Role of directional fidelity in multiple extreme performance of F1-ATPase motor

Abstract: Quantitative understanding of the best possible performance of nanomotors allowed by physical laws pertains to study of nanomotors from biology as well as nanotechnology. Biological nanomotor F1-ATPase is the best available model system as it is the only nanomotor known for extreme energy conversion near the limit of energy conservation. Using a unified theoretical framework centred on a concept called directional fidelity, we analyze recent experiments in which F1-motor's performance was measured for controlled chemical potentials, and expose from the experiments quantitative evidence for the motor's multiple extreme performance in directional fidelity, speed and catalytic capability close to physical limits. Specifically, the motor nearly exhausts available energy from the fuel to retain the highest possible directional fidelity for arbitrary load, encompassing the motor's extreme energy conversion and beyond. The theory-experiment comparison implies a tight chemomechanical coupling up to stalemate as futile steps occur but unlikely involve fuel consumption. The F1-motor data also helps clarify relation between directional fidelity and experimentally measured stepping ratio.