ATP SYNTHASE

paper model
This is a “working model” because you can turn
the rotor and circulate the ADP and ATP strips
into and out of the F1 spherical subunit.

You can access a demo video showing step by

step assembly of the model by gong to YouTube
and searching for “How to assemble paper model
of ATP synthase.”

Time needed to assemble: about an hour

You will need:

• copies of the following pattern pages printed
onto card stock
• really good glue (For white glue use either PVA
glue, Elmer's Craft Glue or Aleen's Tacky Glue. For
glue stick, use "extra strength" craft bond intended
for adult use.)
• good scissors
• small piece of masking tape or any tape that is
not too sticky
• sharp craft knife (such as X-Acto knife)
• piece of thick cardboard, either corrugated or the back of a writing tablet (thicker than cereal box cardboard,
though in a pinch you could use that) Size needed is approx. 4"x 4" (10 cm)
• Recommended but not required: something to hold joints while they dry; try either clothespins or paper clips

How to assemble the model:

1) Cut out the F1 spherical subunit (the shape with six wedges) and the little strip below it. Assembling this
piece will take several rounds of gluing and drying, so to be time efficient you should go ahead and start gluing
these before cutting the rest of your parts.
2) Use your fingers to gently bend the tapered edges of the wedge shapes. (This is similar to curling ribbon with
scissors, but here you will be using your fingers instead of scissors.) Stroke the wedges from the center to the
outside, bending while stroking. They should curl under quickly and easily.
3) Bend the entire piece into a circle and glue in place using the side glue tab. Bend white tabs inward.

2 3 3
 4) Score the dotted lines on the strip, then fold into a hexagon and glue the glue tab.
5) Put a dab of glue on one of the tabs that has an X. Press the glued X tab onto one of the sides of
the hexagon ring. Press and hold till secure. Then do the opposite side. (Use clothespins or
4 paperclips if necessary.) You can also reach your finger up inside and press the seam from the inside.

finished end finished end

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6) Cut out the part labeled ROTOR SHAFT. Carefully roll it into a cylinder shape. Rolling it around something
cylindrical can be helpful. Cut 4 pieces of tape (a tape that is not very sticky, just as blue painter's tape, masking
tape, or "invisible" tape) and have them ready for the next step.
7) Apply glue to the area marked GLUE, making sure not to get glue past the dotted line. A uniform, thin layer
of glue is better than blobs of glue. You can even out the glue with your finger, but make sure to wipe your finger
before working with the tape. Overlap the edges to that the non-glued side covers the glue tab right up to the
dotted line. Secure the seam with the pieces of tape. Put something cylindrical into the tube you have just made
and press the seam firmly. Press up and down the seam for at least half a minute. Set aside to dry.

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8) Cut out the green parts (the long strip and the two circles). Score along the bottom of the triangular flaps.
9) Curl the long strip into a circle and glue using tab.
10) Cut out the (striped) center of the green circle. Make sure the green cylinder is sitting with the letter C's at
the top. Put dots of glue onto the triangular tabs and set the ring on top. After pressing the circle to get it lined
up as well as you can, turn the cylinder over and use your finger to press the seams from the inside.
11) Put glue dots on the triangular tabs on the remaining side and set on the piece with the 12 green circles.
Press and hold the seam from the top, making sure that the green circles look like they are lined up with the long
rectangles beneath. Once it is staying in place, turn it over and use your finger to press the seam from the inside.

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12) Now do the other end of the F1 13

sphere. Cut out the remaining strip and
cut and fold as shown. Secure glue tab.
13) Fold down all the end tabs as shown
in picture 13.
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 14) Repeat the same procedure you did for the hexagonal ring on the other end,
except make sure that the strip's glue tabs are sticking out so your final product
looks like the photo. Press and hold the glued seams tightly. Be patient! You can
also stick your finger or the end of a scissors up through the sphere to help press the
seams from the inside.
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15) Cut out the large piece labeled "BACK WALL AND BILAYER MEMBRANE."
16) Use a sharp knife to cut out the tiny rectangles labeled "CUT OUT."
17) Score on all the lines that will be folded. (Use a ruler or straight edge.)
18) Fold the bilayer membrane section (use picture as guide) and
use glue tab to secure in place.

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18

19) Cut the slits as shown in picture 17, and fold along fold lines.
20) Glue the corners as shown in picture 18.
21) Cut out the square with the title ATP SYNTHASE. Cut a piece of
cardboard the same size and glue it to the back of the title square.
22) Glue cardboard-backed "floor" piece to backing board as shown in photo.

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24) The rotor shaft should now be dry enough that you can take the
pieces of tape off. After removing tape, put glue on the triangular tabs. 25
Let the triangles point upward a bit. This will ensure that all the tabs
come into contact with the surface they are being glued to.
25) Push the glued end of the shaft down into the green cylinder. Let dry.
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26) Cut out the part marked STATOR SUBUNIT. (In the real protein, this is
the stabilizer that keeps the bottom sphere in place, and connected to the
bilayer.) Score on the fold lines that run down the length of the stator
and include the white tabs. Fold, then glue the white tabs to the curved edge.
27) Cut and fold the tabs as shown in photo 27.

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 28) Cut out the piece labeled "BOTTOM OF STATOR SUBUNIT."
29) Score along white tabs, then fold as shown in photo 29. 30) Use glue tabs to make shape shown 30.
31) Use purple tabs on stator to glue it to the purple bottom piece.

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32) Glue the sphere to the floor of the model, placing the hexagonal ring on top of the hexagon on the floor,
and making sure to get the alpha and beta wedges placed correctly. Press the tabs firmly. Let dry a minute or two.
33) Cut the ATP and ADP strips while the stator piece is drying.
34) Curl the ADP+P strip and then put it through the space between an alpha and beta subunit, and through the
tiny rectangle, as shown. Use glue tab to make strip into continuous circle.
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35) Put the ATP strip behind the alpha unit on the other side and glue the tab.

36) Put the rotor shaft down through the center of the sphere and then snug it down into the hexagonal circle at
the bottom. Do NOT glue in place! The rotor should be able to turn freely.
37) Glue the (purple) bottom of the stator unit to the side of the sphere. It will attach to a beta unit. Use plenty
of glue in this case and press hold it for at least a count to 20. If it isn't sticking, hold it a bit longer.
38) Secure the top of the stator to the bilayer behind it. Just a little drop of glue will hold it. Do NOT glue the
stator to the cylinder! The rotor cylinder should turn freely.
39) To "operate" the model: 1) push in the ADP strip, 2) turn the rotor, then 3) pull out the ATP strip.

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HEXAGON THAT ATTACHES TO FLOOR COPY ONTO CARD STOCK

BACK WALL AND BILAYER MEMBRANE

THE PROTEIN

By BiochemEkaterina - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59979304

STRUCTURE OF
ATP SYNTHASE purple:
FO subunit

blue: orange:
"stator" rotor
subunit shaft
subunit
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CUT OUT
CUT OUT

There isn't green:

any significance F1 subunit
to the colors, except
to highlight the subunits.
 CYLINDER PORTION OF F0 SUBUNIT
COPY ONTO CARD STOCK

TOP OF F0 SUBUNIT

HEXAGONAL RING FOR TOP

OF F1 SUBUNIT SPHERE
X X X X X X
F1 SPHERICAL SUBUNIT
You may want carefully trim off the black lines around the edges of the tabs because they will visible on the floor of the model. If the tabs have no black on them, they will be less visible.
 STATOR SUBUNIT
COPY ONTO CARD STOCK

BOTTOM OF
F0 CYLINDER

CUT OUT
CENTER BOTTOM OF STATOR SUBUNIT

1) Push an (ADP + P)
3) Pull out the between an alpha
recharged ATP. 2) Turn the FO/rotor
and beta subunit.
shaft 120 degrees
©2022 www.ellenjmchenry.com

©2022 www.ellenjmchenry.com

clockwise.

FLOOR OF MODEL
ROTOR SHAFT