Bromobimane crosslinking studies in oligomycin‐sensitive ATPase from beef heart mitochondria

Abstract
Using a bromobimane fluorescent label the M r 31 000 protein band oligomycin‐sensitive (OS)‐ATPase from beef heart mitochondria is shown to become much intensified by 2‐mercaptopropionylglycine. In the presence of 3.5 nmol/mg protein of the thiol reagent ATP—Pi exchange activity is increased by 90%. With the fluorescent crosslinking reagent dibromobimane (DB) we show that a new fluorescent peak appears between M r 50 000 and 60 000. ATP—Pi exchange is very much decreased by DB. The results suggest that for regulation of ATP‐synthetase activity sulfhydryl groups in the region of the M r 31 000 protein(s) play an important role.