Properties of ATP-dependent Phosphofructokinase from Endosperm of Developing Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Grains

ATP-dependent phosphofructokinase (ATP:D-fructose S-phosphate, 1-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.11, PFK) from endosperm of developing wheat grains was purified to apparent homogeneity with about 45% recovery using ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration through Sepharose CL-SB and Sephadex G-200. The purified enzyme with a molecular weight of about 182 kD, was a heterotetramer with subunit molecular weights ranging between 20 and 80 kD. The enzyme exhibited maximum activity at pH 7.9 and was highly specific for its substrates. The enzyme had absolute requirement for Mg2+. At pH 7.9, the Km values as determined by Lineweaver-Burk plots were 1.43 and 0.70 mM, respectively for fru-S-P and ATP. Fru-2, S-P2 had no effect on the activity of the enzyme. The enzyme was inhibited strongly by citrate, ADP, 3-PGA and PEP with Ki values of 2.40, 1.75, 2.10 and 0.80 mM, respectively. Citrate and PEP inhibited the enzyme competitively with respect to both fru-S-P and ATP. ADP and 3-PGA inhibited the enzyme non-competitively and competitively, respectively with respect to fru-S-P and in a mixed manner with respect to ATP. Hill plot values indicated co-operative interaction of citrate, 3-PGA and PEP with the enzyme.     

Carbamate kinase of Lactobacillus buchneri NCDO110. I. Purification and properties

Carbamate kinase has been prepared from Lactobacillus buchneri NCDO110. An approximately 91-fold increase in the specific activity of the enzyme was achieved. The purified extract exhibited a single band following polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The apparent molecular weight as determined by gel electrophoresis was about 97,000. The enzyme is stable for 2 weeks at -20 degrees C. Maximum enzymatic activity was observed at 30 degrees C and pH 5.4 in 0.1 M acetate buffer. L. buchneri carbamate kinase requires Mg2+ or Mn2+; its activity is higher with Mn2+. The activation energy of the reaction was 4078 cal mol-1 for the reaction with Mn2+ and 3059 cal mol-1 for the reaction with Mg2+. From a Dixon plot a pK value of 4.8 was calculated. The apparent Km values for ADP with Mg2+ or Mn2+ were 0.71 X 10(-3) and 1.17 X 10(-3) M, respectively, and the apparent Km values for carbamyl phosphate with Mg2+ or Mn2+ were 1.63 X 10(-3) and 1.53 X 10(-3) M, respectively. ATP and CTP acted as inhibitors of this reaction and the following values were obtained: Ki (ATP)Mg2+ = 9.4 mM, Ki (ATP)Mn2+ = 6.2 mM, and Ki (CTP)Mg2+ = 4.4 mM.     

Purification and characterizaton of plastidic pyruvate kinase from developing seeds of Brassica campestris L.

Plastidic pyruvate kinase (ATP: pyruvate phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40) was purified to near homogeneity as judged by native PAGE with about 4% recovery from developing seeds of Brassica campestris using (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, gel filtration through Sepharose-CL-6B and affinity chromatography through reactive blue Sepharose-CL-6B. The purified enzyme having molecular mass of about 266 kDa was quite stable and showed a broad pH optimum between pH 6.8-7.8. Typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics was obtained for both the substrates with K(m) values of 0.13 and 0.14 mM for PEP and ADP, respectively. The enzyme could also utilize CDP, GDP or UDP as alternative nucleotide to ADP, but with lower Vmax and higher K(m). The enzyme had an absolute requirement for a divalent and a monovalent cation for activity and was inhibited by oxalate, fumarate, citrate, isocitrate and ATP, and activated by AMP, aspartate, 3-PGA, tryptophan and inorganic phosphate. ATP inhibited the enzyme competitively with respect to PEP and non-competitively with respect to ADP. Similarly, oxalate inhibition was also of competitive type with respect to PEP and non-competitive with respect to ADP. This inhibition by either ATP or oxalate was not due to chelation of Mg2+, as the inhibition was not relieved on increasing Mg2+ concentration even upto 30 mM. Initial velocity and product inhibition studies demonstrated the reaction mechanism to be compulsory ordered type. The enzyme seems to be regulated synergistically by ATP and citrate.     

Adenylate kinase of plants. Properties of adenylate kinase of pea leaves]

The properties of adenylate kinase in 2 ADP in equilibrium ATP + AMP reaction have been studied. The dependence of the enzyme activity on medium pH, protein concentration, substrates, Mg++ ions, AMP, adenine and adenosine has been also investigated. pH optimum is found to be 8.5 for forward reaction and 8-9--for the reverse one. The Michaelis constants are as follows: for ADP--1.17-10(-4) M, for ATP--3.33-10(-4) M at 24 degrees C, in 50 mM tris-HCl pH 7.6. The optimal ratio, Mg++ ions/substrates (ADP, ATP + AMP), is 1:2. The chelates of adenine nucleotides with Mg++ ions are proved to be "true" reaction substrates. Unlike adenine and adenosine, the product of AMP reaction inhibits adenylate kinase activity. It is concluded that the properties of adenylate kinase in plants are similar to those of animals and humans (moikinase).     

Reaction mechanism of calcium-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum. Substrates for phosphorylation reaction and back reaction, and further resolution of phosphorylated intermediates

Reaction of the purified Ca2+-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum at 0 degrees C at low [gamma-32P]ATP (0.1 to 0.67 microM) and enzyme (0.025 to 0.24 microM) concentration in the presence of 0.11 to 30 mM Ca2+ without added Mg2+ has resulted in the formation of phosphorylated intermediate (EP:maximal level of EP = 0.45 mol/mol of enzyme) at a very slow rate. Under these conditions, the reaction steps in which EP decomposition takes place are completely prevented. This has permitted us to study the EP formation reaction and its reversal specifically, with a considerably improved time resolution. An apparent rate constant of EP formation (Vf) increases in parallel with the concentration of Ca . ATP, but not with those of Mg . ATP, or of protonated or fully ionized free ATP. This suggests that Ca . ATP is the substrate under these conditions. If Co2+ or Mn2+ are in excess over the other ions during the reaction, Vf varies in parallel with [Co . ATP] or [Mn . ATP]. Thus, it appears that either Ca2+, Co2+, or Mn2+ can be complexed with ATP to form the effective substrate. An apparent rate constant of the back reaction of EP initiated by addition of ADP to EP (Vr) increases in proportion to [ADP] or [H . ADP], but is inhibited by increasing concentrations of the ADP complex with Ca2+ or Mg2+, indicating that free ADP or protonated ADP, or both, are actual substrates for the back reaction of EP. These results suggest a new type of site to which the metal moiety of metal . ATP complex remains bound after the release of ADP from the enzyme. An acid-stable phosphorylated intermediate (EP) produced in the presence of high Ca2+ concentrations (e.g. 0.11 mM) without added Mg2+ does not decompose spontaneously, and the major portion (approximately 90%) of this EP (EPD+) reacts with ADP to form ATP (ADP-sensitive). Upon chelating Ca2+ with ethylene glycol bis(beta-amino-ethyl ether)N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA), EPD+ is converted to another form of EP (EPD-), which is unreactive with ADP (or ADP-insensitive). Addition of Mg2+, after initiation of the reaction leading to EPD- by EGTA, results in rapid production of Pi from a portion of EPD- with KMg approximately equal to 3.3 x 10(3) M-1. The fraction of EPD- that is Mg2+-sensitive (EPD-,M+) increases with reaction time at a much slower rate than the Mg2+-insensitive portion of EPD- (EPD-,M-). These results suggest that the enzyme reaction involves the sequential formation of at least three forms of acid-stable EP, viz. in the order of formation, EPD+, EPD-,M-, and EPD-,M+. The equilibrium between EPD+ and EPD-,M- is shifted by higher [K+] and [Ca2+] towards EPD+.     

5-Oxo-L-prolinase (L-pyroglutamate hydrolase). Purification and catalytic properties.

5-Oxo-L-prolinase, an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 5-oxo-L-proline (L-pyroglutamate; L-2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylate) to L-glutamate coupled with the cleavage of ATP to ADP and Pi, has been purified about 1600-fold from rat kidney. Purification was carried out in the presence of 5-oxo-L-proline which protects the enzyme under a variety of conditions. An estimate of the molecular weight (about 325,000) was made by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. K+ (or NH4+) and Mg2+ were required for activity. GTP, ITP, CTP, and UTP were much less active than ATP; dATP was 43% as active as ATP. ADP inhibited and addition of pyruvate kinase and phosphoenolpyruvate activated the reaction. The enzyme, which is protected during storage by dithiothreitol, is inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, N-ethylmaleimide, and iodoacetamide. The apparent Km values for 5-oxo-L-proline and ATP are, respectively, 0.05 and 0.17 mM. The pH profile indicates a broad range of activity from about pH 5.5 to pH 11.2 with apparent maxima at about pH 7 and pH 9.7. The formation of Pi and glutamate was equimolar over a wide pH range. When the enzyme was incubated with ATP, Mg2+, K+, and L-2-imidazolidone-4-carboxylate or L-dihydroorotate, cleavage of ATP to ADP and Pi occurred, but no cleavage of the imino acid substrates was observed; when the enzyme was incubated under these conditions with 2-piperidone-6-carboxylate, 4-oxy-5-oxoproline, and 3-oxy-5-oxoproline, the corresponding dicarboxylic amino acids were formed, but the molar ratio of Pi to amino acid formation was significantly greater than unity.     

N-acetylglutamate 5-phosphotransferase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Catalytic and regulatory properties.

Some kinetic properties of N-acetylglutamate 5-phosphotransferase (ATP: N-acetyl-L-glutamate 5-phosphotransferase EC 2.7.2.8) purified approx. 2000-fold from Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been studied. The enzyme required Mg2+ for activity. Mn2+, Zn2+, Co2+, and Ca2+, in this order, could replace Mg2+ partially. The substrate specificity was narrow: N-carbamoyl-L-glutamate and N-formyl-L-glutamate were phosphorylated, but at a lower rate than N-acetyl-L-glutamate; N-propionyl-L-glutamate was almost inactive as a substrate. dATP, but neither GTP nor ITP, could be used instead of ATP. The enzyme had a broad pH optimum from pH 6.5 to 9. Feedback inhibition by L-arginine was markedly dependent on pH. Above pH 9 no inhibition was observed. L-Citrulline was three times less potent an inhibitor than L-arginine. The enzyme showed Michaelis-Menten kinetics, even at low concentration of the second substrate. The apparent Km was 2 mM for N-acetyl-L-glutamate (at 10 mM ATP) and approx. 3 mM for ATP (at 40 mM N-acetyl-L-glutamate). In the presence of L-arginine the rate-concentration curves for N-acetyl-L-glutamate became signoidal, while no cooperativity was detected for ATP. A method was developed allowing the determination of N-acetyl-L-glutamate in the nanomolar range by means of purified enzyme.     

Regulation and properties of glutamine synthetase purified from Bacillus cereus

The glutamine synthetase from Bacillus cereus IFO 3131 was purified to homogeneity. The enzyme is a dodecamer with a molecular weight of approximately 600,000, and its subunit molecular weight is 50,000. Both Mg2+ and Mn2+ activated the enzyme as to the biosynthesis of L-glutamine, but, unlike in the case of the E. coli enzyme, the Mg2+-dependent activity was stimulated by the addition of Mn2+. The highest activity was obtained when 20 mM Mg2+ and 0.5 mM Mn2+ were added to the assay mixture. For each set of optimal assay conditions, the apparent Km values for glutamate, ammonia and a divalent cation X ATP complex were 1.03, 0.34, and 0.40 mM (Mn2+: ATP = 1: 1); 14.0, 0.47, and 0.91 mM (Mg2+: ATP = 4: 1); and 9.09, 0.45, and 0.77 mM (Mg2+: Mn2+: ATP = 4: 0.2: 1), respectively. At each optimum pH, the Vmax values for these reactions were 6.1 (Mn2+-dependent), 7.4 (Mg2+-dependent), and 12.9 (Mg2+ plus Mn2+-dependent) mumoles per min per mg protein, respectively. Mg2+-dependent glutamine synthetase activity was inhibited by the addition of AMP or glutamine; however, this inhibitory effect was suppressed in the case of the Mg2+ plus Mn2+-dependent reaction. These results suggest that the activity of the B. cereus glutamine synthetase is regulated by both the intracellular concentration and the ratio of Mn2+/Mg2+ in vivo. Also in the present investigation, a potent glutamine synthetase inhibitor(s) was detected in crude extracts from B. cereus.     

Characterization of an adenylyl cyclase activity in particulate preparations from epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Particulate preparations from epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi contain an adenylyl cyclase (ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1) which could be stored at --20 degree C and resisted 5 cycles of freezing and thawing over 10 days without significant loss of activity. The enzyme reaction strictly required Mn2+, had a pH optimum of 7.7 and was not inhibited or stimulated by NaF. Particles prepared in the presence of 10 mM Mn2+ or Mg2+ were 3--4 times more active than particles prepared in the absence of these cations. However, Mg2+ could not substitute for Mn2+ during enzyme assay nor did it enhance activity in the presence of saturating concentrations of Mn2+. The binary complex Mn - ATP2- was shown to be the true substrate for the adenylyl cyclase and free ATP was highly inhibitory. Plots of enzyme activity against equimolar concentrations of ATP - Mn gave sigmoid curves with n values in Hill plots ranging between 1.5 and 2.0. Excess Mn2+ activated the cyclase catalyzed reaction at low but not at high concentrations of ATP - Mn. In the presence of an excess of 1 mM Mn2+, which transforms 97% of the added ATP to productive Mn - ATP2- complex, the substrate saturation curve assumed a Michaelian pattern with an apparent Km =0.2 mM.     

Catalytic properties of Escherichia coli polyphosphate kinase: an enzyme for ATP regeneration.

Catalytic properties of Escherichia coli polyphosphate kinase (EC 2.7.4.1), a promising enzyme for use in ATP regeneration (Hoffman, et al., 1988, Biotechnol. Appl. Biochem. 10, 107-117), are reported here. E. coli polyphosphate kinase (PPK) is broadly active in the pH range 5.5 to 8.5, having an optimal Vmax at pH 7.2. The Km values for the substrates, ADP and polyphosphate (Pn), change little in the same pH range. The optimal concentration range for the Mg2+ activator is 1-20 mM, with an activity maximum at 10 mM Mg2+. In addition to Mg2+, Mn2+ and Co2+ can serve as activators of E. coli PPK, whereas Zn2+ and Cu2+ are highly inhibitory. E. coli PPK is most active with Pn substrates of chain length greater than 132 phosphoryl units. The enzyme activity decreases with decreasing Pn chain length and approaches zero (less than 1%) at a chain length less than or equal to 5. Equilibrium yields of ATP of greater than 85% are readily attained at substrate concentrations below 1 mM. An operational equilibrium constant for the PPK reaction, defined as [ATP]/[ADP][Pn], was determined to be 7.5 (+/- 3.4) x 10(5) M-1. The data presented here serve as a base of information from which assessments of the suitability of E. coli PPK for specific ATP regeneration applications can be made.     

Purification and characterization of a Ca2+- or Mg2+-stimulated ATPase from plasma membrane enriched fractions of Dictyostelium discoideum

Evidence is presented for the presence of both diethylstilbestrol (DES)-sensitive and DES-insensitive Mg2+-ATPase activities in plasma membrane enriched fractions of Dictyostelium discoideum. When removed from the membrane, the DES-sensitive activity is markedly less stable than the DES-insensitive activity, and the two activities display a number of quite distinct properties. The DES-sensitive enzyme has a decided preference for Mg2+ over Ca2+, displays saturation kinetics in response to ATP as substrate (Km = 0.2 mM) and has a narrow pH optimum range. In contrast, the DES-insensitive activity is stimulated equally by Mg2+ or Ca2+, is not saturable by ATP within the mM concentration range and has a much broader pH optimum. The DES-insensitive activity has been purified extensively. The purified enzyme is inhibited by vanadate and fluoride, but is insensitive to N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), N-ethylmaleimide and thimerosal. In the absence of divalent cations, the enzyme displays a sigmoidal activity curve in response to substrate concentration, which is abolished by addition of either Mg2+ or Ca2+, suggesting a binding site for a divalent cation and a positive cooperative interaction. The enzyme is capable of hydrolyzing other nucleotide triphosphates and ADP, but is without activity on AMP, p-nitrophenyl phosphate and pyrophosphate. The enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of approximately 64,000.     

Purification and characterization of an apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease from HeLa cells

An endodeoxyribonuclease from HeLa cells acting on apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites has been purified to apparent homogeneity as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The presence of Triton X-100 was necessary throughout the purification for stabilization and stimulation of activity. The endonuclease has an apparent native molecular weight of 32,000 determined by molecular sieving and an apparent subunit molecular weight of 41,000 as judged by its electrophoretic mobility in SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The activity has an absolute requirement for Mg2+ or Mn2+ and a broad pH optimum between 6.7 and 9.0 with maximal activity near pH 7.5. The enzyme has no detectable exonuclease activity, nor any endonuclease activity on untreated duplex or single-stranded DNA. It is inhibited by adenine, hypoxanthine, adenosine, AMP, ADP-ribose, and NAD+, but it is unaffected by caffeine, the pyrimidine bases, ADP, ATP, or NADH. The use of a variety of damaged DNA substrates provided no indication that the enzyme acts on other than AP sites. The enzyme appears to cleave AP DNA so as to leave deoxyribose-5-phosphate at the 5' terminus and a 3'-OH at the 3' terminus; it also removes deoxyribose-5-phosphate from AP DNA which has deoxyribose at the 3' terminus. Specific antibody has been produced in rabbits which interacts only with a 41,000-dalton protein present in the purified enzyme (presumably the enzyme itself), as well as with partially purified AP endonuclease fractions from human placenta and fibroblasts.     

Cytidylate cyclase activity in mouse tissues: the enzymatic conversion of cytidine 5'-triphosphate to cytidine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic CMP)

Cytidylate cyclase activity, which enzymatically converts cytidine 5'-triphosphate (CTP) to cytidine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic CMP), has been demonstrated in mouse tissue homogenates by use of a highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) specific for cyclic CMP. Cyclic CMP formation is dependent on the amount of homogenate and on the incubation time. Although the enzyme activity was detected at wide ranges of pH from 6.8 to 11.5, the maximal activity was observed at around pH 9.4. The optimal temperature was 37 degrees C. Cytidylate cyclase activity was almost completely lost if the homogenates were heated at 90 degrees C for 3 min prior to use. The enzyme reaction exhibited typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics with an apparent Km for CTP of approx. 0.31 mM. Cyclic CMP formation was greatly enhanced with 4 mM Mn2+, Mg2+, Co2+; Mn2+ was the most effective. Fe2+ and Ca2+ were without effect. Cu2+ and Zn2+ at a concentration of 0.1 to 0.5 mM were inhibitory to Mn2+-dependent activity. Moreover, the enzyme activity was inhibited by several nucleotides including ATP, ADP, 5'-AMP, and GTP. Cytidylate cyclase activity was found to be present in all homogenates from a variety of mouse tissues examined except heart, with the highest level found in brain, and the lowest in liver.     

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells its possible role in the high glycolysis of malignant cells.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase has been purified to apparent homogeneity from Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells. The enzyme is quite active over a pH range of 7.5-9.0 with an optimum pH of 8.4-8.7. The specific activity of the enzyme is much higher than that from other normal sources. In contrast to enzyme obtained from rabbit muscle, the EAC cell enzyme is not significantly inhibited by physiological concentrations of ATP at physiological pH. Kinetic studies using different substrates and inhibitors indicate that the properties of the EAC cell enzyme are significantly different from those of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase obtained from other normal sources. The striking dissimilarity of the malignant cell glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase compared with this enzyme from other normal sources, particularly in respect to the interaction with ATP, may in part explain the high glycolysis of malignant cells.     

Tritrichomonas foetus: purification and characterization of hydrogenosomal ATP:AMP phosphotransferase (adenylate kinase)

The hydrogenosomal enzyme ATP:AMP phosphotransferase (adenylate kinase) (EC 2.7.4.3) was purified to apparent homogeneity from the bovine parasite Tritrichomonas foetus. A fraction enriched for hydrogenosomes was obtained from cell homogenates which had been subjected to differential and isopycnic centrifugation. Adenylate kinase was solubilized in 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.3, containing 0.8% Triton X-100, and purified by sequential Affi-Gel blue affinity chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography gel filtration. The purified enzyme, a monomer of Mr 29,000, exhibited Km values of 100, 195, and 83 microM for ADP, ATP, and AMP, respectively. Substituting other mono-, di-, and trinucleotides for AMP, ADP, and ATP gave less than half the maximal activity. Full enzyme activity requires Mg2+, but Mn2+ and Co2+ yield half maximal activity. The enzyme has a broad optimal pH range between pH 6 and 9. The enzyme was competitively inhibited by P1,P5-di(adenosine-5')pentaphosphate, a specific adenylate kinase inhibitor: the Ki was 150 nM. The enzyme was also inhibited with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), and this inhibition could be reversed by the addition of 2 mM dithiothreitol. T. foetus adenylate kinase has similar catalytic and physical properties to that of the biologically closely related human parasite Trichomonas vaginalis.     

Study of properties of NADP malate dehydrogenase from corn leaves]

Kinetic properties of purified chloroplast isoenzyme of the "malic" enzyme from corn leaves were studied. The enzyme had optimum activity at pH 8.0 and 36 degrees C. Under standart conditions the Michaelis constants for the "malic" enzyme with Mn2+ as cofactor are 0.091 mM for malate and 0.04 mM for NADP. In case of Mg2+ as cofactor they are 0.66 and 0.02 mM respectively. Respective Km values for the cofactors Mn2+ and Mg2+ are 0.018 and 0.091 mM. The activity of the "malic" enzyme was inhibited by reduced NADP and NAD, ATP, ADP, fructose-1,6-diphosphate, oxaloacetic, oxalic, glyoxylic, glycolic and alpha-ketoglutaric acids, as well as by phosphate anions and pyrophosphate. The inhibitory effect of all metabolites and ions is more pronounced in case of Mn, rather than Mg, used as cofactors for the reaction. A possibility of metabolic regulation of NADP-"malic" enzyme activity in the leaves of C4-plants, is discussed.     

Enzymic characteristics of ecto-adenosine triphosphatase in rat epididymal intact spermatozoa.

Ecto-ATPase in rat cauda-epididymal intact spermatozoa has a high degree of substrate specificity for the hydrolysis of ATP and dATP rather than of ADP, AMP, GTP, dGTP, CTP, dCTP, TTP and UTP. The enzyme is activated by bivalent metal ions in the order Mg2+ greater than Mn2+ greater than Co2+ greater than Ca2+. The apparent Km values of the enzyme for Mg2+, Mn2+, Co2+ and Ca2+ are approx. 80, 100, 100 and 150 microM respectively. Addition of Ca2+ (0.1 or 1 mM) gives no further stimulation of the Mg2+-activated ecto-ATPase activity. The apparent Km value of the enzyme for ATP is 95 microM. Pi (16 mM) inhibits the enzymic activity (by 25%), whereas Na+ (50 mM) or K+ (10 mM) alone or in combination, polyamines (spermine and spermidine; 1--12.5mM) and nucleic acids (yeast RNA and calf thymus DNA; 0.12 or 0.62 mg/ml) had no significant effect on the activity of the enzyme. Orthovanadate at a relatively low concentration (20 microM) strongly inhibits (approx. 50%) the ecto-ATPase activity. Vanadate inhibition can be reversed by noradrenaline (2.5 mM). The vanadate-sensitivity of the enzyme increases markedly during spermatozoal maturation in the epididymis. However, the activity of the spermatozoal ecto-ATPase decreases progressively during the epididymal transit of the testicular spermatozoa.     

Characterization of ATP and ADP hydrolysis activity in rat gastric mucosa

The degradation of nucleotides is catalyzed by the family of enzymes called nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (NTPDases). The aim of this work was to demonstrate the presence of NTPDase in the rat gastric mucosa. The enzyme was found to hydrolyze ATP and ADP at an optimum pH of 8.0 in the presence of Mg2+ and Ca2+. The inhibitors ouabain (0.01-1 mM), N-ethylmaleimide (0.01-4 mM), levamisole (0.10-0.2 mM) and Ap5A (0.03 mM) had no effect on NTPDase 1 activity. Sodium azide (0.03-30 mM), at high concentrations (>0.1 mM), caused a parallel hydrolysis inhibition of ATP and ADP. Suramin (50-300 microM) inhibited ATP and ADP hydrolysis at all concentrations tested. Orthovanadate slightly inhibited (15%) Mg2+ and Ca2+ ATP/ADPase at 100 microM. Lanthanum decreased Mg2+ and Ca2+ ATP/ADPase activities. The presence of NTPDase as ecto-enzyme in the gastric mucosa may have an important role in the extracellular metabolism of nucleotides, suggesting that this enzyme plays a role in the control of acid and pepsin secretion, mucus production, and contractility of the stomach.     

A plasma-membrane associated ATPase from the acidophilic bacterium Acidiphilium cryptum

A membrane-bound ATPase of Acidiphilium cryptum, an acidophilic bacterium of mine origin, has been studied. The enzyme has a pH optimum of 8.4 Mg2+ is required for its activity and could be replaced by Mn2+, but not by Ca2+. The enzyme shows a strong preference for ATP as substrate, with the apparent Km of about 0.2 mM. Sulphite ion significantly stimulated the enzyme activity. N,N'-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, oligomycin, and azide strongly inhibited the enzyme, whereas vanadate was without effect, suggesting that the A. cryptum ATPase might be of F0F1 type.