description Paul Boyer Overview
Paul Boyer was an American biochemist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) who shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Jens Skou and John Walker. Over decades of research, Boyer elucidated the molecular mechanism by which ATP synthase—a rotary enzyme embedded in mitochondrial and bacterial membranes—harnesses a proton gradient to catalyze the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency of living cells. His "binding change mechanism" described how the enzyme's three catalytic sites cycle through conformations to produce ATP.
help Paul Boyer FAQ
What specific enzyme did Paul Boyer win the Nobel Prize for elucidating?
Paul Boyer won the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work elucidating the catalytic mechanism of ATP synthase. He discovered how this rotary enzyme acts as a microscopic motor to produce ATP, the cell's primary energy currency.
With whom did Paul Boyer share the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry?
He shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with John E. Walker, who provided experimental proof for Boyer's theory. The prize was also shared with Jens Christian Skou for his discovery of the sodium-potassium pump.
What is the binding change mechanism proposed by Paul Boyer?
Proposed by Boyer, the binding change mechanism explains how ATP synthase rotates to synthesize ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate. This internal rotation allows the enzyme to sequentially bind, synthesize, and release the ATP molecules.
Where did Paul Boyer conduct his Nobel-winning research?
Paul Boyer conducted the majority of his influential biochemistry research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He spent decades there studying cellular energy transfer before publishing his landmark findings on ATP synthase.
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