Influence of ATPase activity on PPi dependent H-transport in tonoplast vesicles of Acer pseudoplatanus

Tonoplast H⁺-ATPase and H⁺-pyrophosphatase (H⁺-PPase) were previously characterized in Acer pseudoplatanus cells (A. Pugin et al., Plant Sci., 73 (1991) 23–34; A. Fraichard et al., Plant Physiol. Biochem., 31 (1993) 349–359). The present study concerns the relationships between these two enzymes in vitro. ATP and PPi hydrolysis were additive and the inhibition of one did not affect the activity of the second one. ATP and PPi H⁺-transports were also additive. The H⁺ -PPase inhibition did not change ATP-dependent H⁺-transport but H⁺-ATPase inhibition inhibited the PPi dependent H⁺-transport. Because H⁺-PPase was reported to transport H⁺ and K⁺ into the vacuole (Davies et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 89 (1992) 11701–11705), these results led us to suggest that the inhibition of the H⁺-ATPase activity could modify the H⁺/K⁺ stoichiometry for the benefit of K⁺-transport.