Membrane adenosine triphosphatase of Micrococcus lysodeikticus: effect of millimolar Mg2+ in modulating the properties of the membrane-bound enzyme

The latency of Micrococcus lysodeikticus membrane-bound Mg(2+)-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) is expressed by the ratio of its activity assayed in the presence of trypsin ("total") versus the activity assayed in absence of the protease ("basal"). By isolating membranes in the presence of variable concentrations of Mg(2+) (50 mM, 10 mM, or none) and by washing them with different Mg(2+)- and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-containing tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-hydrochloride buffers (pH 7.5), we showed that the enzyme latency was dependent on the environmental concentration of this divalent metal ion. Mg(2+) bound to at least two classes of sites. The binding of Mg(2+) to low-affinity sites (saturation at approximately 40 mM external Mg(2+)) induced a high basal ATPase activity, whereas its binding to medium-affinity sites (saturation at about 2 mM Mg(2+)) correlated with low basal activity and a very high stimulation by trypsin. Membranes with tightly bound Mg(2+) (high affinity?) revealed an intermediate behavior for the latency of M. lysodeikticus ATPase. The Mg(2+)/Ca(2+) antagonism as activators of the membrane ATPase was not directly related to Mg(2+) binding by the membranes. The efficiency of the ATPase release from M. lysodeikticus membrane by 3 mM tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-hydrochloride buffer (pH 7.5) was inversely proportional to the concentration of external and/or bound Mg(2+). Deoxycholate (DOC) (1%) solubilized the ATPase from all types of membrane. All the soluble ATPases behaved as Ca(2+)-ATPases, but the DOC-soluble fractions showed degrees of latency like those of the original membranes. The DOC-soluble ATPase preparation revealed a vesicular structure and complex protein patterns by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. We propose that ATPase latency is modulated via a Mg(2+)-ATPase-membrane complex.     

Role of the subunits of the energy-transducing adenosine triphosphatase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus membranes studied by proteolytic digestion and immunological approaches.

An energy-transducing adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase, EC 3.6.1.3) that contains an extra polypeptide (delta) as well as three intrinsic subunits (alpha, beta, gamma) was purified from Micrococcus lysodeikticus membranes. The apparent subunit stoichiometry of this soluble ATPase complex is alpha 3 beta 3 gamma delta. The functional role of the subunits was studied by correlating subunit sensitivity to trypsin and effect of antibodies raised against holo-ATPase and its alpha, beta and gamma subunits with changes in ATPase activity and ATPase rebinding to membranes. A form of the ATPase with the subunit proportions 1.67(alpha):3.00(beta:0.17(gamma) was isolated after trypsin treatment of purified ATPase. This form has more than twice the specific activity of native enzyme. Other forms with less relative proportion of alpha subunits and absence of gamma subunit are not active. Of the antisera to subunits, only anti-(beta-subunit) serum shows a slight inhibitory effect on ATPase activity, but its combination with either anti-(alpha-subunit) or anti-(gamma-subunit) serum increases the effect. The results suggest that beta subunit is required for full ATPase activity, although a minor proportion of alpha and perhaps gamma subunit(s) is also required, probably to impart an active conformation to the protein. The additional polypeptide not hitherto described in Micrococcus lysodeikticus ATPase had a molecular weight of 20 000 and was found to be involved in ATPase binding to membranes. This 20 000-dalton component can be equated with the delta subunit of other energy-transducing ATPases and its association with the (alpha, beta, gamma) M. lysodeikticus ATPase complex appears to be dependent on bivalent cations. The present results do not preclude the possibility that the gamma subunit also plays a role in ATPase binding, in which, however, the major subunits do not seem to play a role.     

Micrococcus lysodeikticus membrane ATPase. Effect of trypsin on stimulation of a purified form of the enzyme and idenfification of its natural inhibitor.

A soluble purified form of Micrococcus lysodeikticus ATPase (form BAT, from strain B, active, trypsin-stimulated) was stimulated 100% by trypsin and this stimulation was inhibited by preincubation of the protease with phenyl methyl sulphonylfluoride. This form of the enzyme was also stimulated 125-150% by filtration on Sephadex G-200. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulphate-gel electrophoresis showed that stimulation of this form of M. lysodeikticus ATPase was always accompanied by the disappearance of a subunit of mol. wt. 25000 (epsilon subunit). It suggests that this subunit is the natural inhibitor of M. lysodeikticus ATPase. In the case of ATPase stimulation by trypsin, a partial and limited degradation of the alpha subunit was also observed. The interaction between the epsilon subunit and the rest of the ATPase complex was reversibly affected by pH, suggesting its non-covalent nature.     

Separation and characterisation of tryptic fragments from the adenosine triphosphatase of sarcoplasmic reticulum.

The two halves of the ATPase, M, 115,000, from sarcoplasmic reticulum produ-ed by limited trypsin treatment have been purified in sodium dodecylsulphate. The fragment of Mr60,000 has been purified by electrophoresis on cellulose acetate slabs and that of Mr 55,000 by gel filtration. The two halves of the 60,000 Mr fragment (Mr33,000 and 24,000) produced by more extensive trypsin treatment have also been purified by gel filtration in sodium dodecylsulphate. The sum of the amino acid analyses of the constituent tryptic fragments is in good agreement with that for the whole ATPase. The amino acid compositions of the two halves of the ATPase were strikingly similar. N-terminal analysis shows that the ATPase and its constituent tryptic polypeptides all possess a single N-terminal alanine implying no further cleavage of the polypeptide by trypsin. Attempts to solubilize selectively the tryptic fragments from the membrane by a variety of denaturing and solubilising agents under a variety of conditions have proved unsuccessful, suggesting that the interaction between the tryptic polypeptides is stronger than between the lipid and the protein. The possibility that the interaction between the tryptic polypeptides includes disulphide bonding has been eliminated.     

Micrococcus lysodeikticus ATPase. Purification by preparative gel electrophoresis and subunit structure studied by urea and sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis.

Micrococcus lysodeikticus ATPase was purified by preparative gel electrophoresis after its "shodk wash" release from the membrane. The method afforded the highest yield of pure protein in the minimum time as compared with former purification procedures. The pure protein had a specific activity of 7 mumol Pi-min- minus 1-mg- minus 1 with incubation times not longer than 3 min, 345 000 mol. wt and was not stimulated by trypsin. By gel electrophoresis at alkaline pH (8.5) in 8 M urea or in sokium dodecylsulfate, the ATPase revealed a complex pattern with two major subunits (alpha and beta) and two minor ones (gamma and delta). The non-identity between the major subunits was demonstrated.     

胰蛋白酶处理对质膜H~ -ATPase钒酸钠抑制效应的影响

采用经蔗糖密度梯度法纯化的大豆 (GlycinemaxL .)下胚轴质膜微囊为材料 ,分析了胰蛋白酶处理对质膜H ATPase钒酸钠抑制效应的影响。实验结果显示 ,温和胰蛋白酶处理显著提高H ATPase的ATP水解活力。并且发现酶切处理降低了钒酸钠对ATPase的抑制效应 ,当钒酸钠浓度为 2mmol/L时 ,ATPase活力仅被抑制 5 3.49% ,而未经酶切的对照组则被抑制 6 4.13%。ATP水解动力学分析表明 ,胰蛋白酶酶切处理既不影响ATP水解的Km 值也不影响钒酸钠的抑制类型 ,酶切前后的Km 值都等于 0 .34mmol/L ,并且都属于反竞争抑制。以上结果显示胰蛋白酶酶切处理可能改变了磷酸酶结构域的结构而影响了钒酸钠的抑制效应 ,暗示C_末端调节着磷酸酶结构域的结构和功能     

Changes in Inhibitory Effect of Vanadate on the Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase Under Trypsin Treatment

The changes in inhibitory effect of vanadate on the plasma membrane H + ATPase were studied with mild trypsin treatment using plasma membrane vesicles purified from soybean （Glycine max L.）hypocotyles by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Results showed that under mild trypsin treatment the ATPase ATP hydrolysis activity was increased significantly. It was also found that the inhibitory effect of vandate was reduced after proteolysis. In the presence of 2 mmol/L vanadate, the ATP hydrolysis activity of the cleaved ATPase was inhibited by only 53.49%,while that of the un-cleaved ATPase was inhibited by 64.13%. Kinetic studies indicated that both the Km values and the inhibition type of vanadate were not affected by trypsin treatment. Upon proteolysis, Km remained as 0.34 mmol/L,while vanadate was still an uncompetitive inhibitor. Taking together, the structure and activity of the ATPase phosphatase domain were affected by trypsin treatment, implying that this domain might be regulated by the C-terminal end of the plasma membrane H+ ATPase.     

Subunit analysis of latent and non-latent F1-ATPase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus (luteus)

Limited trypsin and chymotrypsin digestions were performed on the latent F1-ATPase from M. lysodeikticus, and subsequent analysis on SDS-polyacrylamide gels revealed subunit profiles with degraded alpha and delta subunits similar to those of ATPase preparations with spontaneously occurring lower degrees of latency. The ATPase obtained from M. lysodeikticus membranes after n-butanol extraction was also non-latent with similar SDS-gel patterns to the aforementioned ATPases. In addition, the sensitive technique of crossed immunoelectrophoresis was used to show that all of the above ATPases contained alpha, beta, gamma, delta and epsilon subunits but some of them were in degraded forms. Although the delta subunit was the first to be cleaved, the loss of latency can be attributed to the degradation of the alpha subunit.     

Energy-transducing membrane-bound coupling factor-ATPase from Mycobacterium phlei. I. Purification, homogeneity, and properties.

The membrane-bound coupling factor from Mycobacterium phlei was solubilized from membrane vesicles by washing with low ionic strength buffer or 0.25 M sucrose. The solubilized enzyme exhibited coupling factor, latent ATPase, and succinate oxidation-stimulating activity. Purification by affinity chromatography using Sepharose coupled to ADP yielded a homogeneous preparation of latent ATPase which was purified about 200-fold with an 84% yield in a single step. Purified latent ATPase exhibited coupling factor activity but no succinate oxidation-stimulating activity. The molecular weight of latent ATPase was determined to be 250,000 +/- 10,000 by Sephadex G-200 chromatography. The ATPase was unmasked by trypsin treatment and activated by Mg2+ ion. However, trypsin treatment inactivated the coupling factor activity in the purified enzyme, indicating that the catalytic sites for ATPase and coupling activity are different. Unlike mitochondrial ATPase, latent ATPase from M. phlei was not cold-labile. Of the nucleoside triphosphates, UTP, ITP, and epsilon-ATP (1-N6-ethenoadenosine triphosphate) were hydrolyzed to a lesser extent compared to ATP. Kinetic data showed that ADP acted as a competitive inhibitor of latent ATPase activity with a Ki of 5 x 10(-3) M. Uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation and respiratory inhibitors did not affect the latent ATPase activity, while sodium azide (0.1 mM) inhibited the latent ATPase activity.     

Physiological and genetic modifications of the expression of the yeast mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase inhibitor.

1. The oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity of submitochondrial particles of the glycerol-grown "petite-negative" yeast: Schizosaccharomyces pombe is markedly stimulated by incubation at 40 degrees C and by trypsin activations are treatment. Both increased in Triton-X 100 extracts of the submitochondrial particles. 2. A trypsin-sensitive inhibitory factor of mitochondrial ATPase with properties similar to that of beef heart has been extracted and purified from glycerol-grown and glucose-grown S. pombe wild type, from the nuclear pleiotropic respiratory-deficient mutant S. pombe M126 and from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 3. ATPase activation by heat is more pronounced in submitochondrial particles isolated from glycerol-grown than from glucose-grown S. pombe. An activation of lower extent is observed in rat liver mitochondrial particles but is barely detectable in the "petite-positive" yeast: S. cerevisiae. No activation but inhibition by heat is observed in the pleitotropic respiratory-deficient nuclear mutant S. pombe M126. 4. The inhibition of S. pombe ATPase activity by low concentrations of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide dissapears at inhibitor concentrations above 25 muM. In Triton-extract of submitochondrial particles net stimulation of ATPase activity is observed at 100 muM dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The pattern of stimulation of ATPase activity by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in different genetic and physiological conditions parallels that produced by heat and trypsin. A similar mode of action is therefore proposed for the three agents: dissociation or inactivation of an ATPase inhibitory factor. 5. We conclude that "petite-positive" and "petite-negative" yeasts contain an ATPase inhibitor factor with properties similar to those of the bovine mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor. The expression of the ATPase inhibitor, measured by ATPase activation by heat, trypsin or high concentrations of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, is sensitive to alterations of the hydrophobic membrane environment and dependent on both physiological state and genetic conditions of the yeast cells.     

Trypsin-induced changes in the orientation of latent ATPase in protoplast ghosts from Mycobacterium phlei.

Latent ATPase, located on the inner surface of protoplast ghosts of Mycobacterium phlei, was unmasked either by trypsin or an impermeable form of trypsin, ethylene maleic anhydride-trypsin. Density gradient experiments showed that the ghost preparations remained intact following trypsin treatment. Evidence was obtained that 125I-trypsin failed to penetrate the ghost membranes. Thus, attempts were made to determine whether the ATPase molecule in the ghost membranes is accessible from the outer surface. Treatment of protoplast ghosts and trypsin-treated ghosts with 125I by the lactoperoxidase method resulted in the labeling of ATPase only in the trypsin-treated ghost preparations. The antibody to latent ATPase inhibited ATPase activity in trypsin-treated ghosts. The changes in the fluorescence polarization of diphenyl hexatriene indicated that trypsin treatment of the ghost membranes resulted in an increase in membrane fluidity. These studies suggest that the latent ATPase moiety has undergone translocation to the outer surface or it became accessible to trypsin digestion from the outer surface of the membranes as a result of removal of some proteins covering ATPase molecule in the membranes.     

Physiological and genetic modifications of the expression of the yeast mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase inhibitor

1. The oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity of submitochondrial particles of the glycerol-grown “petite-negative” yeast: Schizosaccharomyces pombe is markedly stimulated by incubation at 40°C and by trypsin activations are treatment. Both increased in Triton-X 100 extracts of the submitochondrial particles.

2. A trypsin-sensitive inhibitory factor of mitochondrial ATPase with properties similar to that of beef heart has been extracted and purified from glycerolgrown and glucose-grown S. pombe wild type, from the nuclear pleiotropic respiratory-deficient mutant S. pombe M126 and from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

3. ATPase activation by heat is more pronounced in submitochondrial particles isolated from glycerol-grown than from glucose-grown S. pombe. An activation of lower extent is observed in rat liver mitochondrial particles but is barely detectable in the “petite-positive” yeast: S. cerevisiae. No activation but inhibition by heat is observed in the pleitotropic respiratory-deficient nuclear mutant S. pombe M126.

4. The inhibition of S. pombe ATPase activity by low concentrations of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide dissapears at inhibitor concentrations above 25 μM. In Triton-extract of submitochondrial particles net stimulation of ATPase activity is observed at 100 μM dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The pattern of stimulation of ATPase activity by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in different genetic and physiological conditions parallels that produced by heat and trypsin. A similar mode of action is therefore proposed for the three agents: dissociation or inactivation of an ATPase inhibitory factor.

5. We conclude that “petite-positive” and “petite-negative” yeasts contain an ATPase inhibitor factor with properties similar to those of the bovine mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor. The expression of the ATPase inhibitor, measured by ATPase activation by heat, trypsin or high concentrations of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, is sensitive to alterations of the hydrophobic membrane environment and dependent on both physiological state and genetic conditions of the yeast cells.     

Native (Na-+ + K-+)-dependent adenosine triphosphatase has two trypsin-sensitive sites.

Sodium and potassium adenosine triphosphatase ((Na + K)-ATPase) consists of two polypeptides, a large molecular weight polypeptide (MW 84,000 to 102,000) and a sialoglycoprotein (MW 35,000 to 57,000). Trypsin treatment of this complex selectively cleaves the large polypeptide into two fragments with molecular weights of 62,000 and 43,000. Simultaneously with the appearance of these fragments, (Na + K)-APTase activity is destroyed. Trypsin treatment of phosphorylated enzyme shows that he 43,000 molecular weight fragment is phosphorylated. If (Na + K)-ATPase is digested with trypsin in the presence of ATP, a 90,000 molecular weight fragment is produced. Disappearance of the large polypeptide, and loss of ATPase activity parallel the production of this fragment. Addition of strophanthidin to this mixture significantly lowers the amount of the 90,000 molecular weight fragment produced. Experiments on (Na + K)-ATPase of the red cell membrane suggest that trypsin is cleaving (Na + K)-ATPase at the interior surface of the plasma membrane.     

Isolation and sequence of tryptic peptides from the proton-pumping ATPase of the oat plasma membrane

In crude extracts of plant tissue, the M_r = 100,000 proton-pumping ATPase constitutes less than 0.01% of the total cell protein. A large-scale purification procedure is described that has been used to obtain extensive protein sequence information from this enzyme. Plasma membrane vesicles enriched in ATPase activity were obtained from extracts of oat roots by routine differential and density gradient centrifugation. Following a detergent wash, the ATPase was resolved from other integral membrane proteins by size fractionation at 4°C in the presence of lithium dodecyl sulfate. After carboxymethylation of cysteine residues and removal of detergent, the ATPase was digested with trypsin and resultant peptide fragments separated by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. Peptides were recovered with high yield and were readily sequenced by automated Edman degradation on a gas-phase sequencer. Of the eight peptides sequenced, six showed strong homology with known amino acid sequences of the fungal proton-pumping and other cation-transporting ATPases.     

Study of the adaptation resistance in bacteria to membrane active polypeptide antibiotics

Variants of Micrococcus lysodeikticus resistant to 100 micrograms/ml of gramicidin S with preserved resistance in subcultures on media without the antibiotic were isolated as a result of prolonged adaptation on a solid medium with increasing concentrations of gramicidin. The sensitive and resistant cells did not differ by their ability to bind gramicidin. Under the antibiotic effect permeability of the cytoplasmic membranes of the intact cells in the sensitive bacteria appeared to be impaired to a greater extent than that of the membranes of the cells in the resistant variant. Comparison of the lytic activity of gramicidin and its derivatives with respect to the protoplasts prepared with the cells of the initial and resistant variants of M. lysodeikticus revealed much higher resistance of the resistant variant protoplasts to the membrane-disorganizing effect of the preparations. Malate dehydrogenase and NADH-oxidase in the membrane preparations of the resistant variant cells differed from analogous enzymes from the membranes of the initial strain by the levels of their activity and sensitivity to gramicidin. It is likely that during adaptation of M. lysodeikticus to gramicidin significant changes in the cell cytoplasmic membranes occurred.     

Study of membrane proteins from Microccus lysodeikticus using immunochemical methods]

Using immunoelectrophoresis, the antigenicity of various protein fractions of the Micrococcus lysodeikticus membranes was evaluated. It was shown that both the peripheral and integral membrane proteins possess the antigenic determinants. The antiserum exhausted by the M. lysodeikticus mebranes loses its ability to interact with intergral proteins, which are not solubilized by Triton X-100. It was thus assumed that the integral proteins are exposed on the membrane surface constantly or periodically and that there exist no proteins which are completely and permanently incorporated into the lipid bilayer. The respiratory chain of the M. lysodeikticus membrane is inhibited by membrane immunoglobulins by 50%. This is probably due to the presence in the membrane antiserum of antibodies specific to the respiratory chain enzymes. Evidence for this assumption can be derived from the fact that partially purified cytochrome b556 forms a precipitation zone with the membrane antiserum and that the activity of membrane NADH-dehydrogenase is inhibited by a monoserum against NADH-dehydrogenase.     

Identification of structurally distinct catalytic intermediates of the H+-ATPase from yeast plasma membranes

Mild trypsin proteolysis of the H+-ATPase from yeast plasma membranes has been used to identify structurally distinct catalytic intermediates. In the absence of substrate, trypsin treatment resulted in rapid inactivation of enzyme activity. By contrast, trypsin treatment of enzyme in the presence of MgATP or MgATP plus vanadate resulted in enhanced rates of ATP hydrolysis accompanied by protection from extensive inactivation. High concentrations of Pi also induced strong protection from trypsin-induced inactivation, although enhancement of enzyme activity was not observed. Western blot analysis of peptide fragment profiles following tryptic digestion indicated that at least 15 prominent fragments of identical size, ranging from Mr = 12,800 to 48,000, were generated irrespective of digestion conditions. However, fragments from protected enzyme were resistant to further proteolysis, whereas fragments from unprotected enzyme were extensively degraded. These data have been interpreted in terms of a published catalytic reaction pathway (Amory, A., Goffeau, A., McIntosh, D.B., and Boyer, P.D. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 12509-12516) and are consistent with unprotected and protected enzyme conformations representing E1 and E2 X Pi catalytic intermediates, respectively. Trypsin proteolysis proved an effective tool for evaluating preferred enzyme conformational states and with this approach, it was found that ATPase inhibitors N-ethylmaleimide and fluorescein isothiocyanate locked the enzyme in an E1 conformation. The enhanced rate of ATP hydrolysis by trypsin-treated enzyme was fully coupled to proton transport, and all fragments generated by proteolysis were firmly bound to the membrane. These results, coupled with the fact that initial peptide fragmentation profiles were independent of enzyme conformation, suggest that the different conformational states, E1, and E2 X Pi, are not related to gross changes in overall enzyme structure but likely reflect localized changes in intramolecular bonding.     

The effect of dexamethoxin on the integrity of cytoplasmic membrane in gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms

Decamethoxin is shown to be able to increase membrane permeability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Micrococcus lysodeikticus, that is confirmed by a loss of compounds with the absorption maximum at 260 nm by cells. Parallel with this the number of viable individuals has fallen and activity of dehydrogenases has been inhibited. The aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activity was not inhibited by decamethoxin and even increased. Decamethoxin lysed the protoplasts of the tested microorganisms. At high decamethoxin concentrations (over 500 micrograms/ml for P. aeruginosa and over 200 mu/ml--for E. coli) the outflow of components from the cells of gram-negative bacteria ceased, that may be associated with the coagulation changes in the cytoplasm. A loss of the low-molecular components by M. lysodeikticus cells and lysis of protoplasts proceeded less intensely than the same processes in the gram-negative microorganisms, that is explained by a less resistance of M. lysodeikticus to decamethoxin and earlier coagulation of the cytoplasm preventing lysis.     

ATPase activity and Ca2+ transport by reconstituted tryptic fragments of the Ca2+ pump of the erythrocyte plasma membrane

The purified Ca2+ ATPase of the erythrocyte plasma membrane has been submitted to controlled trypsin proteolysis under conditions that favor either its (putative) E1 or E2 configurations. The former configuration has been forced by treating the enzyme with Ca2+-saturated calmodulin, the latter with vanadate and Mg2+. The E1 conformation leads to the accumulation of a polypeptide of Mr 85 KDa which still binds calmodulin, the E2 conformation to the accumulation of one of Mr 81 KDa which does not. Both fragments arise from the hydrolysis of a transient 90 KDa product which has Ca2+-calmodulin dependent ATPase activity, and which retains the ability to pump Ca2+ in reconstituted liposomes. Highly enriched preparations of the 85 and 81 KDa fragments have been obtained and reconstituted into liposomes. The former has limited ATPase and Ca2+ transport ability and is not stimulated by calmodulin. The latter has much higher ATPase and Ca2+ transport activity. It is proposed that the Ca2+ pumping ATPase of erythrocytes plasma membrane contains a 9 KDa domain which is essential for the interaction of the enzyme with calmodulin and for the full expression of the hydrolytic and transport activity. This putative 9 KDa sequence contains a 4 KDa "inhibitory" domain which limits the activity of the ATPase. In the presence of this 4 KDa sequence, i.e., when the enzyme is degraded to the 85 KDa product, calmodulin can still be bound, but no longer stimulates ATPase and Ca2+ transport.     

Studies concerning the possible reconstitution of an active cation pump across an artificial membrane

Summary The cortical tissue of rat brain was fractionated through zonal centrifugation in a continuous sucrose density gradient, yielding a variety of morphologically distinct membrane fragments derived from nerve-end particles possessing variable levels of activity of Na, K-dependent Mg-sensitive ATPase (Na, K-ATPase) and other enzymes. Upon addition of certain of the zonal fractions, particularly those rich in the ATPase and acetylcholinesterase activities, to one side of planar artificial membranes, formed from mixtures of oxidized cholesterol and alkanes and bathed in a solution containing sodium, potassium, and magnesium ions, direct current membrane resistance fell from one to three orders of magnitude. Subsequent addition of ATP to the same side of the membrane to which the ATPase was added (thecis side) led to the development of net short-circuit current flow and open-circuit potential across the membrane (thecis side being negative with respect to thetrans side). Development of the short-circuit current and open-circuit potential is dependent upon the presence of all the substrates of Na, K-ATPase as well as that of the enzyme itself. The net current flow is inhibited and the open-circuit potential discharged by the addition of ouabain to thetrans side of the membrane, of phospholipase A to thecis side, or of trypsin to either side of the membrane. These observations provide circumstantial evidence for the reconstitution of the active cation pump across the artificial bilayer. Efforts to effect a similar reconstitution across membranes of this and other compositions employing Na, K-ATPase preparations from beef heart, beef brain, cat brain, human red cells, rabbit kidney, and rat brain microsomes failed.Career Development Awardee of the National Institutes of Health, Grant No. GM 10248.