ATPdriven

ATP-driven refers to cellular processes that rely on the hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to power work, drive conformational changes, or enable catalytic cycles. In ATP-driven systems, ATP is consumed to provide energy, and the energy release from ATP to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and inorganic phosphate is used to advance a sequence of steps or to move substrates, cargos, or protein domains. The coupling between ATP hydrolysis and mechanical or structural changes is a hallmark of many enzymes and molecular machines.

Key areas where ATP-driven mechanisms are essential include:

Active transport across membranes, where pumps such as Na+/K+ ATPase, Ca2+ ATPases, and proton pumps move ions or solutes against electrochemical gradients. ABC transporters also use ATP to translocate diverse substrates across membranes.

Molecular motors that generate movement or force, including kinesin and dynein moving along microtubules, and myosin moving along actin filaments. These motors convert chemical energy from ATP into directed mechanical work, enabling intracellular transport, muscle contraction, and chromosome segregation.

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes and chaperone systems, such as SWI/SNF remodeling factors and the Hsp70/Hsp90 families, use ATP hydrolysis to reposition nucleosomes and assist in protein folding, stabilization, and quality control.

ATP hydrolysis also powers enzymes that unwind DNA, ligate nucleic acids, and participate in various repair and replication processes, often through conformational changes driven by ATP binding and hydrolysis.

Overall, ATP-driven processes are central to energy management, cellular organization, and dynamic remodeling of molecular structures.