Removal of the ability to form a salt bridge or hydrogen bonds between the beta subunit catch loop (beta Y297-D305) and the gamma subunit of Escherichia coli F1Fo-ATP synthase significantly altered the ability of the enzyme to hydrolyze ATP and the bacteria to grow via oxidative phosphorylation. Residues beta T304, beta D305, beta D302, gamma Q269, and gamma R268 were found to be very important for ATP hydrolysis catalyzed by soluble F1-ATPase, and the latter four residues were also very important for oxidative phosphorylation. The greatest effects on catalytic activity were observed by the substitution of side chains that contribute to the shortest and/or multiple H-bonds as well as the salt bridge. Residue beta D305 would not tolerate substitution with Val or Ser and had extremely low activity as beta D305E, suggesting that this residue is particularly important for synthesis and hydrolysis activity. These results provide evidence that tight winding of the gamma subunit coiled-coil is important to the rate-limiting step in ATP hydrolysis and are consistent with an escapement mechanism for ATP synthesis in which alpha beta gamma intersubunit interactions provide a means to make substrate binding a prerequisite of proton gradient-driven gamma subunit rotation.