The ε-subunit is the smallest subunit of chloroplast ATP synthase, and is known to inhibit ATPase activity in isolated CF1-ATPase. As a result ε is sometimes called an inhibitory subunit. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, the ε -subunit is essential for the coupling of proton translocation to ATP synthesis (as proton gate). The relation between the structure and function of ε -subunit of ATP synthase in higher plant chloroplast has been studied by molecular biological methods such as site-directed mu-tagenesis and truncations for C- or N-terminus of ε -subunit. The results showed that: (1) Thr42 of ε-subunit is important for its structure and function; (2) compared with the ε-subunit in E.coli, the ε-subunit of chloroplast ATP synthase is more sensitive to C- or N-terminus truncations.
