. Unless quickly used to perform work, ATP spontaneously dissociates into ADP and inorganic phosphate (Pi), and the free energy released during this process is lost as heat. The energy released by ATP hydrolysis is used to perform work inside the cell and depends on a strategy called energy coupling. Cells couple the exergonic reaction of ATP hydrolysis with endergonic reactions, allowing them to proceed.
One example of energy coupling using ATP involves a...
One example of energy coupling using ATP involves a...
01:18ATP Synthase: Structure
ATP synthase or ATPase is among the most conserved proteins found in bacteria, mammals, and plants. This enzyme can catalyze a forward reaction in response to the electrochemical gradient, producing ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate. ATP synthase can also work in a reverse direction by hydrolyzing ATP and generating an electrochemical gradient. Different forms of ATP synthases have evolved special features to meet the specific demands of the cell. Based on their specific feature, ATP...
01:22Chemiosmosis and ATP Synthesis
The electron transport chain is a critical component of cellular respiration, occurring in the inner mitochondrial membrane. It facilitates the transfer of high-energy electrons from reduced cofactors NADH and FADH₂ to molecular oxygen, the final electron acceptor. This transfer of electrons through a series of protein complexes is tightly coupled to the translocation of protons across the membrane, generating a proton gradient essential for ATP synthesis.Electron Flow and Proton...