Acetylphosphate-induced Ca2+-Ca2+ exchange that is mediated by (Ca2+,Mg2+)-ATPase in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were preloaded with either 45Ca2+ or unlabeled Ca2+. 45Ca2+ efflux and influx were determined in the presence and absence of acetylphosphate. Phosphorylation of the membrane-bound (Ca2+,Mg2+)-ATPase by [32P]acetylphosphate was also determined. The rate of efflux with acetylphosphate was considerably higher than that without acetylphosphate. When the acetylphosphate concentration was greatly reduced by diluting the reaction mixture after the start of the reaction, the rate of the efflux decreased markedly. These results demonstrate the acceleration of 45Ca2+ efflux by acetylphosphate. This acetylphosphate-induced efflux required external Ca2+. The external Ca2+ concentration giving half-maximum activation of efflux was 3.8 microM. The Ca2+ concentration dependence of the efflux coincided with that of phosphorylation. When the acetylphosphate concentration was varied, the rate of acetylphosphate-induced efflux changed approximately in proportion to the phosphoenzyme concentration. These and other findings show that acetylphosphate-induced 45Ca2+ efflux represents Ca2+-Ca2+ exchange (between the external medium and the internal medium) mediated by the phosphoenzyme and further demonstrate the direct dissociation of Ca2+ from the Ca2+-bound phosphoenzyme to the external medium in Ca2+-Ca2+ exchange.