On the enzymic mechanism of oxidative phosphorylation

Oxidative phosphorylation, like substrate-level phosphorylation, involves oxidative conversion of inorganic phosphate to a reactive species followed by interaction of this species with enzyme-bound ADP to form enzyme-bound ATP. The reactive species in a phosphoryl ester in substrate-level phosphorylation and phosphonium ion of orthophosphate in oxidative phosphorylation. The coupled synthesis is mediated by a combination of two classical enzymes in substrate-level phosphorylation and by a set of energy-coupled enzymes in oxidative phosphorylation. The full range of experimental evidence supporting this proposed enzymic mechanism of oxidative phosphorylation is presented as well as the rationalization of phenomena that hitherto have eluded explanation.