Reverse of ATP synthesis

[Zechuan Rao 1K]

Does the ATP synthase ever go the other way around and use ATP to pump H+.

[Sristi Palimar 2E]

ATP synthase is able to generate ATP by pumping H+ ions along its concentration gradient. When molecules move along their concentration gradient, the reaction is considered spontaneous, meaning it has a positive deltaG value. The production of ATP is not spontaneous, meaning it has a negative deltaG value. Therefore, ATP synthase requires the pumping of H+ along its concentration gradient in order to have sufficient energy to produce ATP.

ATP synthase would not require ATP in order to pump H+ along its concentration gradient in a spontaneous reaction. Recall that spontaneous reactions don't require any input of energy.

[Jack Amos 2I]

Careful, spontaneous reactions are associated with negative (delta)G values not positive ones. A reaction that is not spontaneous would have a positive (delta)G value, meaning that it would require some input of energy to occur.