The Regulatory C-Terminal Domain of Subunit ε of FoF1 ATP Synthase Is Dispensable for Growth and Survival of Escherichia coli

The C-terminal domain of subunit epsilon of the bacterial FoF1 ATP synthase is reported to be an intrinsic inhibitor of ATP synthesis/hydrolysis activity in vitro, preventing wasteful hydrolysis of ATP under low-energy conditions. Mutants defective in this regulatory domain exhibited no significant difference in growth rate, molar growth yield, membrane potential, or intracellular ATP concentration under a wide range of growth conditions and stressors compared to wild-type cells, suggesting this inhibitory domain is dispensable for growth and survival of Escherichia coli.