Factor B is essential for ATP synthesis by mitochondria

Factor B is a water-soluble protein, which is required for the coupled activity of the mitochondrial ATP synthase complex. Specific removal of factor B from well-coupled bovine heart submitochondrial particles (SMP) results in uncoupling and the loss of ATP-driven membrane potential formation and reverse electron transfer from succinate to NAD. Addition of recombinant human factor B (molecular mass 20,341 Da) to factor B-depleted SMP (AE-SMP) restores these properties [G.I. Belogrudov, and Y. Hatefi, (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 6097–6103]. This paper shows that extraction and purification of ATP synthase complex (complex V) from bovine heart mitochondria results in extensive loss of factor B. Addition of recombinant human factor B to AE-SMP completely restores the lost oxidative phosphorylation and ATP-32Pi exchange activities of the particles and increases the ATP-32Pi exchange activity of complex V by 2.5-fold. These results further indicate that factor B is an essential component of the mammalian ATP synthase complex.