Inhibitors of the Na+ K+-atpase

1. The major ionmotive ATPase, in animal cells, is the Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase or sodium pump.2. This membrane bound enzyme is responsible for the translocation of Na⁺ ions and K⁺ ions across the plasma membrane, an active transport mechanism that requires the expenditure of the metabolic energy stored within the ATP molecule.3. This ubiquitous enzyme controls directly or indirectly many essential cellular functions, such as, cell volume, free calcium concentration and membrane potential.4. It is, therefore, apparent that alterations in its regulation may play key roles in pathological processes.     

Angiotensin regulates the selectivity of the Na+-K+ pump for intracellular Na+

Treatment of rabbits with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)inhibitors increases the apparent affinity of theNa⁺-K⁺pump for Na⁺. To explore themechanism, we voltage clamped myocytes from control rabbits and rabbitstreated with captopril with patch pipettes containing 10 mMNa⁺. When pipette solutions wereK⁺ free, pump current(I_p) formyocytes from captopril-treated rabbits was nearly identical to thatfor myocytes from controls. However, treatment caused a significantincrease in I_pmeasured with pipettes containingK⁺. A similar difference wasobserved when myocytes from rabbits treated with the ANG II receptorantagonist losartan and myocytes from controls were compared.Treatment-induced differences in I_p wereeliminated by in vitro exposure to ANG II or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or inclusion of the protein kinase C fragment composed ofamino acids 530-558 in pipette solutions. Treatmentwith captopril had no effect on the voltage dependence ofI_p. We concludethat ANG II regulates the pump's selectivity for intracellularNa⁺ at sites near the cytoplasmicsurface. Protein kinase C is implicated in the messenger cascade.

     

Ba2+ unmasks K+ modulation of the Na+-K+ pump in the frog retinal pigment epithelium

This paper presents electrophysiological evidence that small changes in [K+]o modulate the activity of the Na+-K+ pump on the apical membrane of the frog retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). This membrane also has a large relative K+ conductance so that lowering [K+]o hyperpolarizes it and therefore increases the transepithelial potential (TEP). Ba2+, a K+ channel blocker, eliminated these normal K+-evoked responses; in their place, lowering [K+]o evoked an apical depolarization and TEP decrease that were blocked by apical ouabain or strophanthidin. These data indicate that Ba2+ blocked the major K+ conductance(s) of the RPE apical membrane and unmasked a slowing of the normally hyperpolarizing electrogenic Na+-K+ pump caused by lowering [K+]o. Evidence is also presented that [K+]o modulates the pump in the isolated RPE under physiological conditions (i.e., without Ba2+). In the intact retina, light decreases subretinal [K+]o and produces the vitreal-positive c-wave of the electroretinogram (ERG) that originates primarily in the RPE from a hyperpolarization of the apical membrane and TEP increase. When Ba2+ was present in the retinal perfusate, the apical membrane depolarized in response to light and the TEP decreased so that the ERG c-wave inverted. The retinal component of the c-wave, slow PIII, was abolished by Ba2+. The effects of Ba2+ were completely reversible. We conclude that Ba2+ unmasks a slowing of the RPE Na+-K+ pump by the light-evoked decrease in [K+]o. Such a response would reduce the amplitude of the normal ERG c-wave.     

The effect of Na+ and K+ on the thermal denaturation of Na+ and + K+-dependent ATPase.

To increase our understanding of the physical nature of the Na+ and K+ forms of the Na+ + K+-dependent ATPase, thermal-denaturation studies were conducted in different types of ionic media. Thermal-denaturation measurements were performed by measuring the regeneration of ATPase activity after slow pulse exposure to elevated temperatures. Two types of experiments were performed. First, the dependence of the thermal-denaturation rate on Na+ and K+ concentrations was examined. It was found that both cations stabilized the pump protein. Also, K+ was a more effective stabilizer of the native state than was Na+. Secondly, a set of thermodynamic parameters was obtained by measuring the temperature-dependence of the thermal-denaturation rate under three ionic conditions: 60 mM-K+, 150 mM-Na+ and no Na+ or K+. It was found that ion-mediated stabilization of the pump protein was accompanied by substantial increases in activation enthalpy and entropy, the net effect being a less-pronounced increase in activation free energy.     

Hydrolysis of adenylyl imidodiphosphate in the presence of Na+ + Mg+ by (Na+ + K+)-activated ATPase

(1) Contrary to what has usually been assumed, (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase slowly hydrolyses AdoPP[NH]P in the presence of Na⁺ + Mg²⁺ to ADP-NH₂ and P_i. The activity is ouabain-sensitive and is not detected in the absence of either Mg²⁺ or Na²⁺. The specific activity of the Na⁺ + Mg²⁺ dependent AdoPP[NH]P hydrolysis at 37°C and pH 7.0 is 4% of that for ATP under identical conditions and only 0.07% of that for ATP in the presence of K⁺. The activity is not stimulated by K⁺, nor can K⁺ replace Na⁺ in its stimulatory action. This suggests that phosphorylation is rate-limiting. Stimulation by Na⁺ is positively cooperative with a Hill coefficient of 2.4; half-maximal stimulation occurs at 5–9 mM. The K_m value for AdoPP[NH]P is 17 μM. At 0°C and 21°C the specific activity is 2 and 14%, respectively, of that at 37°C. AMP, ADP and AdoPP[CH₂]P are not detectably hydrolysed by (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase in the presence of Na⁺ + Mg²⁺. (2) In addition, AdoPP[NH]P undergoes spontaneous, non-enzymatic hydrolysis at pH 7.0 with rate constants at 0, 21 and 37°C of 0.0006, 0.006 and 0.07 h^?1, respectively. This effect is small compared to the effect of enzymatic hydrolysis under comparable conditions. Mg²⁺ present in excess of AdoPP[NH]P reduces the rate constant of the spontaneous hydrolysis to 0.005 h^?1 at 37°C, indicating that the MgAdoPP[NH]P complex is virtually stable to spontaneous hydrolysis, as is also the case for its enzymatic hydrolysis. (3) A practical consequence of these findings is that AdoPP[NH]P binding studies in the presence of Na⁺ + Mg²⁺ with enzyme concentrations in the mg/ml range are not possible at temperatures above 0°C. On the other hand, determination of affinity in the (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase reaction by competition with ATP at low protein concentrations (μg/ml range) remains possible without significant hydrolysis of AdoPP[NH]P even at 37°C.     

Sidedness of the ATP-Na+-K+ interactions with the Na+ pump in squid axons

Using dialysed squid axons we have been able to control internal and external ionic compositions under conditions in which most of the Na⁺ efflux goes through the Na⁺ pump. We found that (i) internal K⁺ had a strong inhibitory effect on Na⁺ efflux; this effect was antagonized by ATP, with low affinity, and by internal Na⁺, (ii) a reduction in ATP levels from 3 mM to 50 μM greatly increased the apparent affinity for external K⁺, but reduced its effectiveness compared with other monovalent cations, as an activator of Na⁺ efflux, and (iii) the relative effectiveness of different K⁺ congeners as external activator of the Na⁺ efflux, though affected by the ATP concentration, was not affected by the Na⁺/⁺ ratio inside the cells. These results are consistent with the idea that the same conformation of the (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase can be reached by interaction with external K⁺ after phosphorylation and with internal K⁺ before rephosphorylation. They also stress a nonphosphorylating regulatory role of ATP.     

Ca2+ mediates the effect of inhibition of Na+-K+-ATPase on the basolateral K+ channels in the rat CCD

We investigated the effect ofinhibiting Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase on the basolateral18-pS K⁺ channel in the cortical collecting duct (CCD) ofthe rat kidney. Inhibiting Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase withstrophanthidin decreased the activity of the 18-pS K⁺channel and increased the intracellular Ca²⁺ to 420 nM.Removal of extracellular Ca²⁺ abolished the effect ofstrophanthidin. When intracellular Ca²⁺ was raised with 5 µM ionomycin or A-23187 to 300, 400, and 500 nM, the activity of the18-pS K⁺ channel in cell-attached patches fell by 40, 85, and 96%, respectively. To explore the mechanism ofCa²⁺-induced inhibition, the effect of 400 nMCa²⁺ on channel activity was studied in the presence ofcalphostin C, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, or KN-93 and KN-62,inhibitors of calmodulin-dependent kinase II. Addition of calphostin Cor KN-93 or KN-62 failed to block the inhibitory effect of highconcentrations of Ca²⁺. This suggested that the inhibitoryeffect of high concentrations of Ca²⁺ was not mediated byprotein kinase C or calmodulin-dependent kinase II pathways. To examinethe possibility that the inhibitory effect of high concentrations ofCa²⁺ was mediated by the interaction of nitric oxide withsuperoxide, we investigated the effect of 400 nM Ca²⁺ onchannel activity in the presence of 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonic acid (Tiron) orN-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester.Pretreatment of the tubules with 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonicacid or N-nitro-L-arginine methylester completely abolished the inhibitory effect of 400 nMCa²⁺ on channel activity. Moreover, application of4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonic acid reversed the inhibitory effectof strophanthidin. We conclude that the effect of inhibitingNa⁺-K⁺-ATPase is mediated by intracellularCa²⁺ and the inhibitory effect of high concentrations ofCa²⁺ is the result of interaction of nitric oxide with superoxide.

     

Sidedness of the ATP-Na+-K+ interactions with the Na+ pump in squid axons.

Using dialysed squid axons we have been able to control internal and external ionic compositions under conditions in which most of the Na+ efflux goes through the Na+ pump. We found that (i) internal K+ had a strong inhibitory effect on Na+ efflux; this effect was antagonized by ATP, with low affinity, and by internal Na+, (ii) a reduction in ATP levels from 3 mM to 50 microM greatly increased the apparent affinity for external K+, but reduced its effectiveness compared with other monovalent cations, as an activator of Na+ efflux, and (iii) the relative effectiveness of different K+ congeners as external activator of the Na+ efflux, though affected by the ATP concentration, was not affected by the Na+/K+ ratio inside the cells. These results are consistent with the idea that the same conformation of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase can be reached by interaction with external K+ after phosphorylation and with internal K+ before rephosphorylation. They also stress a nonphosphorylating regulatory role of ATP.     

Photoaffinity labeling of the lumenal K+ site of the gastric (H+ + K+)-ATPase

A photoaffinity label for the lumenal K+ site of the gastric (H+ + K+)-ATPase has been identified. Seven azido derivatives based upon the reversible K+ site inhibitor SCH 28080 were studied, one of which, m-ATIP (8-(3-azidophenylmethoxy)-1,2,3-trimethylimidazo[1,2-a] pyridinium iodide), was subsequently synthesized in radiolabeled form. In the absence of UV irradiation, m-ATIP inhibited K+ -stimulated ATPase activity in lyophilized gastric vesicles competitively with respect to K+, with a Ki value of 2.4 microM at pH 7.0. Irradiation of lyophilized gastric vesicles at pH 7.0 with [14C]m-ATIP in the presence of 0.2 mM ATP resulted in a time-dependent inactivation of ATPase activity that was associated with an incorporation of radioactivity into a 100-kDa polypeptide representing the catalytic subunit of the (H+ + K+)-ATPase. Both inactivation and incorporation were blocked in the presence of 10 mM KCl but not with 10 mM NaCl, consistent with interaction at the K+ site. The level of incorporation required to produce complete inhibition of ATPase activity was 1.9 +/- 0.2 times the number of catalytic phosphorylation sites in the same preparation. Tryptic digestion of gastric vesicle membranes, labeled with [14C]m-ATIP, failed to release the radioactivity from the membranes suggesting that the site of interaction was close to or within the membrane-spanning sections of this ion pump.     

Conformational transitions in the Ca2+ + Mg2+-activated ATPase and the binding of Ca2+ ions.

We have studied the fluorescence of the Ca2+ + Mg2+-activated ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate. The change in intensity of fluorescein fluorescence caused by addition of Ca2+ to the labelled ATPase can be interpreted in terms of a two-conformation model for the ATPase, one conformation (E1) having a high affinity for Ca2+, the other (E2) a low affinity. Effects of Ca2+ as a function of pH allow an estimate of the effect of pH on the E1/E2 ratio, consistent with kinetic studies. A model is presented for binding of Ca2+ to the ATPase as a function of pH that is consistent both with the data on the E1/E2 equilibrium and with literature data on Ca2+ binding.     

Effect of Li+ and Ba2+ on the electrocyte membrane-bound (Na+ + K+)-ATPase

• 1.1. Membrane-bound (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase activity from the non-innervated and innervated faces of Electrophorus electricus (L.) electric organ, obtained by differential centrifugation, was measured using AChE as an enzyme marker for membranes derived from the post-synaptic area (fraction P₃) of the electrolyte.
• 2.2. The effect of Li⁺ and Ba²⁺ on (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase activity of the two membrane fractions (P₂ and P₃) was analysed with respect to K⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions, after the I₅₀ estimation.
• 3.3. The kinetics of the reactions with these cations were investigated showing that Li⁺ inhibits P₂ uncompetitively and for P₃ presented a mixed type inhibition.
• 4.4. Ba²⁺ behaved as an hyperbolic mixed type inhibitor for P₂ and a linear mixed type inhibitor for P₃ fraction.

     

Activity coefficients of the peptide and the electrolyte in ternary systems water+glycylglycine+NaCl, +NaBr, +KCl and +KBr at 298.2 K

The activity coefficients of glycylglycine in four aqueous electrolyte solutions (+NaCl, +NaBr, +KCl and +KBr) were obtained at 298.2 K. The mean ionic activity coefficient of the electrolyte in aqueous solutions containing the peptide was determined from measurements of the potential differences of a cation and an anion ion-selective-electrode, each vs. a double junction reference electrode. The results show that the nature of the anion has a major effect on the activity coefficients of glycylglycine. Comparison of activity coefficient data for glycylglycine with literature data for glycine, both in aqueous NaCl solutions, indicates that the effect of the electrolyte is larger for the peptide than for the amino acid. For the peptide, in all cases, the effect of the electrolyte is more important at low molalities of the electrolyte. The Wilson equation was used to correlate the activity coefficient data obtained. The correlation results were satisfactory for the region of concentrated electrolyte.     

Molecular identification of the Na+-activated K+ channel

Progress in understanding sodium-activated potassium channels (K(Na)), suggested to function in excitable cells both during physiological conditions and protectively during hypoxia, has been limited by their unknown molecular identity. In this issue of Neuron, Salkoff and coworkers now show that members of the Slo gene family, Slo2.1 and Slo2.2, encode functional K(Na) channels.     

Regulation of cardiac L-type Ca2+ current in Na+-Ca2+ exchanger knockout mice: functional coupling of the Ca2+ channel and the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger

L-type Ca2+ current (I(Ca)) is reduced in myocytes from cardiac-specific Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) knockout (KO) mice. This is an important adaptation to prevent Ca2+ overload in the absence of NCX. However, Ca2+ channel expression is unchanged, suggesting that regulatory processes reduce I(Ca). We tested the hypothesis that an elevation in local Ca2+ reduces I(Ca) in KO myocytes. In patch-clamped myocytes from NCX KO mice, peak I(Ca) was reduced by 50%, and inactivation kinetics were accelerated as compared to wild-type (WT) myocytes. To assess the effects of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration on I(Ca), we used Ba2+ instead of Ca2+ as the charge carrier and simultaneously depleted sarcoplasmic reticular Ca2+ with thapsigargin and ryanodine. Under these conditions, we observed no significant difference in Ba2+ current between WT and KO myocytes. Also, dialysis with the fast Ca2+ chelator BAPTA eliminated differences in both I(Ca) amplitude and decay kinetics between KO and WT myocytes. We conclude that, in NCX KO myocytes, Ca2+-dependent inactivation of I(Ca) reduces I(Ca) amplitude and accelerates current decay kinetics. We hypothesize that the elevated subsarcolemmal Ca2+ that results from the absence of NCX activity inactivates some L-type Ca2+ channels. Modulation of subsarcolemmal Ca2+ by the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger may be an important regulator of excitation-contraction coupling.     

The interaction of H+ and K+ with the partial reactions of gastric (H+ + K+)-ATPase

The influence of H+ and K+ on the partial reactions and transport of gastric (H+ + K+)-ATPase was studied. Using transient kinetics, the effects and sidedness of effects of H+ and K+ on formation and breakdown of phosphoenzyme were determined in intact and lyophilized reconstituted vesicles in the absence and presence of gramicidin. Whereas increasing H+ concentrations on the ATP-binding face of the vesicles accelerates phosphorylation, increasing K+ concentrations inhibits phosphorylation. Increasing H+ on this side reduces K+ inhibition of the phosphorylation rate. At low ATP/K+ ratios, the phosphorylation step can become rate-limiting for steady state hydrolysis. Decreasing H+ accelerates dephosphorylation in the absence of K+. K+ on the internal or luminal face of the vesicles accelerates dephosphorylation, and this rate is reduced with increasing H+ concentrations. At low internal pH, K+-dependent dephosphorylation may become rate-limiting. H+ transport measurements using fluorescence quenching of acridine orange show that whereas internal K+ is required for H+ transport, external K+ inhibits the rate of formation of a pH gradient, and the inhibition is reduced by decreasing medium pH. The pH optimum for ATPase activity and transport correlated in the vesicles, and the K0.5 of K+ for transport correlated with data for intact parietal cells.     

The effect of K+ on the equilibrium between the E2 and the K+-occluded E2 conformation of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase

The rate of the transition from the E2 form to the E1 form of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) has been monitored by the fluorescence changes of eosin. The equilibrium between E1 and E2 is poised towards E2 in the absence of added cations. A stopped-flow tracing of the transition from E2 in the presence of 2 microM K+ (contamination) to E1 (in 150 mM Na+) is multiexponential with a large, rapidly decaying component (t 1/2 about 50 ms) and a smaller component which has a t 1/2 of about 2 s. KCl in microM concentrations decreases the amplitude of the rapidly decaying component and increases the amplitude of the slow component. The stopped-flow tracings can be satisfactorily fitted by a sum of three exponentials. An apparent Kd for K+ of about 5 microM is obtained for the conversion of the rapidly decaying component to the slowly decaying component. The experiments show that the E2 form is a mixture of at least two enzyme conformations. One E2 conformation - without K+ bound, (E2) - is transferred rapidly to the E1 conformation when Na+ is added, whereas the other E2-conformation--with K+ bound with an apparent high affinity, Kocc E2--is transferred slowly to the E1 conformation.     

Effect on the equilibrium between the Na+-form and the K+-form of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase of modification of the enzyme with pyridoxal 5-phosphate

An increase in pH shifts the equilibrium between the K+-form and the Na+-form of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase towards the Na+-form. pK for the proton effect on the equilibrium is decreased by modification of the enzyme with pyridoxal 5-phosphate. The reactivity of the enzyme towards pyridoxal 5-phosphate is increased by an increase in pH. Modification by pyridoxal 5-phosphate of epsilon-amino groups on lysine, which has a pK of about 8 with the enzyme in the K+-form and of about 7.4 in the Na+-form, shifts the equilibrium between E1Na+ and E2 towards E2, and the equilibrium between E2(K+occ) and E2 towards E2, but has no effect on the overall equilibrium between E1Na+ and E2(K+occ). An additional modification of epsilon-amino groups on lysine, which has a pK of 9.5-10 with the enzyme in the K+-form and of about 7.7 with the enzyme in the Na+-form, shifts the equilibrium between E2(K+occ) and E1Na+ towards E1Na+; this is due to a shift in the equilibrium between E2(K+occ) and E2 towards E2, but with no effect on the equilibrium between E1Na+ and E2. The results show that the transition from the K+-form to the Na+-form decreases the pK of lysine epsilon-amino groups on the enzyme, and that the protonation of these groups influences the equilibrium between the two conformations.