Adenosine triphosphatase in isolated membranes of Staphylococcus aureus

The preparation of cytoplasmic membranes from suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus lysed by an enzyme recently isolated in these laboratories is described. These membranes contained: protein, 34.4%; ribonucleic acid, 6.6%; lipids, 34.5%; and total phosphorus, 1.4%. Such membranes exhibited adenosine 5′-triphosphatase (E.C. 3.6.1.3) activity, liberating orthophosphate at an initial rate of 0.53 μmole per min per mg of protein under optimal conditions. The enzyme was Mg⁺⁺-dependent and K⁺- or Na⁺-stimulated. Maximal activity was observed with a molar adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) to Mg⁺⁺ ratio of 1. One mole of orthophosphate was liberated per mole of ATP; the other product of digestion was adenosine 5′-diphosphate. Inorganic pyrophosphate and the 5′-triphosphates of guanosine, uridine, and cytidine were also attacked by membrane preparations, but more slowly than ATP. Ouabain, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and 2,4-dinitrophenol did not alter adenosine triphosphatase activity, whereas both Atebrine and chlorpromazine were inhibitory.     

Adenosine triphosphatase from plasma membranes of cattle intestinal epithelium

The activities of Na,K-, Ca,Mg- and Mg-ATPases in the membrane fractions of plasma membranes of intestinal enterocytes of cattle, brush border and basolateral membranes, were studied. The activities were estimated under conditions of alkaline phosphatase activity inhibition by theophylline to exclude the nonspecific hydrolysis of ATP as well as to establish the orientation of vesicles with the use of alamethicine. 98% of the Na,K-ATPase activity (0.99 +/- 0.031 mumol/mg protein/min) was found to be localized in basolateral membranes. Both the brush border and basolateral membranes were found to possess the Ca,Mg-ATPase (0.193 +/- 0.018 and 0.795 +/- 0.025 mumol/mg protein/min) and Mg-ATPase (0.22 +/- 0.013 and 0.403 +/- 0.022 mumol.mg protein/min) activities.     

Adenosine triphosphatase activity of cutaneous nerve fibers

Summary The histochemical study of Mg⁺⁺-activated adenosine triphosphatase (Mg⁺⁺-ATPase) activity was carried out on the peripheral nerves of mouse digital skin by light and electron microscopy. Under the light microscope, the ATPase activity was clearly demonstrated on the nerve fibers as a fine network in the subepidermal regions. Under the electron microscope, the reaction product of enzyme activity was located in the interspace between axolemma and the surrounding Schwann cells of the unmyelinated nerve fibers. No reaction product was observed in the space between the axolemma and the Schwann cells associated with myelinated nerve fibers. Demonstrable activity was absent at the nodes of Ranvier as well as on the para- and internodal regions of these myelinated axons. The part of the axolemma lacking a Schwann cell sheath failed to show a reaction product. The perineural epithelial cells surrounding the nerve fibers displayed reaction product in the caveolae. These results suggest a functional difference in the axon-Schwann interface of myelinated as compared to unmyelinated nerve fibers. The function of the perineural epithelial cell would be expected to be a regulatory one in transferring materials across the epithelium to keep the proper humoral environment around nerve fibers.     

Adenosine triphosphatase activity of Tritrichomonas foetus.

Homogenates of Tritrichomonas foetus exhibited a Mg2+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity, with a pH optimum in Tris buffers of 8.2 to 8.3. The activity was not sensitive to oxygen. At high concentrations, quercetin and 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan inhibited ATPase activity in the cytoplasmic extract by 20 and 70%, respectively, whereas oligomycin, venturicidin, triethyltin, leucinostatin, dibutylchloromethyltin chloride, spegazzinine, efrapeptin, citreoviridin and sodium azide had no effect and N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide stimulated the activity somewhat. The activity was localized in a population of small cytoplasmic particles which also contained an acid phosphatase. There was no indication of an association of ATPase with hydrogenosomes. The ATPase activity (or activities) in this aerotolerant anaerobe is different from the ATPases characteristic of mitochondria or of anaerobic bacteria.     

Adenosine triphosphatase activity associated with mung bean mitochondria

The properties of the adenosine triphosphatase activity associated with tightly coupled, time-stable mung bean (Phaseolus aureus Roxb.) mitochondria resemble those of intact animal mitochondria. Induction of adenosine triphosphatase activity by 2,4-dinitrophenol was inhibited by oligomycin, oxidizable substrates, and high concentrations of sucrose. Upon sonication, high rates of endogenous adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis resulted, an absolute requirement for Mg²⁺ was manifested, stimulation by 2,4-dinitrophenol and inhibition by sucrose were eliminated, but sensitivity to oligomycin was retained.     

Adenosine triphosphatase activity in the osmoregulatory organs of vertebrates

Studies have been made on the activity of cation- and anion-stimulated ATPases, as well as succinic dehydrogenase in homogenates and subcellular fractions from osmoregulatory organs of marine (elasmobranch and teleost) and freshwater (teleost) fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The activity of Na+, K+-ATPase was found to be rather similar in almost all osmoregulatory organs of the species investigated. The highest level of Cl-stimulated ATPase was found in microsomal fraction of the kidneys from birds and mammals. Succinic dehydrogenase activity is significantly higher in the renal tissue of mammals, both in total homogenates and in mitochondrial fraction.     

Adenosine triphosphatase located on unstimulated human small lymphocyte cell membranes.

This study was undertaken to localize the enzyme sodium-potassium dependent adenosine triphosphatase in unstimulated human small lymphocytes using the histochemical technique of McClurkin [1964]. The substrate adenosine 5' triphosphate is hydrolyzed by the ATPase resulting in a lead phosphate precipitate at the site of enzyme action, subsequently visualized as lead sulphide. The enzyme was demonstrated in three different patterns, and for each donor the pattern was constant both on all four of the test slides, and on different occasions. The patterns observed were: clusters of granules related to the cell membrane; positive staining localized to portions of the cell membrane, and, less commonly, the whole cell circumference. The significance of this distribution may relate to areas with large numbers of antigen recognition sites on the lymphocyte membrane.     

Guanosine triphosphatase activity in human erythrocyte membranes

Human red cell membranes have the capacity to hydrolyze enzymatically GTD to GDP. The reaction requires magnesium, is not appreciably affected by sodium, potassium or calcium, and is not inhibited by ouabain. Kinetic analysis suggests that there are two separate enzymes in membranes which cleave GTP, a 'high Km' GTPase and a 'low Km' GTPase. Both enzymes are also ATPases, with an approximately equal affinity for GTP and ATP. GTPase activity did not extract from the membrane with spectrin and was not inactivated by antispectrin antibody. Activity was partially destroyed by 0.5% Triton X-100. It seems probable that the low Km GTPase is the sodium- and potassium-independent ATPase of red cell membranes. The identity of the high Km enzyme is not clear.     

Adenosine triphosphatase activity in the carotid body of the cat

Summary Three kinds of nucleoside phosphatases were demonstrated histochemically in the cat carotid body with nucleoside triphosphate, nucleoside disphosphate and nucleoside monophosphate as substrates. Each of these enzyme activities exhibited the substrate specificity respectively. The nucleoside triphosphatase activity showed specific localization in association with the parenchymal cells of the carotid body.The electronmicroscopy revealed that the reaction product was located on and between the two apposing plasma membranes of type I and type II cells, of a type II cell and its wrapping axons and of the intricate basal infolding of a type II cell itself.Some possible functions of the adenosine triphosphatase in the carotid body are discussed.     

Adenosine triphosphatase activity in the neural lobe of the bovine pituitary gland

1. Homogenates of neural lobes of bovine pituitary glands were fractionated by differential and density-gradient ultracentrifugation and the distribution of adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity was studied. It was shown that all the activity was membrane-bound. 2. On the basis of ionic requirements the ATPase activity was grouped into three categories: (a) Mg²⁺-dependent, (b) Ca²⁺-dependent and (c) Mg²⁺+Na⁺+K⁺-dependent (ouabain-sensitive) ATPases. The activity in the absence of bivalent cations was negligible. The ratio between the activities of the three ATPases varied between the different subcellular fractions. 3. Preincubation of the subcellular fractions with deoxycholate increased the activity of the Mg²⁺+Na⁺+K⁺-dependent enzyme, whereas the Mg²⁺- and Ca²⁺-activated ATPases were either unaffected or slightly inhibited. Triton X-100 solubilized the Mg²⁺- and Ca²⁺-ATPases; however, the activity of the Mg²⁺+Na⁺+K⁺-ATPase was abolished by the concentration of Triton X-100 used. 4. All the subfractions displayed unspecific nucleotide triphosphatase activity towards GTP, ITP and UTP. These substrates inhibited the hydrolysis of ATP by all three ATPases. ADP also inhibited the ATPases. 5. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of extracts containing the Mg²⁺- and Ca²⁺-dependent ATPase activity solubilized by Triton X-100 revealed the presence of two enzymes; one activated by either Mg²⁺ or Ca²⁺ and the other activated only by Ca²⁺. 6. In sucrose density gradients the distribution of vasopressin was different from that of all three types of ATPases. It is therefore suggested that the neurosecretory granules do not possess ATPase activity.