Dimeric assembly of F1-like ATPase for Mycoplasma gliding motility

Rotary ATPases, including F1Fo- and V/A-ATPases, are molecular motors that exhibit rotational movements for energy conversion1. In the gliding bacterium, Mycoplasma mobile, a dimeric F1-like ATPase forms a chain structure with the glycolytic enzyme, phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), within the cell2, which is proposed to drive the bacterial gliding motility2-4. However, the mechanisms of force generation and transmission remain unclear. Here, we present a 3.2 [A] resolution structure of the dimeric ATPase complex obtained using electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM). Notably, the structure revealed an assembly distinct from that of known dimeric forms of F1Fo-ATPase5, despite containing conserved F1-ATPase structures. The two ATPase units were interconnected by GliD dimers, previously identified as MMOB16202,6. Gli{beta}, a homologue of the F1-ATPase catalytic subunit6, exhibited a specific N-terminal region that incorporates PGK into the complex. Structural conformations of the catalytic subunits, catalytically important residues, and nucleotide-binding pattern of the catalytic sites of the ATPase displayed strong similarities to F1-ATPase, suggesting a rotation based on the rotary catalytic mechanism conserved in rotary ATPases1,7-10. Overall, the cryo-EM structure underscores an evolutionary connection in the rotary ATPases and provides insights into the mechanism through which F1-like ATPase drives bacterial gliding motility.