Sulphydryl groups of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from rectal glands of Squalus acanthias. Titrations and classification

Indanedione spin labelling of Na,K-ATPase

The indanedione series of vinyl ketone spin-labelling reagents has been extended in two ways: by increasing the length of the rigid spacer between the reactive centre and the nitroxide ring, or by introducing an electrophilic substituent (that could also hinder its rotation) at the bridge head position of the nitroxide ring. Three reagents of this new series have been used to spin label the Class II thiol groups of membranous Na,K-ATPase from Squalus acanthias. With a conjugated diene spacer, the majority of spin labels are strongly held but a minor population is relatively mobile at 37 degrees C. With a conjugated triene spacer, the nitroxide is still strongly held but a portion of the label is non-covalently bound. The 4-bromo-pyrroline derivative (with short vinyl spacer) is tightly held at the attachment site, and the conventional electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra distinguish between the two enantiomeric structures which differ in their mobility at 37 degrees C. Saturation transfer EPR (ST-EPR) spectra of this label at 4 degrees C have been used to determine the dependence of the protein rotational mobility on ionic strength. Electrostatic repulsion contributes to the lateral interactions between Na,K-ATPase molecules.

Expression of an active Na,K-ATPase with an alpha-subunit lacking all twenty-three native cysteine residues

We have constructed a mutant Na,K-ATPase alpha1-subunit with all native cysteine residues replaced. Using the baculovirus system, this cysteine-less alpha1-subunit and wild-type beta1-subunit were expressed in High Five cells. After 3 days of infection, cells were fractionated, and endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and plasma membranes were isolated. The molecular activity of the cysteine-less mutant in the plasma membranes was close to the wild-type protein (8223 min(-)(1) versus 6655 min(-)(1)). Cation and ATP activation of Na,K-ATPase activities revealed that replacing all 23 cysteines resulted in only a 50% reduction of K(m) for Na(+), a 2-fold increase in K(m) for K(+), and no changes in K(m) for ATP. The distribution of alpha-subunits among the membranes showed a high percentage of cysteine-less protein in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus compared with the wild-type protein. Furthermore, the cellular stability of the alphabeta assembly appeared reduced in the cysteine-less mutant. Cells harvested after more than 3 days of infection showed extensive degradation of the cysteine-less alpha-subunit, which is not observed with the wild-type enzyme. Thus the Na,K-ATPase contains no cysteine residues that are critical for function, but the folding and/or assembly pathway of this enzyme is affected by total cysteine substitution.

Functional role of cysteine residues in the (Na,K)-ATPase alpha subunit

The structural-functional roles of 23 cysteines present in the sheep (Na,K)-ATPase alpha1 subunit were studied using site directed mutagenesis, expression, and kinetics analysis. Twenty of these cysteines were individually substituted by alanine or serine. Cys452, Cys455 and Cys456 were simultaneously replaced by serine. These substitutions were introduced into an ouabain resistant alpha1 sheep isoform and expressed in HeLa cells under ouabain selective pressure. HeLa cells transfected with a cDNA encoding for replacements of Cys242 did not survive ouabain selective pressure. Single substitutions of the remaining cysteines yielded functional enzymes, although some had reduced turnover rates. Only minor variations were observed in the enzyme Na(+) and K(+) dependence as a result of these replacements. Some substitutions apparently affect the E1<-->E2 equilibrium as suggested by changes in the K(m) of ATP acting at its low affinity binding site. These results indicate that individual cysteines, with the exception of Cys242, are not essential for enzyme function. Furthermore, this suggests that the presence of putative disulfide bridges is not required for alpha1 subunit folding and subsequent activity. A (Na,K)-ATPase lacking cysteine residues in the transmembrane region was constructed (Cys104, 138, 336, 802, 911, 930, 964, 983Xxx). No alteration in the K(1/2) of Na(+) or K(+) for (Na,K)-ATPase activation was observed in the resulting enzyme, although it showed a 50% reduction in turnover rate. ATP binding at the high affinity site was not affected. However, a displacement in the E1<-->E2 equilibrium toward the E1 form was indicated by a small decrease in the K(m) of ATP at the low affinity site accompanied by an increase in IC(50) for vanadate inhibition. Thus, the transmembrane cysteine-deficient (Na,K)-ATPase appears functional with no critical alteration in its interactions with physiological ligands.

The role of glutathione and protein thiols in CBrCl3-induced cytotoxicity in isolated rat hepatocytes

The role of glutathione (GSH) and protein thiols in the pathobiochemical process of CBrCl3 cytotoxicity was investigated in isolated hepatocytes. Administration of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mmol/l CBrCl3 affected cellular viability as assessed by trypan blue exclusion, release of lactate dehydrogenase and loss of intracellular potassium in a dose-dependent manner. Intracellular glutathione and the capacity to reduce 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2-)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT, thiazolyl blue) decreased almost independently of the CBrCl3 concentration. Protein thiols were not markedly oxidized in the presence of CBrCl3. However, compromising cellular defence mechanisms by either inhibition of glutathione regeneration or depletion of glutathione enhanced the cytotoxicity of CBrCl3 and induced a loss of protein thiols in the late phase of cellular injury. Under these conditions the thiol-dependent Na+,K+ATPase revealed high sensitivity towards CBrCl3. Thus, glutathione proved to exert effective cytoprotection, and sulfhydryl groups of particular proteins were supposed to be an important target of radical attack.

Analysis of thiol-topography in Na,K-ATPase using labelling with different maleimide nitroxide derivatives

Spin-label EPR spectroscopy of shark rectal gland Na,K-ATPase modified at cysteine residues with a variety of maleimide-nitroxide derivatives is used to characterize the different classes of sulphydryl groups. The spin-labelled derivatives vary with respect to charge and lipophilicity, and the chemical reactivity towards modification and inactivation of the Na,K-ATPase is dependent on these properties. Ascorbate is used to reduce the spin-labels in situ, and the kinetics of reduction of the protein-bound spin-labels are found also to depend on the nature of the maleimide-nitroxide derivative. The Na,K-ATPase is labelled either at Class I groups (with retention of enzymatic activity) or at Class II groups (where the enzymatic activity is lost). Although Class I groups are labelled more readily than are Class II groups they are only slightly more susceptible to reduction by ascorbate than the Class II groups, indicating no major difference in environment. The spectral difference observed between immobilized and mobile spin-labels with both Class I and Class II groups labelling is not reflected in widely different reduction kinetics for these two spectral components. Solubilization of the enzyme in an active form does not change the protein structure in terms of increased accessibility of the SH-groups to reduction by ascorbate. The results are discussed in terms of the location of the different SH-groups and the origins of the differences in mobility evident in the EPR spectra of the spin-labelled SH-groups.

Conventional and saturation transfer EPR spectroscopy of Na+/K(+)-ATPase modified with different maleimide-nitroxide derivatives

The membranous Na+/K(+)-ATPase from Squalus acanthias has been covalently modified on either Class I or Class II sulphydryl groups using derivatives of 3-(maleimidomethyl)-1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine with substituents of different charge and hydrophobicity attached at the remaining unsubstituted position of the pyrrolidine ring. The substituent groups used were a methyl and a hexyl ester, and di- and tri-methylammonium ethyl esters, as well as the parent underivatized compound. Additionally, another series of maleimide-nitroxides differing (by zero to seven intervening atoms) in the length of the linking group between the maleimide and the pyrrolidine moieties was used. The sites of attachment have been characterized in terms of the rotational mobility and environmental polarity by using conventional and saturation transfer EPR spectroscopy of these spin-labelled reagents. This provides a further sub-classification of the primary Class I and Class II SH-groups on the alpha-subunit of the enzyme, which differ both in their reactivity and influence on the Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity.

Local translational diffusion rates of membranous Na+,K(+)-ATPase measured by saturation transfer ESR spectroscopy

Diffusion-controlled Heisenberg spin exchange between spin-labeled Na+,K(+)-ATPase [ATP phosphohydrolase (Na+/K(+)-transporting), EC 3.6.1.37] proteins has been studied by saturation transfer ESR spectroscopy in reconstituted membranes. Na+,K(+)-ATPase from the salt gland of Squalus acanthias was solubilized in a polyoxyethylene ether detergent, octa(ethylene glycol) dodecyl monoether. Part of the solubilized enzyme was covalently spin-labeled with a nitroxide derivative of indanedione and recombined with various proportions of the unlabeled enzyme while the native lipid/protein ratio was maintained. Purified membranes were then reconstituted from the various samples by precipitation with divalent ions. The reciprocal integrated intensities of the saturation transfer ESR spectra were found to increase linearly with the fraction of protein that was spin-labeled, and the gradient of the concentration dependence increased with increasing temperature over the range 4 degrees-25 degrees C. Comparison with theoretical analyses of the effects of weak Heisenberg spin exchange [Marsh, D. & Horváth, L. I. (1992) J. Magn. Reson. 97, 13-26] suggests that the effects on the saturation transfer ESR intensity are attributable to short-range diffusional collisions between the spin-labeled protein molecules. The effective value of the local translational diffusion coefficient is 1.8-2.9 microns2.s-1 at 15 degrees C, depending on the diffusion model used, which is much larger than the values obtained for the long-range diffusion coefficient in cells by photobleaching techniques. The temperature dependence of the translational diffusion is larger than expected but correlates with the anomalous temperature dependence of the rotational diffusion observed in the same system.

Vinyl ketone reagents for covalent protein modification. Nitroxide derivatives suited to rotational diffusion studies by saturation transfer electron spin resonance, using membrane-bound Na,K-ATPase as an example

The reactivity of a series of substituted vinyl ketone nitroxides with an integral membrane protein, the Na,K-ATPase, is described. Increasing the electrophilicity of the conjugated double bond enhances reactivity markedly, with some spin labels showing higher reactivity than the conventionally used maleimide derivatives. The spectroscopic characteristics of the spin-labeled protein are also better suited for motional analysis by the saturation transfer electron spin resonance (STESR) method than with previous labeling procedures. The rotational correlation time, deduced from STESR experiments, is in the same range (100-300 microseconds) irrespective of the vinyl ketone derivative used, and the rotational mobility corresponds to an (alpha beta)2 or higher oligomer of the membrane-bound Na,K-ATPase.

Beta subunit of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase contains three disulfide bonds

Previous studies of titratable (Na+ + K+)-ATPase sulfhydryl groups have indicated the presence of one disulfide bond per mole of holoenzyme. This single disulfide cross-link was assigned to the beta subunit on the basis of the difference between the number of titrated "free" sulfhydryl groups and the total number of titrated sulfhydryl groups for each subunit [Esmann, M. (1982) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 688, 251; Kawamura, M., & Nagano, K. (1984) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 694, 27]. In the present study, beta-subunit tryptic peptides containing disulfide cross-links were identified and purified by HPLC. Two new peptides were generated from each disulfide-bonded peptide by reduction with dithiothreitol, and the amino acid compositions of these reduced peptides were determined. The data demonstrate that there are three disulfide bonds in the native beta subunit: 125Cys-148Cys, 158Cys-174Cys, and 212Cys-275Cys. The number of disulfide bonds in the beta subunit was also estimated by titration of sulfhydryl groups with [14C]iodoacetamide. Six sulfhydryl groups were identified: two sulfhydryl groups were titrated without prior reduction, and four were identified only after reduction of the protein with dithiothreitol. These data, suggesting that the beta subunit contains two disulfide bonds, are inconsistent with the peptide isolation experiments, which directly identified three disulfide bonds in the beta subunit. This inconsistency was resolved by demonstrating that approximately 20% of each disulfide bond in the beta subunit was reduced prior to the start of the experiment, resulting in an underestimation of the number of disulfide-bonded sulfhydryl groups in the beta subunit from the titration experiments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analysis of free sulfhydryl groups and disulfide bonds in Na+,K+-ATPase

The content of free SH groups and disulfide bonds in the purified pig kidney Na+,K+-ATPase was determined by ammetric titration with silver nitrate. In the native enzyme, most of the free SH groups are masked due to their location in the polypeptide chain regions poorly accessible to SH reagents. Denaturation with 5% SDS and 8 M urea makes these regions accessible thus revealing 22 free SH groups/mol of the protein. After complete blocking of free SH groups with silver ions, 8 SH groups/mol of the protein are being released upon sulfitolysis which indicates the presence of four disulfide bonds in the enzyme. At least one disulfide bridge is located in the alpha-subunit whereas the beta-subunit contains three disulfide bonds.

A novel spin-label for study of membrane protein rotational diffusion using saturation transfer electron spin resonance. Application to selectively labelled class I and class II-SH groups of the shark rectal gland Na+/K+-ATPase

Na+/K+-ATPase in membranous preparations from the rectal gland of Squalus acanthias has been spin-labelled either on Class I -SH groups, which maintain overall ATPase activity, or on Class II -SH groups, for which only phosphorylation activity is preserved. Labelling of the Class I groups requires solubilization of the membranes and subsequent reconstitution by precipitation with Mn2+ in order to remove contaminating peripheral proteins, which are also labelled. Control experiments with preparations in which the Class II groups are labelled demonstrate that the mobility and aggregation state of the enzyme in the reconstituted membranes are similar to those in the native membrane. Both the conventional maleimide nitroxide derivative and a new benzoylvinyl nitroxide derivative have been used for the labelling. The segmental mobility of the labels and the overall rotational diffusion of the labelled protein have been investigated using saturation transfer ESR spectroscopy. The benzoylvinyl spin-label derivative offers particular advantages for the study of the protein rotational mobility in that the segmental mobility is considerably reduced relative to that observed with the maleimide derivative. This is especially the case for the Class I groups, where the maleimide label exhibits pronounced segmental mobility. Comparison of the results from the two labels indicates that the integral of the saturation-transfer spectrum is much more sensitive to segmental motion than are the diagnostic line-height ratios. This fact allows a better level of discrimination between the two types of motion. The results from the benzoylvinyl nitroxide-labelled Class I groups suggest that the Na+/K+-ATPase is probably present as an (alpha beta)2-diprotomer (or higher oligomer) in the native membrane.

Origin of the gamma polypeptide of the Na+/K+-ATPase

The Na+/K+-ATPase purified from lamb kidney contains a gamma polypeptide fraction which is a collection of fragments derived from the alpha and beta polypeptides of the enzyme. This fraction has the solubility characteristics of a proteolipid and was isolated either by high performance liquid chromatography (size exclusion chromatography) in 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate or by sequential organic extraction of purified lamb kidney Na+/K+-ATPase. Formation of gamma polypeptide(s) from detergent solubilized holoenzyme was accelerated by sulfhydryl containing reagents and was unaffected by addition of inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes. Treatment of the holoenzyme with the photoaffinity reagent N-(2-nitro-4-azidophenyl)[3H]ouabain ([3H]NAP-ouabain) labeled the alpha polypeptide and the gamma polypeptide fraction but not the beta polypeptide. Amino acid sequence analysis of one gamma polypeptide preparation revealed homology of one component of this fraction with the N-terminus of the beta subunit of the Na+/K+-ATPase. Amino acid analysis of two preparations of proteolipid showed similar amino acid compositions with a peptide derived from the alpha subunit. The insolubility and complexity of the gamma polypeptide(s)/proteolipid fraction appears to preclude a conclusive sequence analysis of all components of this fraction.

Structure of the extra-membranous domain of the beta-subunit of (Na,K)-ATPase revealed by the sequences of its tryptic peptides

Membrane bound dog kidney (Na,K)-ATPase was digested with trypsin. The peptides that were recovered in the supernatant were purified and sequenced. By comparing these results with the sequence of alpha- and human beta-subunits, the location of each of the peptides could be allotted. Both accessibility to trypsin and the facility of release into the water phase indicated that these peptides were derived from the exposed surface of the intact enzyme. The sequence, GXGXXG, reported in the Torpedo californica beta-subunit [(1986) FEBS Lett. 196, 315-319] was likely a mere coincidence with the sequence of the dinucleotide-binding site, since the last glycine was replaced by proline in the sequence of the dog beta-subunit. A disulfide bridge was found within a peptide derived from the beta-subunit. A possible model for the beta-subunit structure is proposed.

Protective effect of Na+ and K+ against inactivation of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase by high concentrations of 2-mercaptoethanol at high temperatures

Purified dog kidney (Na+ + K+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) was inactivated with high concentrations of 2-mercaptoethanol at 50-55 degrees C. The inactivation was prevented by NaCl or KCl, with KCl being more effective than NaCl (the former ion being about one order more efficient under a typical set of experimental conditions). A disulfide bond in the beta-subunit of the enzyme protein was prevented from reductive cleavage by NaCl or KCl in accordance with protection of the enzyme activity. Choline chloride did not exert a significant protective effect over a similar concentration range. (Na+ + K+)-ATPase was also inactivated with high concentrations of 2-mercaptoethanol in the presence of low concentrations of dodecyl sulfate. This inactivation was also prevented by NaCl or KCl, with the latter being again more efficient than the former. These results indicate that Na+ and K+ bound to their respective ion-binding sites on the alpha-subunit exert a protective effect on a disulfide bond on the beta-subunit. This suggests some sort of interaction between the alpha- and the beta-subunits.

Evidence for essential disulfide bonds in the beta-subunit of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase

(Na+ + K+)-ATPase from dog kidney lost its activity when heated at 55 degrees C in the presence of 0.3 M 2-mercaptoethanol. Either heat treatment alone or addition of reducing agent at around 25 degrees C caused little inactivation. One disulfide bond per protomer (mol. wt. 146 000) was reduced in the inactivated sample but in active samples no reduction occurred. Neither K+-dependent phosphatase activity nor phosphoenzyme formation in the presence of Na+ was detected in the inactivated sample, suggesting that the disulfide bond was essential for the catalytic cycle of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase. This essential disulfide bond belonged to the beta-subunit, the glycoprotein component of the enzyme, indicating that the beta-subunit may be an integral component of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase system.

Reconstitution of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase into phospholipid vesicles with full recovery of its specific activity

(Na+ + K+)-ATPase from rectal glands of the spiny dogfish has been reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles. The nonionic detergent octaethyleneglycoldodecyl monoether ( C12E8 ) is used to dissolve both the enzyme and the lipids and reconstitution is accomplished by subsequent removal of the detergent by adsorption to polystyrene beads. About 60% of the enzyme incorporates in the right-side-out orientation (r/o). The fraction of molecules in the inside-out orientation (i/o) increases from about 10% to about 30% with a parallel decrease in the fraction of 'non-oriented' (n-o) molecules (both sides exposed) when the protein/lipid ratio decreases from 1:10 to 1:75. The orientation of enzyme molecules detected from vanadate binding is the same as measured from activity, i.e., the turnover of the enzyme molecule in the different orientations is the same. The recovery of the specific activity of the incorporated enzyme increases with an increase in the protein/lipid ratio and is 100% with a protein/lipid ratio of about 1:20 or higher. Full recovery is only obtained provided a proper lipid composition is chosen which includes both negatively charged phospholipids, preferably phosphatidylinositol, and cholesterol. The ATP-dependent, K+-stimulated Na+-influx is found to be about 35 mumol Na+ per mg (i/o)-protein per min at 22 degrees C in 1:10 protein/lipid liposomes. The specific activity corresponds to 3 Na+ transported per ATP molecule hydrolyzed.

Sulphydryl groups of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from rectal glands of Squalus acanthias. Detection of ligand-induced conformational changes

1. Modification of the Class II sulphydryl groups on the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from rectal glands of Squalus acanthias with N-ethylmaleimide has been used to detect conformational changes in the protein. The rates of inactivation of the enzyme and the incorporation of N-ethylmaleimide depend on the ligands present in the incubation medium. With 150 mM K+ the rate of inactivation is largest (k1 = 1.73 mM-1 . min-1) and four SH groups per alpha-subunit are modified. The rate of inactivation in the presence of 150 mM Na+ is smaller (k1 = 1.08 mM-1 . min-1) but the incorporation of N-ethylmaleimide is the same as with K+. 2. ATP in micromolar concentrations protects the Class II groups in the presence of Na+ (k1 = 0.08 mM-1 . min-1 at saturating ATP) and the incorporation is drastically reduced. ATP in millimolar concentrations protects the Class II groups partially in the presence of K+ (k1 = 1.08 mM-1 . min-1) and three SH groups are labelled per alpha subunit. 3. The K+-dependent phosphatase is inhibited in parallel to the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase under all conditions, and the ligand-dependent incorporation of N-ethylmaleimide was on the alpha-subunit only. 4. It is shown that the difference between the Na+ and K+ conformations sensed with N-ethylmaleimide depends on the pH of the incubation medium. At pH 6 there is a very small difference between the rates of inactivation in the presence of Na+ and K+, but at higher pH the difference increases. It is also shown that the rate of inactivation has a minimum at pH 6.9, which suggests that the conformation of the enzyme changes with pH. 5. Modification of the Class III groups with N-ethylmaleimide--whereby the enzyme activity is reduced from about 16% to zero--shows that these groups are also sensitive to conformational changes. As with the Class II groups, ATP in micromolar concentrations protects in the presence of Na+ relative to Na+ or K+ alone. ATP in millimolar concentrations with K+ present increases the rate of inactivation relative to K+ alone, in contrast to the effect on the Class II groups. 6. Modification of the Class II groups with a maleimide spin label shows a difference between Class II groups labelled in the presence of Na+ (or K+) and Class II groups labelled in the presence of K + ATP, in agreement with the difference in incorporation of N-ethylmaleimide. The spectra suggest that the SH group protected by ATP in the presence of K+ is buried in the protein. 7. The results suggest that at least four different conformations of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase can be sensed with N-ethylmaleimide: (i) a Na+ form of the enzyme with ATP bound to a high-affinity site (E1-Na-ATP); (ii) a Na+ form without ATP bound (E1-Na); (iii) a K+ form without ATP bound (E2-K); and (iv) an enzyme form with ATP bound to a low-affinity site in the presence of K+, probably and E1-K-ATP form.