Solubilization and partial purification of the adenosine triphosphatase from a corn root plasma membrane fraction

The K(+)-stimulated ATPase was partially purified from a plasma membrane fraction from corn roots (WF9 x Mo 17) by solubilization with 30 millimolar octyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside followed by precipitation with dilute ammonium sulfate. The specific activity of the enzyme was increased about five times by this procedure. The molecular weight of the detergent-extracted ATPase complex was estimated to be at least 500,000 daltons by chromatography on a Bio-Gel A-5m column. Negative staining electron microscopy indicated that the detergent-extracted material consisted of amorphous particles, while the ammonium sulfate precipitate was composed of uniform vesicles with an average diameter of 100 nanometers. The protein composition of the ammonium sulfate precipitate was significantly different from that of the plasma membrane fraction when compared by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The characteristics of the partially purified ATPase resembled those of the plasma membrane associated enzyme. The ATPase required Mg(2+), was further stimulated by K(+), was almost completely inhibited by 0.1 millimolar diethylstilbestrol, and was not affected by 5.0 micrograms per milliliter oligomycin. Although the detergents sodium cholate, deoxycholate, Triton X-100 and Lubrol WX also solubilized some membrane protein, none solubilized the K(+)-stimulated ATPase activity. Low concentrations of each detergent, including octyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside, activated the ATPase and higher concentrations inactivated the enzyme. These results suggest that the plasma membrane ATPase is a large, integral membrane protein or protein complex that requires lipids to maintain its activity.     

Photosynthate partitioning in split-root citrus seedlings with mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal root systems

The plasma membrane ATP-phosphohydrolase (ATPase) from red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) storage tissue was solubilized with the zwitterionic detergent Zwittergent 3-14 from a plasma membrane-enriched fraction which was extracted with the anionic detergent, sodium deoxycholate. For both the extraction of extraneous proteins by deoxycholate and the solubilization of active plasma membrane ATPase by Zwittergent 3-14, the optimal concentration of detergent was 0.1% (weight per volume) with a detergent to protein ratio of 1.0 (milligram per milligram). The properties of the solubilized ATPase were found to be similar to the membrane-bound enzyme with respect to pH optimum, substrate specificity, inhibitor sensitivity, and kinetics of K⁺ stimulation. The solubilized ATPase preparation formed a rapidly turning over phosphoenzyme, the breakdown velocity of which was increased in the presence of 50 millimolar KCl. Solubilization with 0.1% Zwittergent 3-14 following extraction with 0.1% deoxycholate resulted in an increase in both ATPase activity and steady state phosphoenzyme level; however, a direct correspondence between the increase in ATPase activity and phosphorylation level did not exist. It is proposed that this discrepancy may be the result of a detergent-mediated modification of kinetic rate constants in the mechanism of the enzyme.     

Effect of vanadate, molybdate, and azide on membrane-associated ATPase and soluble phosphatase activities of corn roots

The effects of vanadate, molybdate, and azide on ATP phosphohydrolase (ATPase) and acid phosphatase activities of plasma membrane, mitochondrial, and soluble supernatant fractions from corn (Zea mays L. WF9 × MO17) roots were investigated. Azide (0.1-10 millimolar) was a selective inhibitor of pH 9.0-ATPase activity of the mitochondrial fraction, while molybdate (0.01-1.0 millimolar) was a relatively selective inhibitor of acid phosphatase activity in the supernatant fraction. The pH 6.4-ATPase activity of the plasma membrane fraction was inhibited by vanadate (10-500 micromolar), but vanadate, at similar concentrations, also inhibited acid phosphatase activity. This result was confirmed for oat (Avena sativa L.) root and coleoptile tissues. While vanadate does not appear to be a selective inhibitor, it can be used in combination with molybdate and azide to distinguish the plasma membrane ATPase from mitochondrial ATPase or supernatant acid phosphatase.

Vanadate appeared to be a noncompetitive inhibitor of the plasma membrane ATPase, and its effectiveness was increased by K⁺. K⁺-stimulated ATPase activity was inhibited by 50% at about 21 micromolar vanadate. The rate of K⁺ transport in excised corn root segments was inhibited by 66% by 500 micromolar vanadate.

     

Electrophoretic characterization of a detergent-treated plasma membrane fraction from corn roots

Experiments were conducted to determine conditions essential for electrophoretic characterization of a detergent-extracted plasma membrane fraction from corn (Zea mays L.) roots. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) initially gave poor resolution of polypeptides in the plasma membrane fraction and, upon detergent treatment for purification of the proton-pumping adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), showed no enrichment for a 100 kilodalton catalytic subunit characteristic of the ATPase. In contrast to SDS-PAGE, phenol urea acetic acid (PAU)-PAGE clearly resolved two polypeptides in the 100 kilodalton region that were enriched during detergent treatment and indicated at least one polypeptide forms a phosphorylated intermediate characteristic of the ATPase. Problems with SDS-PAGE were found to be caused, in part, by a combination of endogenous proteases and heat-induced aggregation of high molecular weight proteins. The usually standard procedure of boiling the sample prior to SDS-PAGE caused the aggregation of the 100 kilodalton polypeptides. By controlling for proteases using chymostatin and/or phenylmethane sulfonyl floride, and not boiling the sample prior to electrophoresis, two polypeptides were clearly resolved by SDS-PAGE in the 100 kilodalton region of Triton X-114-extracted membranes from corn, oat, barley, and tomato.     

The phosphorylation and isolation of two erythrocyte membrane proteins in vitro

Two proteins of bovine erythrocyte ghost membrane have been phosphorylated with γ-³²P-ATP and isolated by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. One of the two proteins (MW 98,000) has been identified here as the phosphorylated intermediate of the Na⁺ + K⁺ activated ATPase. The other phosphorylated protein (MW 220,000) is apparently unrelated to the Na-K ATPase, but may be involved in other energy requiring membrane processes.     

Characterization of a partially purified adenosine triphosphatase from a corn root plasma membrane fraction

The (K⁺,Mg²⁺)-ATPase was partially purified from a plasma membrane fraction from corn roots (WF9 × Mol7) and stored in liquid N₂ without loss of activity. Specific activity was increased 4-fold over that of the plasma membrane fraction. ATPase activity resembled that of the plasma membrane fraction with certain alterations in cation sensitivity. The enzyme required a divalent cation for activity (Co²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Mn²⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Ca²⁺) when assayed at 3 millimolar ATP and 3 millimolar divalent cation at pH 6.3. When assayed in the presence of 3 millimolar Mg²⁺, the enzyme was further activated by monovalent cations (K⁺, NH₄⁺, Rb⁺ Na⁺, Cs⁺, Li⁺). The pH optima were 6.5 and 6.3 in the absence and presence of 50 millimolar KCl, respectively. The enzyme showed simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics for the substrate ATP-Mg, with a K_m of 1.3 millimolar in the absence and 0.7 millimolar in the presence of 50 millimolar KCl. Stimulation by K⁺ approached simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics, with a K_m of approximately 4 millimolar KCl. ATPase activity was inhibited by sodium orthovanadate. Half-maximal inhibition was at 150 and 35 micromolar in the absence and presence of 50 millimolar KCl. The enzyme required the substrate ATP. The rate of hydrolysis of other substrates, except UDP, IDP, and GDP, was less than 20% of ATP hydrolysis. Nucleoside diphosphatase activity was less than 30% of ATPase activity, was not inhibited by vanadate, was not stimulated by K⁺, and preferred Mn²⁺ to Mg²⁺. The results demonstrate that the (K⁺,Mg²⁺)-ATPase can be clearly distinguished from nonspecific phosphohydrolase and nucleoside diphosphatase activities of plasma membrane fractions prepared from corn roots.     

Large-scale purification and phosphorylation of a detergent-treated adenosine triphosphatase complex from plasma membrane of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A new procedure for large-scale preparation of plasma-membrane-bound ATPase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is described. The crude membrane fraction is purified by selective extraction with three successive detergents: deoxycholate (0.25 mg/mg protein), Triton X-100 (0.25%) and lysophosphatidylcholine (1 mg/mg protein). These treatments extract the mitochondria and strip the plasma membrane. From 1 kg commercial baker's yeast, 200 mg of plasma membrane proteins are isolated in 2--3 days. Plasma-membrane-bound ATPase of specific activity of 10--13 mumol Pi x min-1 x mg protein-1 is obtained with a yield estimated to 60%. Dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows three predominant polypeptides of Mr = 95000, 70000 and 56000 in the purified membrane fraction. The major polypeptide of Mr = 95000 identified as the ATPase subunit is phosphorylated by millimolar concentrations of ATP. The phosphorylated intermediate reaches the steady-state level in less than 100 ms and turns over very rapidly. It is hydrolyzed by hydroxylamine. Its formation is prevented by the ATPase inhibitors vanadate and Dio-9, a plasma-membrane ATPase inhibitor of unknown structure. At least four other membrane proteins are phosphorylated with much slower kinetics, presumably through the action of protein-kinase(s).     

Purification and properties of adenosinetriphosphatase from Zea mays seedling microsomes

A simple method was developed for selective solubilization of membrane ATPase from etiolated corn seedlings using 0.01% Triton X100 and 0.01% deoxycholate containing 200 mM KI. An 81-fold enriched enzyme preparation, with specific activity of 133 μmol Pi/mg protein/hr, was obtained. The enzyme stored in 25 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5) at 4° showed rapid loss of activity. The enzyme was stabilized by 1 mM EDTA with addition of 1.2 mM Mg²⁺°. Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ (1.2 mM) increased enzymatic activity by 12 and 10.8% respectively, whereas Na⁺ and K⁺ brought about a 20% increase in ATP-hydrolysis. The effect of combined mono- and di-valent ions was neither synergistic nor additive. Ouabain exerted no effect on enzyme activity. The enzyme showed two pH optima (6.0 and 7.5) in the presence of Na⁺ and K⁺, and one optimum at pH 6.5 in the absence of these ions. On polyacrylamide gel the enzyme was resolved into two protein bands, both exhibiting ATPase activity. It is suggested that the soluble enzyme from the microsomal fraction of corn seedlings contains two ATP-hydrolyzing enzymes, one of them being stimulated by Na⁺ and K⁺ ions.     

Plasma membrane ATPase of red beet forms a phosphorylated intermediate

When a plasma membrane-enriched fraction isolated from red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) was incubated in the presence of 40 micromolar [γ-³²P] ATP, 40 micromolar MgSO₄ at pH 6.5, a rapidly turning over phosphorylated protein was formed. Phosphorylation of the protein was substrate-specific for ATP, sensitive to diethylstilbestrol and vanadate, but insensitive to azide. When the dephosphorylation reaction was specifically studied, KCl was found to increase the turnover of the phosphorylated protein consistent with its stimulatory effect upon plasma membrane ATPase. The protein-bound phosphate was found to be most stable at a pH between 2 and 3 and under cold temperature, suggesting that the protein phosphate bond was an acyl-phosphate. When the phosphorylated protein was analyzed with lithium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, a labeled polypeptide with a molecular weight of about 100,000 daltons was observed. Phosphorylation of this polypeptide was rapidly turning over and Mg-dependent. It is concluded that the phosphorylation observed represents a reaction intermediate of the red beet plasma membrane ATPase.     

Effect of Na+, K+, Mg2+ and ATP on the Relative Electrophoretic Mobility of Sugar Beet Membrane Particles with NaK ATPase Activity

Electrophoretic measurements on membrane coated particles were performed with a Zytopherometer. Tris-HCl buffer 0.2 M pH 7.0 at 37°C with addition of different combinations of Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and ATP was used as test medium. The membranes were of two types, an untreated preparation with low NaK ATPase activity and a deoxycholate treated preparation with high NaK ATPase activity. There was no marked difference in reaction between the two types of membranes. To both types of membranes Mg²⁺ gave a strong positive and ATP a slight negative addition to the membrane charge. In the presence of ATP Na⁺ gave a higher charge contribution than did K⁺ or a combination of Na⁺ and K⁺. This implies that K⁺ gives a higher affinity for ATP than Na⁺ does and or that ATP mediates a higher affinity for Na⁺ than for K⁺.     

Presence of a Na+-activated ATPase in the Plasma Membrane of the Marine Raphidophycean Heterosigma akashiwo

Highly purified plasma membranes were isolated from Heterosigmaakashiwo cells, a marine raphidophycean unicellular biflagellate,by the silica microbead method, and the ATPase activity of themembranes was characterized. The ionic requirements and spectrumof effective inhibitors enable us to identify a novel Na⁺-activatedATPase in the plasma membrane of this organism. Furthermore,we detected two phosphorylated intermediate forms of ATPases,with molecular weights of 150 kDa and 95 kDa as judged by acidSDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of extracts of isolatedplasma membrane. The 150 kDa intermediate was phosphorylated in the presenceof both Mg²⁺ and Na⁺, while the 95 kDa intermediate was phosphorylatedin the presence of Mg²⁺ alone. Both were dephosphorylated inthe presence of monovalent cations. These results indicate thatthe former intermediate was a Na⁺-activated ATPase, similarto Na⁺,K⁺-ATPases from animals, and the latter was similar toH⁺,K⁺-ATPases from higher plants. The physiological significanceof the two kinds of ATPase in the plasma membrane of marinealgae. (Received March 15, 1989; Accepted June 23, 1989)     

Plasma membrane ATPase of sugarbeet

A membrane fraction enriched with magnesium-dependent ATPase activity was isolated from sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) taproot by a combination of differential centrifugation, extraction with KI and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. This activity was inhibited by vanadate, N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and diethylstilbestrol, but was insensitive to molybdate, azide, oligomycin, ouabain, and nitrate, suggesting enrichment in plasma membrane ATPase. The enzyme was substrate specific for ATP, had a pH optimum of 7.0, but showed little stimulation by 50 mM KCl. The sugarbeet ATPase preparation contained endogenous protein kinase activity which could be reduced by extraction of the membranes with 0.1% (w/v) sodium deoxycholate. Reduction of protein kinase activity allowed the demonstration of a rapidly turning over phosphorylated intermediate on a M_r 105000 polypeptide, most likely representing the catalytic subunit of the ATPase. Phosphorylation was magnesium dependent, sensitive to diethylstilbestrol and vanadate but insensitive to oligomycin and azide. Neither the ATPase activity nor phosphoenzyme level were affected by combinations of sodium and potassium in the assay. These results argue against the presence of a synergistically stimulated NaK-ATPase at the plasma membrane of sugarbeet.     

Characterization of a k-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase associated with the plasma membrane of red beet

A membrane fraction enriched with a magnesium-dependent, monovalent cation-stimulated ATPase was isolated from red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) storage roots by a combination of differential centrifugation, extraction with KI, and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. This fraction was distinct from endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, mitochondrial, and possibly tonoplast membranes as determined from an analysis of marker enzymes. The ATPase activity associated with this fraction was further characterized and found to have a pH optimum of 6.5 in the presence of both Mg²⁺ and K⁺. The activity was substrate specific for ATP and had a temperature optimum near 40°C. Kinetics with Mg:ATP followed a simple Michaelis-Menten relationship. However the kinetics of K⁺-stimulation were complex and suggestive of negative cooperativity. When monovalent cations were present at 2.5 millimolarity, ATPase was stimulated in the sequence K⁺ > Rb⁺ > Na⁺ > Li⁺ but when the concentration was raised to 50 millimolarity, the sequence changed to K⁺ ≥ Na⁺ ≥ Rb⁺ > Li. The activity was not synergistically stimulated by combinations of Na⁺ and K⁺. The enzyme was insensitive to NaN₃, oligomycin, ouabain, and sodium molybdate but sensitive to N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, diethylstilbestrol, and sodium vanadate. Based on the similarity between the properties of this ATPase activity and those from other well characterized plant tissues, it has been concluded that this membrane fraction is enriched with plasma membrane vesicles.     

Cyclic AMP and calcium modulated ATPase activity in the salivary glands of the lone star tick Amblyomma americanum (L.)

Na⁺,K⁺-activated ATPase activity in tick salivary glands increases during the rapid stage of tick feeding paralleling similar increases in dopamine and cAMP-stimulated fluid secretion. High concentrations of cyclic AMP increase Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity in a plasma membrane-enriched fraction from the salivary glands of rapidly feeding ticks. Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor protein blocks activation of Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity at low but not high concentrations of cAMP indicating that both activator and inhibitor modulator phosphoproteins of Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity exist in the plasma membrane-enriched fraction.ATPase activity in the plasma membrane-enriched fraction is not measurable in the absence of Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Na⁺. Ca-stimulated nucleotidase activity is highest with ATP serving as the preferred substrate in a series including CTP, UTP, GTP and ADP. Calcium, Mg²⁺ stimulated ATPase activity is activated further by calmodulin and partially inhibited by low concentration of vanadate, trifluoperazine and oligomycin. Results suggest that the plasma membrane-enriched fraction of tick salivary glands contains both Ca²⁺-ATPase activity and oligomycin-sensitive Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺-ATPase activities, the latter likely from a small amount of mitochondria in the partially purified organelle fraction.     

Trypsinization unmasks a Ca+2- stimulated ATPase activity from purified pig gastric microsomes

Trypsinization of gastric microsomal K⁺- stimulated ATPase in absence of ATP nearly abolished the K⁺- stimulated component of the enzyme activity without any significant effect on the basal (with Mg⁺² alone) activity. The K⁺- stimulated component, however, was completely restored by the ‘activator protein” partially purified form the soluble supernatant fraction of the pig gastric cells. On the other hand, trypsinization of the microsomes in presence of ATP significantly increased (2–3 fold) the basal rate with virtual elimination of the K⁺- stimulated component. Assay of the trypsinized microsomes in presence of the activator protein not only demonstrated complete restoration of the K⁺- stimulated ATPase but also revealed an additional activity which has been characterized as a Ca⁺²- stimulated ATPase.Tryptic digestion has recently been used as a tool to understand the mechanism of action of various transport enzymes such as Na⁺, K⁺- ATPase (1), Ca⁺²- ATPase (2,3) and gastric H⁺, K⁺- ATPase (4). Controlled tryptic digestion of purified enzymes under various conditions of ligand binding may provide us with many valuable informations regarding the molecular architecture of the enzyme protein. However, when dealing with a membrane system containing a host of many different intrinsic and extrinsic proteins one must be cautious about the interpretation of the trypsin effects. In the present paper we report the effects of trypsin digestion of the purified pig gastric microsomes on the microsomal K⁺- stimulated ATPase activity. Our studies demonstrated that digestion of the microsomes with trypsin in absence of ATP inactivated the K⁺- stimulated ATPase but the activity could be fully restored by the addition of partially purified activator protein (5). Microsomes treated with trypsin in presence of ATP responded to the activator protein to the same extent as that without ATP but in addition demonstrated the manifestation of another enzymatic activity which has been characterized as a Ca⁺²- stimulated ATPase. This is a preliminary report dealing primarily with the unmasking of a new ATPase after trypsin treatment. Detailed reports on the characterization and mechanism of action of the gastric Ca⁺²- stimulated ATPase will be published elsewhere.     

Latency of Plasma Membrane H-ATPase in Vesicles Isolated by Aqueous Phase Partitioning : Increased substrate Accessibility or Enzyme Activation

The properties of the plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase and the cause of its latency have been studied using a highly purified plasma membrane fraction from oat (Avena sativa L., cv Victory) roots, prepared by aqueous two-phase partitioning. The ATPase has a maximum specific activity (at 37°C) in excess of 4 micromoles inorganic phosphate per milligram protein per minute in the presence of nondenaturing surfactants. It is inhibited by more than 90% by vanadate, is specific for ATP, has a pH optimum of 6.5, and is stimulated more than 4-fold by 50 millimolar K⁺ in the presence of low levels of the nondenaturing surfactants Triton X-100 and lysolecithin. This `latent' activity is usually explained as being a result of the inability of ATP to reach the ATPase in right-side out, sealed vesicles, until they are disrupted by surfactants. Consistent with this idea, trypsin digestion significantly inhibited the ATPase only in the presence of the surfactants. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy volume measurements confirmed that surfactant-free vesicles were mostly sealed to molecules similar to ATP. However, the Triton to protein ratio required to disrupt vesicle integrity completely is 10-fold less than that needed to promote maximum ATPase activity. We propose that plasma membrane ATPase activation is due not solely to vesicle disruption and accessibility of ATP to the ATPase but to the surfactants activating the ATPase by altering the lipid environment in its vicinity or by removing an inhibitory subunit.     

Subcellular Distribution of Basal and Cation-sensitive ATPases in Roots of Phaseolus vulgaris

A smooth microsomal fraction isolated from homogenates of Pbaseolus vulgaris root tissue has been found to possesss a highly active basal ATPase (measured in the absence of added cations). The microsomal membranes also feature a cation-sensitive ATPase which responds to Mg²⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺, but in a manner that is highly variable with pH. In contrast, membrane fragments prepared by a technique designed to yield purified plasma membrane were capable of little or no hydrolysis of ATP either in the presence or absence of added cations. This suggests that the microsomal activity is a reflection of membrane-bound ATPase which has been derived from cytoplasmic membranes, possibly the tonoplast, rather than plasma membrane.     

Effects of vanadate on the plasma membrane ATPase of red beet and corn

The effect of vanadate on the plant plasma membrane ATPase were investigated in plasma membrane fractions derived from corn roots (Zea mays L.) and red beets (Beta vulgaris L.). The K_i for vanadate inhibition of the plasma membrane ATPase from corn roots and red beets was between 6 and 15 micromolar vanadate. In both membrane fractions, 80% to 90% of the total ATPase was inhibited at vanadate concentrations below 100 micromolar. Vanadate inhibition was optimal at pH 6.5, enhanced by the presence of K⁺, and was partially reversed by 1 millimolar EDTA. The Mg:ATP kinetics for the plasma membrane ATPase were hyperbolic in both the absence and presence of vanadate. Vanadate decreased both the K_m and V_max of the red beet plasma membrane ATPase, indicating that vanadate inhibits the ATPase uncompetitively. These results indicate many similarities with respect to vanadate inhibition between the plant plasma membrane ATPase and other major iontranslocating ATPases from fungal and animal cells. The high sensitivity to vanadate reported here, however, differs from other reports of vanadate inhibition of the plant plasma membrane ATPase from corn, beets, and in some instances oats.     

GTP,as well as ATP,can act as a substrate for the intrinsic protein kinase activity of synaptic plasma membranes

Summary GTP as well as ATP can act as phosphate donor for the intrinsic protein kinase activity of synaptic plasma membranes. There are many similarities between the activities observed with ATP or GTP. Both need a divalent cation, Mg²⁺ being preferred, both are slightly inhibited by Na⁺, and more strongly by K⁺, both are inhibited by theophylline and adenosine. The K_m for GTP (0.13 mM) is similar to that ATP (0.12 mM). There are, however, some differences in properties. When GTP instead of ATP is the phosphate donor the pH optimum is 6.5 instead of 7.4. In addition NH ₄ ⁺ inhibits the transfer of phosphate from GTP but not from ATP. More importantly, cyclic AMP only stimulates the transfer of phosphate from ATP not from GTP. SDS gel electrophoresis reveals that similar membrane proteins are phosphorylated by GTP and ATP in the presence or absence of cyclic AMP. This suggests that there may be two different types of protein kinase in the synaptic plasma membrane which act on similar membrane proteins. One is stimulated by cyclic AMP and is specific to ATP while the other is unaffected by cyclic nucleotides and can use either ATP or GTP as phosphate donor.Deceased     

Plasma Membrane-associated Adenosine Triphosphatase Activity of Isolated Cortex and Stele from Corn Roots

The plasma membrane fractions from separated cortex and stele of primary roots of corn (Zea mays L. WF9 × M14) contained cation ATPase activity at similar levels but with somewhat different properties. ATPase activity from cortex was optimum at pH 6.5, showed a simple Michaelis-Menten saturation with increasing ATP·Mg, and showed complex kinetic data for K⁺ stimulation similar in character to the kinetic data for K⁺-ATPase and K⁺ influx in primary roots. The results for cortex indicate that homogenates of primary roots are dominated by membranes from cortical cells.

ATPase activity from stele was optimum at pH 6.5 and showed another maximum at pH 9. At pH 6.5, activity from stele had properties similar to that from cortex except that the kinetics of K⁺ stimulation closely approached that expected for a Michaelis-Menten enzyme. At pH 9, the enzyme activity from stele was inhibited by 5 μg/ml oligomycin, suggesting that a significant portion of the activity was of mitochondrial origin. Sucrose density gradient analysis indicated some contamination of mitochondrial membranes in the plasma membrane fraction from stele. The results for stele are consistent with the view that stelar parenchyma cells are not deficient in ion pumps.