Single molecule measurements of F₁-ATPase reveal an interdependence between the power stroke and the dwell duration

Increases in the power stroke and dwell durations of single molecules of Escherichia coli F₁-ATPase were measured in response to viscous loads applied to the motor and inhibition of ATP hydrolysis. The load was varied using different sizes of gold nanorods attached to the rotating γ subunit and/or by increasing the viscosity of the medium using PEG-400, a noncompetitive inhibitor of ATPase activity. Conditions that increase the duration of the power stroke were found to cause 20-fold increases in the length of the dwell. These results suggest that the order of hydrolysis, product release, and substrate binding may change as the result of external load on the motor or inhibition of hydrolysis.