Mitochondrial ATP synthase β-subunit production rate and ATP synthase specific activity are reduced in skeletal muscle of humans with obesity.

The content of the β-subunit of the ATP synthase (β-F1 -ATPase), which forms the catalytic site of the enzyme ATP synthase, is reduced in muscle of obese humans, along with a reduced capacity for ATP synthesis. We studied 18 young (37 ± 8 years) subjects of which nine were lean (BMI = 23 ± 2 kg m-2 ) and nine were obese (BMI = 34 ± 3 kg m-2 ) to determine the fractional synthesis rate (FSR) and gene expression of β-F1 -ATPase, as well as the specific activity of the ATP synthase. FSR of β-F1 -ATPase was determined using a combination of isotope tracer infusion and muscle biopsies. Gene expression of β-F1 -ATPase and specific activity of the ATP synthase were determined in the muscle biopsies. When compared to lean, obese subjects had lower muscle β-F1 -ATPase FSR (0.10 ± 0.05 vs. 0.06 ± 0.03% h-1 ; P < 0.05) and protein expression (P < 0.05), but not mRNA expression (P > 0.05). Across subjects, abundance of β-F1 -ATPase correlated with the FSR of β-F1 -ATPase (P < 0.05). The specific activity of muscle ATP synthase was lower in obese compared to lean subjects (0.035 ± 0.004 vs. 0.042 ± 0.007 arbitrary units; P < 0.05), but this difference was not significant after the activity of the ATP synthase was adjusted to the β-F1 -ATPase content (P > 0.05). Obesity impairs the synthesis of β-F1 -ATPase in muscle at the translational level, reducing the content of β-F1 -ATPase in parallel with reduced capacity for ATP generation via the ATP synthase complex.