Isolation of CF₀CF₁ from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cw15 and the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the CF₀CF₁ subunits

CF₀CF₁ was isolated from chloroplasts of the cell wall-deficient Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strain cw15. The subunit pattern was analyzed by SDS-gel electrophoresis and the N-terminal amino acid sequences of all nine subunits were determined by microsequencing. The amino acid sequences of subunits α, β, γ and ε{lunate} match with those derived from the corresponding Chlamydomonas DNA sequences. In variance with the previously assumed N-terminus of β; however, it was found that the first 11 amino acids are lacking. The subunits δ, I, II, III and IV were identified by comparison with known sequences of homologous polypeptides of higher plant chloroplasts and cyanobacteria, respectively.