Pathway for ATP synthesis by sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase

Millisecond mixing and quenching experiments were performed in order to study the rate of phosphorylation by P_i of the Ca²⁺-dependent ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. A rapid phosphoenzyme formation was observed when the vesicles were preincubated in the absence of Ca²⁺ prior to the addition of P_i and Mg²⁺ to the medium, the half-time being in the range of 6 to 10 ms. A lag phase and a 5- to 10-fold slower rate of phosphoenzyme formation were observed when the enzyme was preincubated with Ca²⁺ prior to the addition to the reaction mixture of P_i, Mg²⁺, and an excess of ethylene glycol bis(β-aminoethyl ether)N,N′-tetraacetic acid. The rate of phosphoenzyme hydrolysis was measured either by the addition of Ca²⁺ or, in the absence of Ca²⁺, by tracing the hydrolysis of radioactive phosphoenzyme upon the addition of nonradioactive P_i. In the presence of Ca²⁺, the rate of phosphoenzyme hydrolysis was found to be one order of magnitude slower than the rate of hydrolysis measured in the absence of Ca²⁺. Different rates of phosphoenzyme formation and cleavage were found depending on whether sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles or purified Ca²⁺-dependent ATPase were used. A transient phosphorylation by P_i was observed when the enzyme was preincubated in the absence of Ca²⁺ and then added to a medium containing P_i, Mg²⁺, and excess of Ca²⁺. The enzyme was phosphorylated during the initial 100 ms, the phosphoenzyme formed being slowly hydrolyzed in the subsequent incubation intervals. In these conditions ATP synthesis was observed if ADP was added to the mixture 100 ms after starting the reaction. No transient phosphorylation by P_i was observed when the enzyme was preincubated with Ca²⁺. Synthesis of a small but significant amount of ATP was observed when the enzyme was preincubated in the absence of Ca²⁺ and then added to a medium containing P_i, ADP, Mg²⁺, and 20 mm CaCl₂. This was not observed when the enzyme was preincubated in the presence of Ca²⁺.     

Rate of calcium release and ATP synthesis in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles can catalyze the synthesis of ATP coupled to the efflux of calcium. The rate of this reaction is much faster when the vesicles are loaded in a medium containing phosphate than when oxalate is the precipitating agent. Two components of ATP synthesis can be observed when vesicles loaded with calcium phosphate are used. In the millisecond range and when the loaded vesicles are phosphorylated by Pi, the addition of ADP leads to an initial burst of ATP synthesis and after 50 ms approximately 3.0 nmol of ATP/mg protein are synthesized. This burst is not inhibited by ATP and is enhanced by physiological concentrations of KCl. The slow component of ATP synthesis is inhibited by both ATP and 100 mM KCl. In the physiological pH range, betaine, a trimethylamine present in different tissues, increases the level of phosphoenzyme formed by Pi and enhances the amount of ATP synthesized during the first turn of the reversal of the calcium pump.     

Kinetic and thermodynamic control of ATP synthesis by sarcoplasmic reticulum adenosinetriphosphatase

Several experimental parameters, critical to the analysis of ATP synthesis by sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase, were determined experimentally. 1) The phosphorylated enzyme intermediate obtained with acetylphosphate in the presence of a Ca2+ gradient was shown to be entirely ADP sensitive but quite stable in the absence of added ADP. On the contrary, the phosphoenzyme obtained with ATP is unstable due to the ADP formed during the phosphoryl transfer reaction. For this reason, addition of ADP to [32P]phosphoenzyme obtained with [32P]acetylphosphate provides the simplest conditions for kinetic studies on [gamma-32P]ATP synthesis. 2) The dissociation rate constant of newly synthesized ATP (in the reverse direction of the ATPase cycle) was measured experimentally and found to be 16 s-1. This value agrees well with the dissociation rate constant determined for adenyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate bound to this enzyme. 3) ATP synthesis observed in the absence of a Ca2+ gradient was shown to be a kinetic overshoot due to ligand-induced perturbation of a limited number of partial reactions and occurring before equilibration of the entire system. Most of the ATP formed under these conditions was subsequently hydrolyzed as the overall equilibrium was reached. 4) Based on these and other (previously characterized) parameters, satisfactory simulations of single and multiple cycle ATP synthesis, in the presence and in the absence of a Ca2+ gradient, were obtained.     

Regulation of ATP synthesis catalyzed by the calcium pump of sarcoplasmic reticulum

The role of pH, KCl, ATP, water activity, and temperature in ATP synthesis from ADP and Pi was investigated in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle. In totally aqueous medium, the synthesis of ATP was inhibited by ATP, KCl, and pH values above 6.5. When the water activity of the medium was decreased by the addition of 30% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide, the synthesis of ATP was no longer inhibited by ATP; it was activated by KCl and the optimum pH changed from 6.5 to 7.5. In totally aqueous medium, the concentration of MgCl2 needed for half-maximal synthesis of ATP was found to vary with the temperature of the assay medium; at 35 degrees C it was 1 mM and increased to a value higher than 10 mM when the temperature was decreased to 15 degrees C. In the presence of 30% dimethyl sulfoxide, maximal synthesis of ATP was attained in presence of 0.05 mM MgCl2 at both 15 and 35 degrees C. The hypothesis is raised that in the living cell water structure may play a role in regulating the synthesis of ATP observed during the reversal of the Ca2+ pump of the sarcoplasmic reticulum.     

ATP regulation of calcium transport in back-inhibited sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

At high concentrations of ATP, ATP hydrolysis and Ca2+ transport by the (Ca2+ + MG2+)-ATPase of intact sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles exhibit a secondary activation that varies with the extent of back-inhibition by Ca2+ accumulated within the vesicles. When the internal ionized Ca2+ is clamped at low and intermediate levels by the use of Ca-precipitating anions, the apparent Km values for activation by ATP are lower than in fully back-inhibited vesicles (high internal Ca2+). In leaky vesicles unable to accumulate Ca2+, raising Ca2+ in the assay medium from 20-30 microM to 5 mM abolishes the activation of hydrolysis by high concentrations of ATP. The level of [32P]phosphoenzyme formed during ATP hydrolysis from [32P]phosphate added to the medium also varies with the extent of back-inhibition; it is highest when Ca2+ is raised to a level that saturates the internal, low-affinity Ca2+ binding sites. In intact vesicles, increasing the ATP concentration from 10 to 400 microM competitively inhibits the reaction of inorganic phosphate with the enzyme but does not change the rate of hydrolysis. In a previous report (De Meis, L., Gomez-Puyou, M.T. and Gomez-Puyou, A. (1988) Eur. J. Biochem. 171, 343-349), it has been shown that the hydrophobic molecules trifluoperazine and iron bathophenanthroline compete for the catalytic site of the Pi-reactive form of the enzyme. Here it is shown that inhibition of ATP hydrolysis by these compounds is reduced or abolished when Ca2+ binds to the low-affinity Ca2+ binding sites of the enzyme. Since inhibition by these agents is indifferent to activation of hydrolysis by high concentrations of ATP, it is suggested that the second Km for ATP and the inhibition by hydrophobic molecules involve two different Ca-free forms of the enzyme.     

Coupling of calcium transport with ATP hydrolysis in scallop sarcoplasmic reticulum

Previously, we showed that incubation of the scallop sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) with EGTA at above 37 degrees C resulted in the uncoupling of ATP hydrolysis with Ca2+ transport [Nagata et al. (1996) J. Biochem. 119, 1100-1105]. We have extended this study by comparing the kinetic behavior of Ca2+ release and binding to the uncoupled SR with that of intact scallop or rabbit SR. The change in the Ca2+ concentration in the reaction medium, as determined as the absorption of APIII, was followed using a stopped flow system. Intact scallop SR was preincubated with Ca2+ in the presence of a Ca2+ ionophore, A23187, and then ATP was added to initiate the reaction. The Ca2+ level in the medium increased to the maximum level in several seconds, and then slowly decreased to the initial low level. The rising and subsequent slow decay phases could be related to the dissociation and reassociation of Ca2+ with the Ca-ATPase, respectively. When uncoupled scallop SR vesicles were preincubated with CaCl2 in the absence of A23187 and then the reaction was initiated by the addition of ATP, a remarkable amount of Ca2+ was released from the SR vesicles into the cytosolic solution, whereas, with intact scallop or rabbit SR, only a sharp decrease in the Ca2+ level was observed. Based on these findings, we concluded that the heat treatment of scallop SR in EGTA may alter the conformation of the Ca-ATPase, thereby causing Ca2+ to be released from the enzyme, during the catalytic cycle, at the cytoplasmic surface, but not at the lumenal surface of SR vesicles.     

A spectrophotometric assay of ATP synthesized by sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The problems encountered with a coupled enzyme assay for ATP using glucose, hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase are discussed and a modification where fructose and glucosephosphate isomerase were substituted for glucose is described. This modified assay was used successfully to measure the ATP synthesized by reversal of the sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase. ATP synthesized by adenylate kinase contaminating the sarcoplasmic reticulum was easily corrected for by a subtraction procedure.     

Accelerating effect of ATP on calcium binding to sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase

The rise of intrinsic fluorescence due to calcium binding to sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase occurs with a kobs of approximately 2 s-1 at pH 6.0, which is much lower than that observed at neutral pH. This is consistent with a H+-Ca2+ competition for the high-affinity sites. An accelerating effect of ATP on the calcium-induced transition can be clearly demonstrated at that pH. Nonhydrolyzable nucleotides, such as AMP-PNP, do not elicit the same response. Acetylphosphate also accelerates the calcium-induced fluorescence rise, demonstrating that this effect is limited to substrates that are able to form the phosphorylated enzyme intermediate. This effect, which is attributed to occupancy of the phosphorylation domain of the catalytic site, is distinct from the known secondary activation of enzyme turnover which is produced by ATP and by inactive nucleotide analogs, but not by acetylphosphate.     

Capsaicin stimulates uncoupled ATP hydrolysis by the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump

In muscle cells the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) couples the free energy of ATP hydrolysis to pump Ca(2+) ions from the cytoplasm to the SR lumen. In addition, SERCA plays a key role in non-shivering thermogenesis through uncoupled reactions, where ATP hydrolysis takes place without active Ca(2+) translocation. Capsaicin (CPS) is a naturally occurring vanilloid, the consumption of which is linked with increased metabolic rate and core body temperature. Here we document the stimulation by CPS of the Ca(2+)-dependent ATP hydrolysis by SERCA without effects on Ca(2+) accumulation. The stimulation by CPS was significantly dependent on the presence of a Ca(2+) gradient across the SR membrane. ATP activation assays showed that the drug reduced the nucleotide affinity at the catalytic site, whereas the affinity at the regulatory site increased. Several biochemical analyses indicated that CPS stabilizes an ADP-insensitive E(2)P-related conformation that dephosphorylates at a higher rate than the control enzyme. Under conditions where uncoupled SERCA was specifically inhibited by the treatment with fluoride, low temperatures, or dimethyl sulfoxide, CPS had no stimulatory effect on ATP hydrolysis by SERCA. It is concluded that CPS stabilizes a SERCA sub-conformation where Ca(2+) is released from the phosphorylated intermediate to the cytoplasm instead of the SR lumen, increasing ATP hydrolysis not coupled with Ca(2+) transport. To the best of our knowledge CPS is the first natural drug that augments uncoupled SERCA, presumably resulting in thermogenesis. The role of CPS as a SERCA modulator is discussed.     

Steady state kinetics of ATP synthesis and hydrolysis coupled calcium transport catalyzed by the reconstituted sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase

The steady state kinetics of calcium transport driven by ATP hydrolysis and ATP synthesis catalyzed by purified, reconstituted calcium ATPase has been investigated as a function of the transmembrane calcium gradient. Purified calcium ATPase was reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles enabling control of the transmembrane calcium gradient. Calcium transport was monitored spectrophotometrically by the calcium indicator, Arsenazo III. Thus, only the enzymatic activity of coupled transport was measured. It was shown under conditions of low external calcium that ATP hydrolysis and synthesis follow simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics and that Michaelis constants obtained for both processes appear independent of the calcium gradient. The maximum velocities for both hydrolysis and synthesis strongly depend on the transmembrane calcium gradient. Based on these results, a mechanism is proposed in which a random addition of substrates for ATP synthesis is followed by random release of ATP and calcium. By measuring the ATP hydrolysis and synthesis under identical conditions, determination of the equilibrium constant for ATP hydrolysis as a function of the transmembrane calcium gradient was possible. Our results indicate that the thermodynamics of the catalytic cycle can be totally accounted for by the energetics of transport of 2.2 +/- 0.3 calciums and the hydrolysis of 1 ATP. An equilibrium constant for ATP hydrolysis in the absence of a calcium gradient was determined to be 4.0 X 10(4).     

ATP and Ca binding by the Ca pump protein of sarcoplasmic reticulum

The binding of ATP and Ca²⁺ by the Ca²⁺ pump protein of sarcoplasmic reticulum from rabbit skeletal muscle has been studied and correlated with the formation of a phoshorylated intermediate. The Ca²⁺ pump protein has been found to contain one specific ATP and two specific Ca²⁺ binding sites per phosphorylation site. ATP binding is dependent on Mg²⁺ and is severely decreased when a phosphorylated intermediate is formed by the addition of Ca²⁺. In the presence of Mg²⁺ and the absence of Ca²⁺, ATP and ADP bind completely to the membrane. Pre-incubation with N-ethylmaleimide results in inhibition of ATP binding and decrease of Ca²⁺ binding. In the absence of ATP, Ca²⁺ binding is noncooperative at pH 6–7 and negatively cooperative at pH 8. Mg²⁺, Sr²⁺ and La³⁺, in that order, decrease Ca²⁺ binding by the Ca²⁺ pump protein. The affinity of the Ca²⁺ pump protein for both ATP and Ca²⁺ increases when the pH is raised from 6 to 8. At the infection point (pH ≈ 7.3) the binding constants of the Ca²⁺ pump protein-MgATP²⁻ and Ca²⁺ pump protein-calcium complexes are approx. 0.25 and 0.5 μM⁻¹, respectively. The unphosphorylated Ca²⁺ pump protein does not contain a Mg²⁺ binding site with an affinity comparable to those of the ATP and Ca²⁺ binding sites.The affinity of the Ca²⁺ pump protein for Ca²⁺ is not appreciably changed by the addition of ATP. The ratio of phosphorylated intermediate formed to bound Ca²⁺ is close to 2 over a 5-fold range of phosphoenzyme concentration. The equilibrium constant for phosphoenzyme formation is less than one at saturating levels of Ca²⁺. The phosphoenzyme is thus a “high-energy” intermediate, whose energy may then be used for the translocation of the two Ca²⁺.A reaction scheme is discussed showing that phosphorylation of sarcoplasmic reticulum proceeds via an enzyme-Ca₂²⁺-MgATP²⁻ complex. This complex is then converted to a phosphoenzyme intermediate which binds two Ca²⁺ and probably Mg²⁺.     

Ca2+-dependent effect of ATP on spin-labeled sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Vesicular fragments of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) were labeled with the --SH-directed spin label 2,2,6,6-tetra-methyl,4-amino(N-iodoacetamide). Colorimetric titrations of the remaining --SH residues and determinations of unbound spin label indicated that primarily 3 residues/enzyme molecule were labeled under saturating conditions. This labeling was accompanied by minimal losses in activity, providing precautions were taken to prevent sulfhydryl oxidation during the labeling process. Additions of ATP produced a new "highly constrained" component in the ESR spectrum of the labeled SR, an effect not noted in previous studies. It is demonstrated that the changes produced by ATP are reversible, and require both substrate binding and Ca2+ binding. However, hydrolysis of the substrate is not required. It is further demonstrated that the labeled residue(s) responsible for the spectral change is not in the immediate vicinity of the ATP binding site. It is apparent that the observed spectral change is related to a conformational effect of ATP and Ca2+ on the ATPase protein, which is associated with a large free energy change occurring on binding. It is also suggested that the conformational effect extends to a significant distance from the nucleotide binding site and may be a precursory step to Ca2+ translocation.     

Vanadate inhibition of ATP and p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis in the fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The vanadate inhibition of the Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was analysed both in intact sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles and in the presence of low concentrations of Tween 20, using ATP and p-nitrophenyl phosphate as substrates. The saturation of the internal low-affinity calcium-binding sites protects the enzyme against vanadate inhibition, because: (1) p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis is not inhibited by vanadate in intact vesicles, but inhibition developed after solubilization with detergents; (2) the vanadate inhibition of the p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis in solubilized preparations is prevented by free Ca2+ concentrations higher than 10(-3) M and vanadate competes with calcium (10(-5)-10(-3) M); and (3) the vanadate inhibition of ATP hydrolysis is decreased with an increase in vesicular Ca2+ concentration. The presence of magnesium ions is indispensable for the vanadate effect. The vanadate inhibition is non-competitive with respect to Mg-p-nitrophenyl phosphate and uncompetitive with respect to Mg-ATP. However, in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide, which facilitates phosphorylation of the enzyme, the inhibition is converted to a competitive one with respect to a substrate. The results suggest, that in the process of enzyme operation vanadate interacts with the unliganded E form of Ca(2+)-ATPase, occupying probably an intermediate position between the E2 and E1 forms, with the formation of an E2 Van complex, that imposes the inhibition on the Ca(2+)-ATPase activity.     

The modulation of Ca-ATPase activity and protein-lipid interactions in the sarcoplasmic reticulum by ATP

The time-course of ATP hydrolysis by Ca-ATPase of purified sarcoplasmic reticulum is biphasic with an initial rate over 1 to 2 min exceeding the subsequent rate. Hydrolysis of GTP and p-nitrophenylphosphate (pNPP) occurs at a slower but constant rate. Arrhenius plots of GTP, p-nitrophenylphosphate and initial rates of ATP hydrolysis all exhibit a discontinuity at about 20-24 degrees C; no breaks are observed in plots of the slower phase of ATP hydrolysis. The effect of substrate hydrolysis on the disposition of the enzyme in the membrane was examined by monitoring the quenching of tryptophan fluorescence by pyrene present in the hydrophobic domain of the membrane. The presence of ATP, but not GTP, prevents a temperature-dependent decrease in fluorescence quenching suggesting that ATP binding causes a change in the protein domain in contact with the membrane lipids.     

Mechanism of ATP hydrolysis by sarcoplasmic reticulum and the role of phospholipids.

Exchange of sarcoplasmic reticulum phospholipids with dipalmitoyllecithin inhibits the (Mg2+ + Ca2+)-activated ATPase activity below 40 degrees by inhibition of the decomposition of phosphoprotein intermediate. The rate of phosphoprotein formation and the steady state concentration of phosphoprotein measured by rapid kinetic techniques are affected to a lesser extent. The inhibitory effect of dipalmitoyllecithin on ATPase activity is probably related to the viscosity of the hydrocarbon region of the membrane which inhibits the conformational change leading to calcium translocation and the eventual cleavage of phosphoprotein.