Functional consequences of alterations to Ile279, Ile283, Glu284, His285, Phe286, and His288 in the NH2-terminal part of transmembrane helix M3 of the Na+,K(+)-ATPase

Mutations Ile279 --> Ala, Ile283 --> Ala, Glu284 --> Ala, His285 --> Ala, His285 --> Lys, His285 --> Glu, Phe286 --> Ala, and His288 --> Ala in transmembrane helix M3 of the Na+,K(+)-ATPase were studied. Except for His285 --> Ala, these mutations were compatible with cell viability, permitting analysis of their effects on the overall and partial reactions of the Na+,K(+)-transport cycle. In Ile279 --> Ala and Ile283 --> Ala, the E1 form accumulated, whereas in His285 --> Lys and His285 --> Glu, E1P accumulated. Phe286 --> Ala displaced the conformational equilibria of dephosphoenzyme and phosphoenzyme in parallel in favor of E2 and E2P, respectively, and showed a unique enhancement of the E1P --> E2P transition rate. These effects suggest that M3 undergoes significant rearrangements in relation to E1-E2 and E1P-E2P conformational changes. Because the E1-E2 and E1P-E2P conformational equilibria were differentially affected by some of the mutations, the phosphorylated conformations seem to differ significantly from the dephospho forms in the M3 region. Mutation of His285 furthermore increased the Na(+)-activated ATPase activity in the absence of K+ ("Na(+)-ATPase activity"). Ile279 --> Ala, Ile283 --> Ala, and His288 --> Ala showed reduced Na+ affinity of the E1 form. The rate of Na(+)-activated phosphorylation from ATP was reduced in Ile279 --> Ala and Ile283 --> Ala, and these mutants showed evidence similar to Glu329 --> Gln of destabilization of the Na(+)-occluded state.