Studies on conformational changes in Na,K-ATPase labeled with 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein

The rates of individual steps in the reaction cycle of dog kidney Na,K-ATPase labeled with iodoacetamidofluorescein (IAF) were measured using the fluorescence stopped-flow technique. The maximal rate of the fluorescence quenching accompanying ATP hydrolysis at 20 degrees C in the presence of K+ is 66.3 s-1, while the turnover rate in the same conditions is 15.5 s-1. The rate without K+ is slightly lower. Unexpectedly, at very high ionic strength, K+ accelerates the rate 2-fold. The fluorescence change appears to be associated with the E1P----E2P transition. The results are consistent with the classical Albers-Post scheme but do not support recent criticisms that E1P is kinetically incompetent in the presence of Na+ plus K+. As expected, in the absence of ATP the rate of E2(K)----E1Na was very slow (0.2 s-1) but was greatly accelerated by ATP (maximal rate 15.9 s-1) with low affinity (K0.5 = 196 microM). It was concluded that E2(K)----E1 is the slowest step of the cycle, even at nonlimiting ATP concentrations. The rate of E1K----E2(K) for both IAF- and fluorescein 5'-isothiocyanate-labeled enzyme was stimulated by K+ acting with low affinity, but not at all by ATP at 5 microM. Whereas the maximal rate with IAF-enzyme (271 s-1) was similar to previous work, the K+ affinity was significantly higher. Fluorescence signals accompanying hydrolysis of acetyl phosphate with both IAF- and fluorescein 5'-isothiocyanate-labeled enzyme have similar rates, 5.25 s-1 and 4.06 s-1, respectively. A species difference was observed between dog and pig kidney Na,K-ATPase in that both enzymes are labeled with IAF but only in dog enzyme were conformational transitions associated with fluorescence changes. Therefore, the IAF-labeled dog kidney enzyme is the preparation of choice for measuring fluorescence changes accompanying ATP hydrolysis.     

Temperature dependence of the rates of conformational changes reported by fluorescein 5'-isothiocyanate modification of H+,K(+)- and Na+,K(+)-ATPases.

Stopped-flow fluorometry has been used to measure the forward and reverse rates of the conformational change from E1 to E2 in the fluorescein-modified proton and sodium pumps (1) as a function of Na+ and K+ concentrations to verify the proposed mechanism of ion interaction with the enzymes and (2) as a function of temperature to gain insight into the nature of the conformational transition. (1) The fluorescence changes caused by Na+ and K+ are consistent with rapid competitive binding of the two ions to the E1 conformations of the enzymes followed by rate-limiting transitions between E1K and E2K. (2) Reaction coordinate diagrams for the E1K to E2K transitions in the H,K-ATPase and Na,K-ATPase are qualitatively similar. Enthalpy barriers to reaction are partially compensated by increased entropy in the transition states. However, there are striking quantitative differences between the two enzymes. The E2K to E1K reaction of the H,K-ATPase is more than 2 orders of magnitude faster (tau 1/2 = 6 ms at 22 degrees C) than the reverse rate of the Na,K-ATPase transition (tau 1/2 = 1.6 s), explaining repeated failure to detect a K(+)-"occluded" form of the H,K-enzyme. The E2K conformer of the Na,K-ATPase is 3 orders of magnitude more stable than E1K, while the E1K and E2K conformations of the H,K-ATPase are nearly equivalent energetically.     

Conformational transitions in fluorescein-labeled (Na,K)ATPase reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles

Fluorescein-labeled (Na,K)ATPase reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles has been used to study conformational transitions. Addition of K+ or Na+ to the vesicle medium induces fluorescence changes characteristic of the E2(K) or E1Na states of fluorescein-labeled (Na,K)ATPase (Karlish, S.J.D. (1980) J. Bioenerg. Biomembr. 12, 111-136). The cation effects are exerted from the cytoplasmic surface of inside-out-oriented pumps. Equilibrium cation titrations and measurements of rates of conformational transitions have led to the following observations. 1) The rate of E2(K)----E1Na or E2(T1)----E1Na is 4-6-fold faster and E1K----E2(K) is about 2-fold slower in vesicles compared to enzyme. In equilibrium titrations the K0.5 for K+ is higher and that for Na+ is lower for vesicles compared to enzyme. The conformational equilibrium E(1)2K----E2(2K) is apparently shifted toward E(1)2K in vesicles compared to enzyme. 2) Diffusion potentials, positive-outside, induced with valinomycin or Li+ ionophore AS701, do not affect the rates of E2(T1)----E1Na or E1K----E2(K), or equilibrium cation titrations. This demonstrates that the conformational transitions E(1)2K----E2(2K) are voltage-insensitive steps, confirming a prediction based on transport experiments. 3) In vesicles containing choline, K+, Na+, or Li+, the rate of E2(T1)----E1Na increases in the order given. Vesicles with reconstituted fluorescein-labeled (Na,K)ATPase provide a convenient system for correlating directly properties of conformational transitions with cation transport.     

Electrical potential accelerates the E1P(Na)----E2P conformational transition of (Na,K)-ATPase in reconstituted vesicles

We have used renal (Na,K)-ATPase, covalently labeled with fluorescein, and phospholipid vesicles reconstituted with labeled enzyme, to detect conformational transitions induced by acetyl phosphate in the presence of Mg2+ and Na+ ions. Equilibrium fluorescence measurements show quenching of the fluorescein fluorescence, which is thought to reflect conversion of the initial E1 form to the phosphorylated E2P form. These fluorescence changes occur on inside-out-oriented pumps. The rates of acetyl phosphate-induced fluorescence changes have been measured using a stopped-flow fluorimeter. The rate of fluorescence quenching (1.5-3 s-1) is a measure of the rate of the E1P(Na)----E2P transition. The quenching is preceded by a fast fluorescence increase (12.3 +/- 4 s-1) associated with phosphorylation of E1 to E1P(Na), shown clearly in experiments with enzyme treated with oligomycin. Oligomycin greatly reduces the rate of the fluorescence quenching (0.044 +/- 0.01 s-1). Using potassium-loaded vesicles treated with valinomycin or lithium-loaded vesicles treated with Li+ ionophore N,N'-diheptyl-N,N'-didiethyl ether, 5,5-dimethyl-3,7-dioxanonanediamide in order to induce electrical diffusion potentials, negative inside, the rates of the fluorescence quenching are accelerated by up to 4-fold. The experiments demonstrate that the conformational transition E1P(Na)----E2P, associated with transport of 3 Na+ ions, is a voltage-sensitive reaction, carrying a net positive charge. This confirms a prediction based on transport experiments. In experiments with fluorescein-labeled (Na,K)-ATPase, the use of acetyl phosphate rather than ATP, which does not bind, provides a valuable tool to detect fluorescence signals accompanying steps in the turnover cycle.     

The locus of nucleotide specificity in the reaction mechanism of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase determined with ATP and GTP as substrates

ATP and GTP have been compared as substrates for (Na+ + K+)-ATPase in Na+-activated hydrolysis, Na+-activated phosphorylation, and the E2K----E1K transition. Without added K+ the optimal Na+-activated hydrolysis rates in imidazole-HCl (pH 7.2) are equal, but are reached at different Na+ concentrations: 80 mM Na+ for GTP, 300 mM Na+ for ATP. The affinities of the substrates for the enzyme are widely different: Km for ATP 0.6 microM, for GTP 147 microM. The Mg-complexed nucleotides antagonize activation as well as inhibition by Na+, depending on the affinity and concentration of the substrate. The optimal 3-s phosphorylation levels in imidazole-HCl (pH 7.0) are equally high for the two substrates (3.6 nmol/mg protein). The Km value for ATP is 0.1-0.2 microM and for GTP it ranges from 50 to 170 microM, depending on the Na+ concentration. The affinity of Na+ for the enzyme in phosphorylation is lower with the lower affinity substrate: Km (Na+) is 1.1 mM with ATP and 3.6 mM with GTP. The GTP-phosphorylated intermediate exists, like the ATP-phosphorylated intermediate, in the E2P conformation. Addition of K+ increases the optimal hydrolytic activity 30-fold for ATP (at 100 mM Na+ + 10 mM K+) and 2-fold for GTP (at 100 mM Na+ + 0.16 mM K+). K+ greatly increases the Km values for both substrates (to 430 microM for ATP and 320 microM for GTP). Above 0.16 mM K+ inhibits GTP hydrolysis. GTP does not reverse the quenching effect of K+ on the fluorescence of the 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein-labeled enzyme. ATP fully reverses this effect, which represents the transition from E1K to E2K. Hence GTP is unable to drive the E2K----E1K transition.     

Properties of oligomycin-induced occlusion of Na+ by detergent-solubilized Na,K-ATPase from pig kidney or shark rectal gland.

Oligomycin induces occlusion of Na+ in membrane-bound Na,K-ATPase. Here it is shown that Na,K-ATPase from pig kidney or shark rectal gland solubilized in the nonionic detergent C12E8 is capable of occluding Na+ in the presence of oligomycin. The apparent affinity for Na+ is reduced for both enzymes upon solubilization, and there is an increase in the sigmoidicity of binding curves, which indicates a change in the cooperativity between the occluded ions. A high detergent/protein ratio leads to a decreased occlusion capacity. De-occlusion of Na+ by addition of K+ is slow for solubilized Na,K-ATPase, with a rate constant of about 0.1 s-1 at 6 degrees C. Stopped-flow fluorescence experiments with 6-carboxyeosin, which can be used to monitor the E1Na-form in detergent solution, show that the K(+)-induced de-occlusion of Na+ correlates well with the fluorescence decrease which follows the transition from the E1Na-form to the E2-form. There is a marked increase in the rate of fluorescence change at high detergent/protein ratios, indicating that the properties of solubilized enzyme are subject to modification by detergent in other respects than mere solubilization of the membrane-bound enzyme. The temperature dependence of the rate of de-occlusion in the range 2 degrees C to 12 degrees C is changed slightly upon solubilization, with activation energies in the range 20-23 kcal/mol for membrane-bound enzyme, increasing to 26-30 kcal/mol for solubilized enzyme. Titrations of the rate of transition from E1Na to E2K with oligomycin can be interpreted in a model with oligomycin having an apparent dissociation constant of about 2.5 microM for C12E8-solubilized shark Na,K-ATPase and 0.2 microM for solubilized pig kidney Na,K-ATPase.     

Allosteric effect of ATP on Na(+),K(+)-ATPase conformational kinetics

The kinetics of the E2 --> E1 conformational change of unphosphorylated Na+,K+-ATPase was investigated via the stopped-flow technique using the fluorescent label RH421 (pH 7.4, 24 degrees C). The enzyme was pre-equilibrated in a solution containing 25 mM histidine and 0.1 mM EDTA to stabilize the E2 conformation. When rabbit enzyme was mixed with 130 mM NaCl alone or with 130 mM NaCl and varying concentrations of Na2ATP simultaneously, a fluorescence decrease was observed. In the absence of ATP, the fluorescence decrease followed a biexponential time course, but at ATP concentrations after mixing of >or=50 microM, the fluorescence transient could be adequately fitted by a single exponential. On the basis of the agreement between theoretical simulations and experimental traces, we propose that in the absence of bound ATP the conformational transition occurs as a two step reversible process within a protein dimer, E2:E2 --> E2:E1 --> E1:E1. In the presence of 130 mM NaCl, the sum of the forward and backward rate constants for the E2:E2 --> E2:E1 and E2:E1 --> E1:E1 transitions were found to be 10.4 (+/-1.0) and 0.49 (+/-0.02) s-1, respectively. At saturating concentrations of ATP, however, the transition occurs in a single reversible step with the sum of its forward and backward rate constants equal to 35.2 (+/-0.3) s-1. It was found that ATP acting at a high affinity site (Kd approximately 0.25 microM), stimulated the reverse reaction, E1ATP --> E2ATP, in addition to its known allosteric low affinity (Kd approximately 71 microM) stimulation of the forward reaction, E2ATP --> E1ATP.     

Conformational changes of renal sodium plus potassium ion-transport adenosine triphosphatase labeled with fluorescein

We studied conformational changes of purified renal sodium plus potassium ion-transport adenosine triphosphatase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate. Fluorescein covalently binds to the alpha-subunit of the enzyme and inhibits the ATPase but not the p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity. Four unphosphorylated and three phosphorylated conformations were distinguished by the level of fluorescence and by the rate of its change (relative fluorescence is shown in percentages). Fluorescence of the ligand-free form (E1, 100%) was increased by Na+ (E1.Na form, 103%) and quenched by K+ (E2.K, 78%) at a site of high affinity (K0.5 for K+ = 0.07 mM). Mg2+ did not alter fluorescence of E1 or E1.Na but raised that of E2.K (E2.K.Mg form, 85-90%). Addition of excess Na+ to the E2.K.Mg form restored high fluorescence but the rate of transition from E2.K.Mg to E1.Na became progressively slower with increasing Mg2+ concentration. Two phosphorylated conformations, (E2-P).Mg (82%) and (E2-P).Mg.K (82%) were differentiated by a faster turnover of the latter form. A third conformation, (E2-P).Mg.ouabain, had the lowest fluorescence (56%) and its formation allowed the binding of ouabain to the phosphoenzyme. Reversible blocking of sulfhydryl groups with thimerosal inhibited the formation of E2.K and (E2-P).Mg.ouabain but not that of the other conformations of the fluorescein-enzyme. The thimerosal-treated fluorescein-enzyme retained K+-p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity, inhibition of this activity by ouabain and ouabain binding. The unphosphorylated enzyme had low (K0.5 = 1.2 mM) and the phosphoenzyme had high affinity (K0.5 = 0.03 - 0.09 mM) for Mg2+ in the absence of nucleotides. Since low and high affinity for Mg2+ alternates as the enzyme turns over, Mg2+ may be bound and released sequentially during the catalytic cycle.     

The inhibitory monoclonal antibody M7-PB-E9 stabilizes E2 conformational states of Na+,K(+)-ATPase.

Monoclonal antibody M7-PB-E9 binds the sheep kidney Na+,K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunit with high affinity (Kd = 3 nM) and inhibits enzyme turnover in competition with ATP, and, like ATP, in the presence of Mg2+, it stimulates the rate of ouabain binding [Ball, W. J. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 2275-2281]. In this study, covalent attachment of fluorescein 5'-isothiocyanate (FITC) at (or near) the enzyme's ATP binding site did not alter the antibody's affinity for alpha nor did bound antibody alter the anisotropy of (r = 0.36) or the solvent accessibility of iodide to bound FITC. Further, in its E1Na+ conformation (4 mM NaCl), the enzyme's affinity for the ATP congener eosin was unaltered by the bound antibody (Kd = 9 nM). In contrast, partial E2 conformations induced by KCl lowered eosin affinities (0.2 mM KCl, Kd = 28 nM; 0.4 mM, Kd = 86 nM), and M7-PB-E9 reduced these affinities further (Kd = 66 and 130 nM, respectively). By monitoring the fluorescence changes of the FITC-labeled enzyme, the antibody was found to assist several ligand-induced conformational transitions from E1 (E1Na+ or E1Tris) to E2 (E2K+, E2-P(i)Mg2+, or E2Mg2+.ouabain) states, and inhibit the E2K(+)-->E1Na+ transition. Antibody binding alone, however, did not appear to significantly alter enzyme conformation. The antibody therefore is not directed against the ATP site but binds to a region of alpha distinct from any ligand binding site and which plays an important role in the E1<-->E2 transitions.     

Characterization of lanthanides as competitors of Na+ and K+ in occlusion sites of renal (Na+,K+)-ATPase.

Lanthanides are useful probes in Ca2+ binding proteins, including sarcoplasmic reticulum (Ca2+,Mg2+)-ATPase. Here, we report that lanthanides compete with Rb+ and Na+ for occlusion in renal (Na+,K+)-ATPase. The lanthanides appear to bind at a single site and act as competitive antagonists, without themselves becoming occluded. All lanthanides tested are effective with the order of potencies Pr greater than Nd greater than La greater than Eu greater than Tb greater than Ho greater than Er, but differences are small. The presence of Mg2+ ions does not affect competition of La3+ with Na+ or K+ suggesting that the effects are not exerted via divalent metal sites. Lanthanides compete with Rb+ and Na+ in membranes digested with trypsin so as to produce 19-kDa and smaller fragments of the alpha-chain (Karlish, S.J.D., Goldshleger, R., and Stein, W. D. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 4566-4570), also suggestive of a direct interaction of lanthanides with Na+ and K+ sites. Effects of lanthanides on conformational changes of fluorescein-labeled (Na+,K+)-ATPase are Na(+)-like. They stabilize the E1 state and compete with K+ ions. The Ki for La3+ is 0.445 microM. The apparent affinity in fluorescence assays is proportional to enzyme concentration (Ki = 32.4*[protein] + 0.445 microM La3+), suggesting that lanthanides are also bound nonspecifically (possibly to phospholipids). Direct assays confirm that Tb3+ binding is nonspecific. Measurements of the rate of various conformational transitions show that the rate of E2(K+)----E1(X) (X = Na+ or La3+) is significantly inhibited by La3+ compared to Na+. La3+ ions also slightly accelerate the rate of the E1----E2(K+) conformational transition. The dissociation rate of La3+ has been measured by monitoring the rate of E1(La3+)----E2(K+). It is 1.741 s-1 at 25 degrees C. Based on this value, it is unlikely that La3+ ions are stably occluded, consistent with the conclusion from occlusion experiments. In the future, lanthanides bound to monovalent cation sites with high affinity may become useful probes for location and characterization of sites, although it will be necessary to take into account the large amount of nonspecific binding.     

Ligand binding to (Na,K)-ATPase labeled with 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein

The equilibrium binding of sodium, potassium, and adenine nucleotides to dog kidney (Na,K)-ATPase was studied by measuring changes in the fluorescence of enzyme labeled with 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein (5-IAF). The intensity of the fluorescence emission at 520 nm of the bound fluorescein (excited at 490 nm) is increased by ATP, adenyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP), ADP (but not AMP), and Na+, and decreased by K+, Rb+, NH+4, and LI+. Thus the fluorescence effects correlate with the ability of these groups of ligands to stabilize E1 and E2 conformations, respectively. The Na+-induced increase in fluorescence has two components: a slow, high-affinity increase of approximately 7% (K0.5 = 0.16 mM) with positive cooperativity; and a large (approximately 15%), rapid, low-affinity (K0.5 = 34 mM) increase that is not cooperative. The K0.5 for the high-affinity effect is decreased by oligomycin and increased by K+. ATP effects on the fluorescence follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics and are of high affinity (K0.5 = 0.12 microM); K+ increases the K0.5 for ATP, AMP-PNP, and ADP but does not induce cooperative behavior. K+ itself decreases the fluorescence signal by about 9%, with high affinity (K0.5 = 5 microM), showing Michaelis-menten behavior in the absence of other ligands, while with ATP, Na+, or Mg2+ present, K+ effects are cooperative and of lower affinity.     

Modification of the conformational equilibria in the sodium and potassium dependent adenosinetriphosphatase with glutaraldehyde

Glutaraldehyde treatment of electroplax membrane preparations of Na,K-ATPase leads to irreversible changes in the enzymic behavior of the protein, which are not due to modification of the active site. When the glutaraldehyde treatment is carried out in a medium containing K+ and without Na+, the "K+-modified enzyme" so produced shows the following changes in enzymic properties: The steady-state phosphorylation by ATP and the rate of ATP-ADP exchange are decreased to approximately 40% of control, while Na,K-ATPase activity decreases to approximately 15% of control. Phosphatase activity is decreased very little, but the potassium activation parameters of the reaction are changed, from K0.5 approximately equal to 5 mM and nH = 1.9 in control to K0.5 approximately equal to 0.5 mM and nH = 1 in K+-modified enzyme. KI(app) for nucleotide inhibition of phosphatase activity is increased significantly. Changes in the cation dependence of the ATPase reaction are also observed. All of these effects can be explained by assuming that the cross-linking of surface groups in protein subunits when they are in conformation E2 shifts the intrinsic conformational equilibrium of the enzyme toward E2. We considered the simplest mathematical model for the coupling between K+ binding and the conformational equilibrium, with equivalent potassium sites that must be simultaneously in the same state. If one assumes that the potassium activation of phosphatase activity in the K+-modified enzyme reflects the affinity for K+ of E2, the behavior of the phosphatase activity in the native enzyme can be fit if there are only two potassium sites, whose affinity is 80-fold higher in E2 than in E1, and the equilibrium constant for E2 in equilibrium E1 is about 250. The same sites can explain the activation of dephosphorylation during ATP hydrolysis. Independent of the model chosen, potassium ions must be required for the catalytic action of form E2 and cannot be merely "allosteric activators". The enzyme modified with glutaraldehyde in a medium containing Na+ also has interesting properties, but their rationalization is less straightforward. The Na,K-ATPase activity is inhibited more than the "partial reactions", as in the K+-modified enzyme. We suggest that this is a generally expected result of modifications of the enzyme.     

Difference between the E1 and E2 conformations of gastric H+/K+-ATPase in a multilamellar lipid film system. Characterization by fluorescence and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy under a continuous buffer flow.

A liquid flow cell was used for an attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) study of conformational changes taking place in the gastric H+/K+-ATPase. Shifting from E1 to E2 form is induced by replacing Na+ by K+ ions. Introducing ions through a flow passing over a protein multilayer film induced the conformational change without cell manipulations. Measurement sensitivity was thereby improved by about one order of magnitude. The detection threshold allowed the possibility to detect a change affecting five amino acids out of the 1324 that compose the H+/K+-ATPase molecule. It appeared that fewer than five amino-acid residues undergo a conformational change upon replacing Na+ by K+ ions in the medium. Evidence that conformational changes occur in an identical system was brought by monitoring the fluorescence of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled H+/K+-ATPase in similar conditions. Our data suggest that essentially the tertiary structure of the protein is modified.     

Tryptophan fluorescence of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase as a tool for study of the enzyme mechanism.

1. The protein fluorescence intensity of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase is enhanced following binding of K+ at low concentrations. The properties of the response suggest that one or a few tryptophan residues are affected by a conformational transition between the K-bound form E2 . (K) and a Na-bound form E1 . Na. 2. The rate of the conformational transition E2 . (K) leads to E . Na has been measured with a stopped-flow fluorimeter by exploiting the difference in fluorescence of the two states. In the absence of ATP the rate is very slow, but it is greatly accelerated by binding of ATP to a low affinity site. 3. Transient changes in tryptophan fluorescence accompany hydrolysis of ATP at low concentrations, in media containing Mg2+, Na+ and K+. The fluorescence response reflects interconversion between the initial enzyme conformation, E1 . Na and the steady-state turnover intermediate E2 . (K). 4. The phosphorylated intermediate, E2P can be detected by a fluorescence increase accompanying hydrolysis of ATP in media containing Mg2+ and Na+ but no K+. 5. The conformational states and reaction mechanism of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase are discussed in the light of this work. The results permit a comparison of the behaviour of the enzyme at both low and high nucleotide concentrations.     

Evidence for essential carboxyls in the cation-binding domain of the Na,K-ATPase.

Treatment of isolated canine renal Na,K-ATPase with a stable diazomethane analog, 4-(diazomethyl)-7-(diethylamino)-coumarin (DEAC), results in enzyme inactivation. The inactivation rate was dramatically increased when the enzyme was treated with DEAC in the presence of ATP and Mg2+ (in imidazole buffer) or Pi and Mg2+, conditions which produce enzyme phosphorylation. Inactivation in the presence of Pi and Mg2+ could be partially prevented by Na+ and almost completely prevented by K+. The quantity of DEAC covalently bound to the Na,K-ATPase was determined spectrophotometrically. The extent of inactivation was linearly related to the amount of K-protectable DEAC incorporation. Complete inactivation of ATPase activity occurred with 2.14 +/- 0.18 nmol of DEAC covalently bound/mg of protein. This suggests that only 1 or 2 carboxyl residues/catalytic center (estimated by high affinity ADP binding) are involved in the modification leading to inactivation. The modified enzyme exhibited normal levels of high affinity [3H]ADP (and hence ATP) binding, thus, the nucleotide-binding domain of the enzyme seems unaffected by the modification. In contrast, under conditions where native enzyme was able to occlude 3.82 nmol of K+ ions/mg of protein, DEAC-modified enzyme occluded only 0.33 nmol of K+ ions. Na+ occlusion by the enzyme (in the presence of oligomycin) was also reduced (by 80%) following treatment with DEAC. Phosphorylation by [32P]inorganic phosphate and Na(+)-activated phosphorylation of the modified enzyme with [32P]ATP yielded reduced levels of phosphoenzyme (about 36%) compared to native enzyme. The DEAC-modified [32P]phosphoenzyme formed from [32P]ATP was insensitive to the addition of K+ ions, under conditions which led to the rapid hydrolysis of native phosphoenzyme. Gel electrophoresis of modified protein revealed strong fluorescence labeling of the alpha-subunit, which was substantially reduced if treatment with DEAC was performed in the presence of K+ ions. Partial tryptic digestion and electrophoretic analysis revealed normal degradation patterns in the presence of ADP (E1 form) but the typical patterns, seen with K+ ions (E2K) or Na+ ions (E1Na) in native enzyme, were absent. A typical E2-like tryptic degradation pattern was seen, however, in the presence of vanadate ions and ouabain, suggesting that the modification does not freeze the enzyme in an E1 conformation and that the enzyme is still able to undergo the E1E2 conformational transition after modification. Our results suggest that a small number of carboxyl residues in the sodium pump alpha-subunit (perhaps one) are essential for K+ and Na+ binding and stabilizing the occluded enzyme cation forms. Esterification of the carboxyl groups by DEAC inactivates the enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Na,K-ATPase labelled with 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein: E2-E1 conformational transition induced by different nucleotides

A conformational transition between E2 and E1 forms of Na, K-ATPase induced by different nucleotides has been studied under steady state conditions using the enzyme labelled with 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein. In the presence of K+ the plot of fluorescence as a function of [ATP], [ADP] or [CTP] (in a range of 5 microM-12 mM) is a biphasic one. A similar dependence for AMP, ITP, GTP and UTP demonstrates a hyperbolic behaviour. The data suggest that the shift in the equilibrium between E2 and E1 forms of Na,K-ATPase towards the E1 conformation is induced by ATP binding both with high and low affinity sites. Two structural features of ATP are apparently important for its interaction with more than one type of ATP binding sites or for providing for E2-E1 transition induced by this interaction: (i) beta-phosphate group in the terminal part of the molecule, (ii) unprotonated N1 and/or NH2-group in the 6th position of the purine base.     

The non-gastric H,K-ATPase is oligomycin-sensitive and can function as an H+,NH4(+)-ATPase

We used the baculovirus/Sf9 expression system to gain new information on the mechanistic properties of the rat non-gastric H,K-ATPase, an enzyme that is implicated in potassium homeostasis. The alpha2-subunit of this enzyme (HKalpha2) required a beta-subunit for ATPase activity thereby showing a clear preference for NaKbeta1 over NaKbeta3 and gastric HKbeta. NH4(+), K+, and Na+ maximally increased the activity of HKalpha2-NaKbeta1 to 24.0, 14.2, and 5.0 micromol P(i) x mg(-1) protein x h(-1), respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by relatively high concentrations of ouabain and SCH 28080, whereas it was potently inhibited by oligomycin. From the phosphorylation level in the presence of oligomycin and the maximal NH4(+)-stimulated ATPase activity, a turnover number of 20,000 min(-1) was determined. All three cations decreased the steady-state phosphorylation level and enhanced the dephosphorylation rate, disfavoring the hypothesis that Na+ can replace H+ as the activating cation. The potency with which vanadate inhibited the cation-activated enzyme decreased in the order K+ > NH4(+) > Na+, indicating that K+ is a stronger E2 promoter than NH4(+), whereas in the presence of Na+ the enzyme is in the E1 form. For K+ and NH4(+), the E2 to E1 conformational equilibrium correlated with their efficacy in the ATPase reaction, indicating that here the transition from E2 to E1 is rate-limiting. Conversely, the low maximal ATPase activity with Na+ is explained by a poor stimulatory effect on the dephosphorylation rate. These data show that NH4(+) can replace K+ with similar affinity but higher efficacy as an extracellular activating cation in rat nongastric H,K-ATPase.     

Binding of Na+ ions to the Na,K-ATPase increases the reactivity of an essential residue in the ATP binding domain

Treatment of the canine renal Na,K-ATPase with N-(2-nitro-4-isothiocyanophenyl)-imidazole (NIPI), a new imidazole-based probe, results in irreversible loss of enzymatic activity. Inactivation of 95% of the Na,K-ATPase activity is achieved by the covalent binding of 1 molecule of [3H]NIPI to a single site on the alpha-subunit of the Na,K-ATPase. The reactivity of this site toward NIPI is about 10-fold greater when the enzyme is in the E1Na or sodium-bound form than when it is in the E2K or potassium-bound form. K+ ions prevent the enhanced reactivity associated with Na+ binding. Labeling and inactivation of the enzyme is prevented by the simultaneous presence of ATP or ADP (but not by AMP). The apparent affinity with which ATP prevents the inactivation by NIPI at pH 8.5 is increased from 30 to 3 microM by the presence of Na+ ions. This suggests that the affinity with which native enzyme binds ATP (or ADP) at this pH is enhanced by Na+ binding to the enzyme. Modification of the single sodium-responsive residue on the alpha-subunit of the Na,K-ATPase results in loss of high affinity ATP binding, without affecting phosphorylation from Pi. Modification with NIPI probably alters the adenosine binding region without affecting the region close to the phosphorylated carboxyl residue aspartate 369. Tightly bound (or occluded) Rb+ ions are not displaced by ATP (4 mM) in the inactivated enzyme. Thus modification of a single residue simultaneously blocks ATP acting with either high or low affinity on the Na,K-ATPase. These observations suggest that there is a single residue on the alpha-subunit (probably a lysine) which drastically alters its reactivity as Na+ binds to the enzyme. This lysine residue is essential for catalytic activity and is prevented from reacting with NIPI when ATP binds to the enzyme. Thus, the essential lysine residue involved may be part of the ATP binding domain of the Na,K-ATPase.     

The reaction sequence of the Na+/K(+)-ATPase: rapid kinetic measurements distinguish between alternative schemes.

Conformational changes between E1 and E2 enzyme forms of a dog kidney Na+/K(+)-ATPase preparation labeled with 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein were followed with a stopped-flow fluorimeter, in terms of the rate constant, kobs, and the steady-state magnitude, % delta F of fluorescence change. On rapid mixing of enzyme plus Mg2+ plus Na+ with saturating (0.5 mM) ATP in the absence of K+, kobs varied with Na+ concentration in the range 0-155 mM, with a K1/2 of 10 mM, while % delta F was relatively insensitive to Na+, with a K1/2 of 0.5 mM. Oligomycin reduced kobs by 98-99% for Na+ greater than or equal to 10 mM, but only by 50% for Na+ = 1 mM; % delta F was reduced at most by 20%. At 155 mM Na+, both kobs and % delta F changed if K+ was present with the enzyme. kobs decreased by 50% when K+ was increased from 0 to 0.2 mM, but increased when K+ was varied in the range 0.2-5 mM. K+ increased % delta F by a factor of 3 with a K1/2 of 0.3-0.5 mM as measured in both stopped-flow and steady-state experiments. These data are considered in terms of the derived presteady-state equations for two alternate schemes for the enzyme, with the E1P to E2P conformational change either preceding (Albers-Post) or following (N?rby-Yoda-Skou) Na+ transport and release. The analysis indicates that: (i) Na+ must be released before the conformational transition, from an E1 form; (ii) the step in which the second and/or third Na+ is released is rate-limiting, but this release is accelerated by Na+; and (iii) the release is also accelerated by K+ acting with low affinity (possibly at extracellular sites).