The Release of Bound Adenosine Triphosphatase from Isolated Bacterial Membranes and the Properties of the Solubilized Enzyme

Membrane adenosine triphosphatase of Escherichia coli: activation by calcium ion and inhibition by monovalent cations

Membrane ghost preparations of Escherichia coli K-12 obtained by osmotic lysis of lysozyme-induced spheroplasts were found to possess both Mg(++)- and Ca(++)-activated adenosine 5'-triphosphatase (ATPase, EC 3.6.1.3) activities. Maximal activities of 1.0 to 1.5 mumoles of orthophosphate released per min per mg of protein were obtained at pH 9.0 with a molar Mg(++) to adenosine 5'triphosphate (ATP) ratio of 2:5 and at pH 9.9 with a molar Ca(++) to ATP ratio of 1:5. These ATPase activities were not altered by ouabain, fluoride, N-ethylmaleimide, 2,4-dinitrophenol, cyanide, or dithionite, but were inhibited by low concentrations of azide, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and pentachlorophenol. Mg(++) ATPase was more susceptible to inhibition by azide than was Ca(++) ATPase. Fifty per cent inactivation of both activities was observed when membrane ghost preparations were preincubated at 66 C for 10 min. The Mg(++) and Ca(++) ATPase activities of these preparations were not additive, but did respond independently to inhibition by monovalent cations. Ca(++) ATPase was found to be very sensitive to inhibition by K(+), Na(+), Li(+), Rb(+), and Cs(+); Mg(++) ATPase was relatively insensitive to these ions. One possible interpretation of the results presented in this paper is that the membrane of E. coli possesses an ATPase which is activated by either Mg(++) or Ca(++) and that activation by Ca(++) increases the susceptibility of this enzyme to inhibition by monovalent cations. Increased susceptibility of E. coli membrane ATPase to inhibition by monovalent cations such as Na(+) and K(+) as a consequence of Ca(++) activation could represent a regulatory mechanism.

Cation-activated nucleotidase in cell envelopes of a marine bacterium

Isolated cell envelopes of a marine bacterium, M.B.3, have been prepared which possess a nonspecific, cation-activated nucleotidase. The cell envelope comprises approximately 35% (dry weight) of the whole cell and contains protein, 60.2%; lipids, 20.7%; hexose, 3.4%; and ribonucleic acid, 4.6%. No deoxyribonucleic acid could be detected in the preparations. The nucleotidase has an essential requirement for Mg(2+); maximum activation at pH 8.0 occurs at a divalent cation concentration of approximately 80 mm. At a Mg(2+) to adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) ratio of 2:1, the enzyme was further stimulated by monovalent cations Na(+), K(+), NH(4) (+), and Li(+). Maximum activity was found at a monovalent ion concentration of approximately 0.3 m. The envelope preparation liberated inorganic orthophosphate (P(i)) from ATP, adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) at similar rates. Thin-layer and ion-exchange chromatography show that when AMP, ADP, and ATP were utilized as substrate, approximately 1, 2, and 3 moles of P(i), respectively, were produced per mole of adenosine. P(i) was also liberated from the 5'-triphosphates of guanosine, uridine, and cytidine. The enzyme preparation did not attack p-nitrophenyl phosphate, beta-glycerophosphate, or inorganic pyrophosphate. Sulfhydryl inhibitors p-chloromercuribenzoate, N-ethyl maleimide, and iodoacetate had little effect upon the nucleotidase activity. Ca(2+) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid caused complete inhibition of the system, whereas ouabain had no effect upon the enzyme activity. The concentrations of Na(+) (0.3 m) and Mg(2+) ions (60 to 80 mm) required for maximum ATP-hydrolyzing activity were similar to those concentrations necessary for maintenance of cell integrity and for the prevention of cell lysis.

Cytochemistry of phosphatases in Myxococcus xanthus

An Mg(2+)-dependent and a K(+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase were localized by cytochemistry at or near both surfaces of the cytoplasmic membrane of Myxococcus xanthus. An alkaline and an acid phosphatase resided at the external surface of the membrane or in the periplasm. All enzymes could be extracted from partially fixed cells with Mg(2+)-deficient buffers. Suboptimal external phosphate elicited dissociation of adenosine triphosphatase from the membrane but not that of the unspecific phosphatases. The dissociated enzymes migrated into the cytoplasm where they were associated mainly with cytoplasmic aggregates.

Adenosine triphosphatase in isolated membranes of Staphylococcus aureus

The preparation of cytoplasmic membranes from suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus lysed by an enzyme recently isolated in these laboratories is described. These membranes contained: protein, 34.4%; ribonucleic acid, 6.6%; lipids, 34.5%; and total phosphorus, 1.4%. Such membranes exhibited adenosine 5'-triphosphatase (E.C. 3.6.1.3) activity, liberating orthophosphate at an initial rate of 0.53 mumole per min per mg of protein under optimal conditions. The enzyme was Mg(++)-dependent and K(+)- or Na(+)-stimulated. Maximal activity was observed with a molar adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) to Mg(++) ratio of 1. One mole of orthophosphate was liberated per mole of ATP; the other product of digestion was adenosine 5'-diphosphate. Inorganic pyrophosphate and the 5'-triphosphates of guanosine, uridine, and cytidine were also attacked by membrane preparations, but more slowly than ATP. Ouabain, p-chloromercuribenzoate, and 2,4-dinitrophenol did not alter adenosine triphosphatase activity, whereas both Atebrine and chlorpromazine were inhibitory.

Isolation, composition, and structure of membrane of Listeria monocytogenes

The plasma membrane of Listeria monocytogenes strain 42 was prepared by osmotic lysis of protoplasts with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) buffer, pH 8.2, containing MgCl(2) and glucose, followed by washing with NaCl and MgCl(2) in Tris buffer. Electron microscopy showed that the preparation was not contaminated with cytoplasmic material. The membrane preparation was composed of 55 to 60% protein, 1.5% ribonucleic acid, 0.1% deoxyribonucleic acid, 1.3 to 2.3% carbohydrate, 0.17 to 0.38% amino sugar, 0.2 to 0.4% rhamnose, 3.5 to 4.0% phosphorus, 10.5 to 12.0% nitrogen, and 30 to 35% lipid. Amino acid composition of the washed membrane showed some variation from that of the whole cells. Sulfur-containing amino acids were not present in the membrane hydrolysate. The membrane carbohydrate contained glucose, galactose, ribose, and arabinose. The membrane lipid was 80 to 85% phospholipid and 15 to 20% neutral lipid. The lipid contained 2.3 to 3.0% phosphorus, 2.5 to 3.0% carbohydrate, and a very small amount of nitrogen (0.2 to 0.3%). The phospholipid was of the phosphatidyl glycerol type. Electron micrographs of the washed membrane showed three layers. The outer and inner layers varied in thickness from 25 to 37 A and the middle layer from 20 to 25 A. The total thickness varied between 85 and 100 A. These preparations contained many vesicles which stained heavily with lead citrate. Some vesicles were also attached to the protoplast ghosts in the form of extrusions or intrusions, or both. Membrane preparations obtained by lysis of protoplasts in the absence of MgCl(2) were fragmented and contained less lipid (20 to 22%) and ribonucleic acid (0.3 to 0.5%) than preparations prepared with MgCl(2).

Reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide oxidation in Escherichia coli particles. 3. Cellular location of menadione reductase and ATPase activities

Sonic extracts of Escherichia coli were fractionated to membrane-wall, small-particle, and soluble fractions. Menadione reductase and ATPase activities were found in all fractions. The menadione reductase activity of the soluble fraction was resolved into three enzymes. Enzymes with properties similar to two of these could be released from the particulate fraction by treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate or chelating agents. The major ATPase of the particulate fractions was solubilized by detergent. Osmotic shock experiments suggested that it was located outside the plasma membrane in the intact cell. It differed from the ATPase of the soluble fraction. An enzyme resembling the latter ATPase was solubilized from the small-particle fraction by chelating agents and could be rebound in the presence of magnesium ions. Solubilized menadione reductase was not rebound to particulate fractions under these conditions.

Histochemical localization of phosphatases in Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Histochemical studies of adenosine triphosphatase and acid phosphatase activity were performed on Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The adenosine triphosphatase activity appears to be localized in the bleb and infrableb regions exclusively and is associated with the cell membrane; acid phosphatase activity is localized in the infrableb region and does not appear to be membrane-associated. These findings are consistent with data from biochemical studies of Mycoplasma cell fractions but, unlike them, reveal that adenosine triphosphatase activity is restricted to a particular part of the cell membrane.