Overexpression, purification, enzymatic and microscopic characterization of recombinant mycobacterial F-ATP synthase

The F-ATP synthase is an essential enzyme in mycobacteria, including the pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Several new compounds in the TB-drug pipeline target the F-ATP synthase. In light of the importance and pharmacological attractiveness of this novel antibiotic target, tools have to be developed to generate a recombinant mycobacterial F₁F_O ATP synthase to achieve atomic insight and mutants for mechanistic and regulatory understanding as well as structure-based drug design. Here, we report the first genetically engineered, purified and enzymatically active recombinant M. smegmatis F₁F_O ATP synthase. The projected 2D- and 3D structures of the recombinant enzyme derived from negatively stained electron micrographs are presented. Furthermore, the first 2D projections from cryo-electron images are revealed, paving the way for an atomic resolution structure determination.