An active-site-directed adenosine triphosphate analogue binds to the beta-subunits of factor F1 mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase with its triphosphate moiety.

The reaction of the mixed anhydride of [3H]ATP and mesitylenecarboxylic acid and soluble mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase is accompanied by the covalent binding of one molecule of the inhibitor to a molecule of the enzyme and results in the inhibition of adenosine triphosphatase activity by more than 90%. The electrophoresis of adenosine triphosphatase modified by reaction with the mixed anhydride of [3H]ATP and mesitylenecarboxylic acid in polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate showed that the inhibitor is bound to the beta-subunit of the enzyme. The results suggest that ATP may also bind to the beta-subunit of the adenosine triphosphatase with its triphosphate moiety.