Question 1: The amount of energy effectively stored in each ATP (the actual energy of ATP hydolysis) will depend on the concentrations of ATP, ADP, and Pi, according to equations discussed in class and in the book. If the ATP synthase is operating at close to equilibrium (as might be the case if ATP is being used slowly), we can compute the maximum possible energy of ATP hydrolysis by assuming balance between the energy provided by the proton gradient and the energy used to make the ATP. (Since we care about the magnitude of the energy it’s convenient to talk in terms of absolute values; the maximum possible ATP hydrolysis energy is then the most negative value possible.) Using what you know about the mechanism of the ATP synthase, and assuming that the membrane gradient consists of a Δψ of -.15V and a ΔpH of 1 unit (alkaline inside), compute the maximum possible ATP-hydrolysis energies for synthases with: a.) 8 c-subunits b.) 13 c-subunits

Question 1: The amount of energy effectively stored in each ATP (the actual energy of ATP hydolysis) will depend on the concentrations of ATP, ADP, and Pi, according to equations discussed in class and in the book. If the ATP synthase is operating at close to equilibrium (as might be the case if ATP is being used slowly), we can compute the maximum possible energy of ATP hydrolysis by assuming balance between the energy provided by the proton gradient and the energy used to make the ATP. (Since we care about the magnitude of the energy it’s convenient to talk in terms of absolute values; the maximum possible ATP hydrolysis energy is then the most negative value possible.) Using what you know about the mechanism of the ATP synthase, and assuming that the membrane gradient consists of a Δψ of -.15V and a ΔpH of 1 unit (alkaline inside), compute the maximum possible ATP-hydrolysis energies for synthases with: a.) 8 c-subunits b.) 13 c-subunits