Inhibition of Na(+)-independent H+ pump by Na(+)-induced changes in cell Ca2+

Apical membrane H+ extrusion in the renal outer medullary collecting duct, inner stripe, is mediated by a Na(+)-independent H+ pump. To examine the regulation of this transporter, cell pH and cell Ca2+ were measured microfluorometrically in in vitro perfused tubules using 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein and fura-2, respectively. Apical membrane H+ pump activity, assayed as cell pH recovery from a series of acid loads (NH3/NH+4 prepulse) in the total absence of ambient Na+, initially occurred at a slow rate (0.06 +/- 0.02 pH units/min), which was not sufficient to account for physiologic rates of H+ extrusion. Over 15-20 min after the initial acid load, the rate of Na(+)-independent cell pH recovery increased to 0.63 +/- 0.09 pH units/min, associated with a steady-state cell pH greater than the initial pre-acid load cell pH. This pattern suggested an initial suppression followed by a delayed activation of the apical membrane H+ pump. Replacement of peritubular Na+ with choline or N-methyl-D-glucosamine resulted in an initial spike increase in cell Ca2+ followed by a sustained increase in cell Ca2+. The initial rate of Na(+)-independent cell pH recovery could be increased by elimination of the Na+ removal-induced sustained cell Ca2+ elevation by: (a) performing studies in the presence of 135 mM peritubular Na+ (1 mM peritubular amiloride used to inhibit basolateral membrane Na+/H+ antiport); (b) clamping cell Ca2+ low with dimethyl-BAPTA, an intracellular Ca2+ chelating agent; or (c) removal of extracellular Ca2+. Cell acidification induced a spike increase in cell Ca2+. The late acceleration of Na(+)-independent cell pH recovery was independent of Na+ removal and of the method used to acidify the cell, but was eliminated by prevention of the cell Ca2+ spike and markedly delayed by the microfilament-disrupting agent, cytochalasin B. This study demonstrates that peritubular Na+ removal results in a sustained elevation in cell Ca2+, which inhibits the apical membrane H+ pump. In addition, rapid cell acidification associated with a spike increase in cell Ca2+ leads to a delayed activation of the H+ pump. Thus, cell Ca2+ per se, or a Ca(2+)-activated pathway, can modulate H+ pump activity.     

Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange in locust striated muscles

High Na+ + Ca2+ exchange rates comparable with those reported for crayfish striated muscle, rat heart and rat brain, were observed in locust striated muscle homogenates and membrane preparations. The Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange followed the 1st order kinetics with a Km value of 18 mumol.l-1 for Ca, the pH optimum was at 8, the temperature optimum at 30 degrees C, and the exchange was inhibited in the presence of sodium in the incubation medium, with a KiNa of approx. 25 mmol.l-1. The present results suggest a high Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange in locust striated muscles which operate on the calcium electrogenesis principle.     

Light-dependent Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange in retinal rod discs

Experiments are described demonstrating that Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange of retinal rod disc membrane is highly sensitive to light. The Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger was shown to possess two types of binding sites with different affinities for calcium. The low affinity binding sites (KCaD = 5.8 mumol/l) are light-insensitive. After bleaching, KD of the high affinity Ca2(+)-binding sites an Ki for Na+ changed from 0.2 to 0.3 mumol/l and from 3.2 to 0.7 nmol/l, respectively. Light inhibits the steady-state Ca2+ uptake by a factor of 1.5. Photocontrol of the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger affinity is observed at the physiological level of rhodopsin bleaching.     

The modulation of rat brain Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange by K+

The involvement of potassium ions in the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange process was studied in rat brain synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) vesicles. Addition of equimolar [K+] to the intravesicular and the extravesicular medium led to a stimulation of the Na+ gradient-dependent Ca2+ influx; this stimulation was noticeable already at 0.5 mM and reached its maximum at 2 mM K+. The magnitude of the K+ stimulation was between 1.3-2.5-fold in different SPM preparations. K+ ions also stimulated the Na(+)-dependent Ca2+ efflux. K+ stimulation of Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange is of considerable specificity, since it is not mimicked by either Li+ or H+. The following lines of evidence suggest that K+ modulation of Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange involves the catalytic moiety of the transporter itself and not an unrelated K+ channel which modulates the membrane potential. 1) K+ stimulation of the transport process was conserved following reconstitution of the transporter into phospholipid-rich liposomes, an experimental condition which presumably separates the native membrane proteins among different vesicular structures. 2) K+ stimulation of Na+ gradient-dependent Ca2+ influx persists also when the build up of negative inside membrane potential is prevented by addition of carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxy phenylhydrazone which renders the membrane highly permeable to protons both in the native and the reconstituted preparation. 3) K+ stimulation of Na+ gradient-dependent Ca2+ influx is obtained also when tetraethylammonium chloride, 2,3-diaminopyridine and Cs+ are added to the Ca2+ uptake medium. Reconstituted SPM vesicles take up 86Rb+ in response to activation of Na+ gradient-dependent Ca2+ influx. The ratio of Ca2+ taken up by SPM vesicles in a Na+ gradient-dependent manner to the corresponding amounts of Rb+ taken up varies between 8-5 in different SPM preparations. If the stoichiometry of the process is 1 Rb+/1 Ca2+, then Rb+ cotransport is mediated by 10-20% of the transporters present in the preparation.     

Characterization of Na(+)-dependent Mg2+ efflux from Mg2(+)-loaded rat erythrocytes

Na(+)-dependent Mg2+ efflux from Mg2(+)-loaded rat erythrocytes was determined from the increase of extracellular Mg2+ concentration or decrease of intracellular Mg2+ content, as measured by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mg2+ efflux was specifically combined with the uptake of Na+ at a stoichiometric ratio of 2Na+:1Mg2+, indicating electroneutral Na+/Mg2+ antiport. Na+/Mg2+ antiport depended on intracellular ATP and was inhibited by amiloride and quinidine, but was insensitive to strophanthin. Net Mg2+ efflux was only occurring at increased concentration of intracellular Mg2+ ([Mg2+]i), and stopped when the physiological Mg2+ content was reached. Intracellular Mg2+ acted cooperatively with a Hill coefficient of 2.4, which may indicate gating of Na+/Mg2+ antiport at increased [Mg2+]i. At increased intracellular Na+ concentration, Na+ competed with intracellular Mg2+ for Mg2+ efflux and Na+ could leave the rat erythrocyte via this transport system. Na+/Mg2+ antiport was working asymmetrically with respect to extra- and intracellular Na+ and Mg2+, and did not perform net Mg2+ uptake.     

Inactivation of Ca2(+)-, Na+K(+)-, and H+K(+)-ATPases with a carbodiimide derivative of ATP

The gamma-P adduct of ATP with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (ATP-EDC) was synthesized and incubated with the Ca-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum with the result that time-dependent complete loss of the enzyme's activity occurred. The inactivation required calcium and magnesium while ATP had a protective effect. ATP-EDC incubation with the NaK-ATPase and HK-ATPase produced partial (greater than 50%) inactivation, but had no effect on myosin S1, pyruvate kinase and hexokinase, suggesting that this ATP analog is a specific inactivator of the so-called 'P-type' ATPases.     

Anomalous regulation of the Drosophila Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger by Ca2+

The Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger from Drosophila was expressed in Xenopus and characterized electrophysiologically using the giant excised patch technique. This protein, termed Calx, shares 49% amino acid identity to the canine cardiac Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger, NCX1. Calx exhibits properties similar to previously characterized Na(+)-Ca2+ exchangers including intracellular Na+ affinities, current-voltage relationships, and sensitivity to the peptide inhibitor, XIP. However, the Drosophila Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger shows a completely opposite response to cytoplasmic Ca2+. Previously cloned Na(+)-Ca2+ exchangers (NCX1 and NCX2) are stimulated by cytoplasmic Ca2+ in the micromolar range (0.1- 10 microM). This stimulation of exchange current is mediated by occupancy of a regulatory Ca2+ binding site separate from the Ca2+ transport site. In contrast, Calx is inhibited by cytoplasmic Ca2+ over this same concentration range. The inhibition of exchange current is evident for both forward and reverse modes of transport. The characteristics of the inhibition are consistent with the binding of Ca2+ at a regulatory site distinct from the transport site. These data provide a rational basis for subsequent structure-function studies targeting the intracellular Ca2+ regulatory mechanism.