Theory 35/Bioenergetics
ATP Yield Is a Leak Ratio
The claim
ATP yield from a metabolic substrate is set by the ratio of proton leak to coupling efficiency rather than by substrate identity, so the same fuel yields differently across tissues.
01The mechanism
Protons pumped across the membrane can return through the ATP synthase or leak back; the ratio sets how much of the gradient does useful work.
02Predictions
- P1Yield should track the leak ratio.
- P2Substrate alone should mispredict.
03Refutation
Yield tracking substrate would remove the leak term.