Eosin, a fluorescent marker for the high-affinity ATP site of (K+ + H+)-ATPase

The interaction of Na+, K+, and phosphate with the gastric H,K-ATPase. Kinetics of E1-E2 conformational changes assessed by eosin fluorescence measurements

H,K-ATPase and Na,K-ATPase show the highest degree of sequence similarity among all other members of the P-type ATPases family. To explore their common features in terms of ligand binding, we evaluated conformational transitions due to the binding of Na⁺, K⁺ and Pi in the H,K-ATPase, and compared the results with those obtained for the Na,K-ATPase. This work shows that eosin fluorescence time courses provide a reasonably precise method to study the kinetics of the E1-E2 conformational changes in the H,K-ATPase. We found that, although Na⁺ shifts the equilibrium toward the E1 conformation and seems to compete with H⁺ in ATPase activity assays, it was neither possible to isolate a Na⁺-occluded state, nor to reveal an influx of Na⁺ related to H,K-ATPase activity. The high rate of the E2K → E1 transition found for the H,K-ATPase, which is not compatible with the presence of a K⁺-occluded form, agrees with the negligible level of occluded Rb⁺ (used as a K⁺ congener) found in the absence of added ligands. The use of vanadate and fluorinated metals to induce E2P-like states increased the level of occluded Rb⁺ and suggests that-during dephosphorylation-the probability of K⁺ to remain occluded increases from the E2P-ground to the E2P-product state. From kinetic experiments we found an unexpected increase in the values of k_obs for E2P formation with [Pi]; consequently, to obey the Albers-Post model, the binding of Pi to the E2 state cannot be a rapid-equilibrium reaction.

Polarity of the ATP binding site of the Na+,K+-ATPase, gastric H+,K+-ATPase and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase

A fluorescence ratiometric method utilizing the probe eosin Y is presented for estimating the ATP binding site polarity of P-type ATPases in different conformational states. The method has been calibrated by measurements in a series of alcohols and tested using complexation of eosin Y with methyl-β-cyclodextrin. The results obtained with the Na⁺,K⁺-, H⁺,K⁺- and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPases indicate that the ATP binding site, to which eosin is known to bind, is significantly more polar in the case of the Na⁺,K⁺- and H⁺,K⁺-ATPases compared to the Ca²⁺-ATPase. This result was found to be consistent with docking calculations of eosin with the E2 conformational state of the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase and the Ca²⁺-ATPase. Fluorescence experiments showed that eosin binds significantly more strongly to the E1 conformation of the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase than the E2 conformation, but in the case of the Ca²⁺-ATPase both fluorescence experiments and docking calculations showed no significant difference in binding affinity between the two conformations. This result could be due to the fact that, in contrast to the Na⁺,K⁺- and H⁺,K⁺-ATPases, the E2-E1 transition of the Ca²⁺-ATPase does not involve the movement of a lysine-rich N-terminal tail which may affect the overall enzyme conformation. Consistent with this hypothesis, the eosin affinity of the E1 conformation of the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase was significantly reduced after N-terminal truncation. It is suggested that changes in conformational entropy of the N-terminal tail of the Na⁺, K⁺- and the H⁺,K⁺-ATPases during the E2-E1 transition could affect the thermodynamic stability of the E1 conformation and hence its ATP binding affinity.

"Fast" plasma membrane calcium pump PMCA2a concentrates in GABAergic terminals in the adult rat brain

The plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPases (PMCA) represent the major high-affinity Ca(2+) extrusion system in the brain. PMCAs comprise four isoforms and over 20 splice variants. Their different functional properties may permit different PMCA splice variants to accommodate different kinds of local [Ca(2+)] transients, but for a specific PMCA to play a unique role in local Ca(2+) handling it must be targeted to the appropriate subcellular compartment. We used immunohistochemistry to study the spatial distribution of PMCA2a-one of the two major carboxyl-terminal splice variants of PMCA2-in the adult rat brain, testing whether this isoform, with especially high basal activity, is targeted to specific subcellular compartments. In striking contrast to the widespread distribution of PMCA2 as a whole, we found that PMCA2a is largely restricted to parvalbumin-positive inhibitory presynaptic terminals throughout the brain. The only major exception to this targeting pattern was in the cerebellar cortex, where PMCA2a also concentrates postsynaptically, in the spines of Purkinje cells. We propose that the fast Ca(2+) activation kinetics and high V(max) of PMCA2a make this pump especially suited for rapid clearance of presynaptic Ca(2+) in fast-spiking inhibitory nerve terminals, which face severe transient calcium loads.

A tomato ER-type Ca2+-ATPase, LCA1, has a low thapsigargin-sensitivity and can transport manganese

Recombinant Ca(2+)-ATPase from tomato (i.e. LCA1 for Lycopersicon esculentum [Since the identification and naming of LCA1, the scientific name for the tomato has been changed to Solanum lycopersicum.] Ca-ATPase) was heterologously expressed in yeast for structure-function characterization. We investigate the differences between plant and animal Ca pumps utilizing comparisons between chicken and rabbit SERCA-type pumps with Arabidopsis (ECA1) and tomato plant (LCA1) Ca(2+)-ATPases. Enzyme function was confirmed by the ability of each Ca(2+)-ATPase to rescue K616 growth on EGTA-containing agar and directly via in vitro ATP hydrolysis. We found LCA1 to be approximately 300-fold less sensitive to thapsigargin than animal SERCAs, whereas ECA1 was thapsigargin-resistant. LCA1 showed typical pharmacological sensitivities to cyclopiazonic acid, vanadate, and eosin, consistent with it being a P(IIA)-type Ca(2+)-ATPase. Possible amino acid changes responsible for the reduced plant thapsigargin-sensitivity are discussed. We found that LCA1 also complemented K616 yeast growth in the presence of Mn(2+), consistent with moving Mn(2+) into the secretory pathway and functionally compensating for the lack of secretory pathway Ca-ATPases (SPCAs) in plants.

Caloxins: a novel class of selective plasma membrane Ca2+ pump inhibitors obtained using biotechnology

Plasma membrane Ca2+ pumps (PMCA) extrude cellular Ca2+ with a high affinity and hence play a major role in Ca2+ homeostasis and signaling. Caloxins (selective extracellular PMCA inhibitors) would aid in elucidating the physiology of PMCA. PMCA proteins have five extracellular domains (exdoms). Our hypotheses are: 1) peptides that bind selectively to each exdom can be invented by screening a random peptide library, and 2) a peptide can modulate PMCA activity by binding to one of the exdoms. The first caloxin 2a1, selected for binding exdom 2 was selective for PMCA (Ki=529 microM). It has been used to examine the physiological role of PMCA. PMCA isoforms are encoded by four genes. PMCA isoform expression differs in various cell types, with PMCA1 and 4 being the most widely distributed. There are differences between PMCA1-4 exdom 1 sequences, which may be exploited for inventing isoform selective caloxins. Using exdom 1 of PMCA4 as a target, modified screening procedures and mutagenesis led to the high-affinity caloxin 1c2 (Ki=2.3 microM for PMCA4). It is selective for PMCA4 over PMCA1, 2, or 3. We hope that caloxins can be used to discern the roles of individual PMCA isoforms in Ca2+ homeostasis and signaling. Caloxins may also become clinically useful in cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, retinopathy, cancer, and contraception.

Kinetic characterization of Na,K-ATPase inhibition by Eosin

Eosin is a probe for the Na pump nucleotide site. In contrast to previous studies examining eosin effects on Na only ATPase, we examined Na,K-ATPase- and K-activated pNPPase activity in red blood cell membranes and purified renal Na,K-ATPase. At saturating ATP (3 mM) the eosin IC(50) for Na pump inhibition was 19 microM. Increasing ATP concentrations (0.2-2.5 mM) did not overcome eosin-induced inhibition, thus eosin is a mixed-type inhibitor of ATPase activity. To test if eosin can bind to the high-affinity ATP site, purified Na,K-ATPase was labeled with 20 microM FITC. With increasing eosin concentrations (0.1 microM-10 microM) the incorporation of FITC into the ATP site significantly decreases suggesting that eosin prevents FITC reaction at the high-affinity ATP site. Eosin was a more potent inhibitor of K-activated phosphatase activity than of Na,K-ATPase activity. At 5 mM pNPP the eosin IC(50) for Na pump inhibition was 3.8+/-0.23 microM. Increasing pNPP concentrations (0.45-14.5 mM) did not overcome eosin-induced inhibition, thus eosin is a mixed-type inhibitor of pNPPase activity. These results can be fit by a model in which eosin and ATP bind only to the nucleotide site; in some pump conformations, this site is rigid and the binding is mutually exclusive and in other conformations, the site is flexible and able to accommodate both eosin and ATP (or pNPP). Interestingly, eosin inhibition of pNPPase became competitive after the addition of C(12)E(8) (0.1%) but the inhibition of ATPase remained mixed.

Electrogenic partial reactions of the gastric H,K-ATPase

The fluorescent styryl dye RH421 was used to identify and investigate electrogenic reaction steps of the H,K-ATPase pump cycle. Equilibrium titration experiments were performed with membrane vesicles isolated from hog gastric mucosa, and cytoplasmic and luminal binding of K(+) and H(+) ions was studied. It was found that the binding and release steps of both ion species in both principal conformations of the ion pump, E(1) and P-E(2), are electrogenic, whereas the conformation transitions do not contribute significantly to a charge movement within the membrane dielectric. This behavior is in agreement with the transport mechanism found for the Na,K-ATPase and the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase. The data were analyzed on the basis of the Post-Albers reaction cycle. For proton binding, two pK values were found in both conformations: 6.7 and </=4.5 in the E(1) conformation; 6.7 and </=2 in the P-E(2) conformation. The equilibrium dissociation constants for K(+) binding on the cytoplasmic side were 11 and 16 mM. The respective equilibrium dissociation constants on the luminal side were obtained via K(+) concentration dependence of the enzyme activity and determined to be 0.11 mM for both luminal binding sites.

Osteocyte control of bone formation via sclerostin, a novel BMP antagonist

There is an unmet medical need for anabolic treatments to restore lost bone. Human genetic bone disorders provide insight into bone regulatory processes. Sclerosteosis is a disease typified by high bone mass due to the loss of SOST expression. Sclerostin, the SOST gene protein product, competed with the type I and type II bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptors for binding to BMPs, decreased BMP signaling and suppressed mineralization of osteoblastic cells. SOST expression was detected in cultured osteoblasts and in mineralizing areas of the skeleton, but not in osteoclasts. Strong expression in osteocytes suggested that sclerostin expressed by these central regulatory cells mediates bone homeostasis. Transgenic mice overexpressing SOST exhibited low bone mass and decreased bone strength as the result of a significant reduction in osteoblast activity and subsequently, bone formation. Modulation of this osteocyte-derived negative signal is therapeutically relevant for disorders associated with bone loss.

Selective Fe2+-catalyzed oxidative cleavage of gastric H+,K+-ATPase: implications for the energy transduction mechanism of P-type cation pumps

In the presence of ascorbate/H(2)O(2), Fe(2+) ions or the ATP-Fe(2+) complex catalyze selective cleavage of the alpha subunit of gastric H(+),K(+)-ATPase. The electrophoretic mobilities of the fragments and dependence of the cleavage patterns on E(1) and E(2) conformational states are essentially identical to those described previously for renal Na(+),K(+)-ATPase. The cleavage pattern of H(+),K(+)-ATPase by Fe(2+) ions is consistent with the existence of two Fe(2+) sites: site 1 within highly conserved sequences in the P and A domains, and site 2 at the cytoplasmic entrance to trans-membrane segments M3 and M1. The change in the pattern of cleavage catalyzed by Fe(2+) or the ATP-Fe(2+) complex induced by different ligands provides evidence for large conformational movements of the N, P, and A cytoplasmic domains of the enzyme. The results are consistent with the Ca(2+)-ATPase crystal structure (Protein Data Bank identification code; Toyoshima, C., Nakasako, M., Nomura, H., and Ogawa, H. (2000) Nature 405, 647-655), an E(1)Ca(2+) conformation, and a theoretical model of Ca(2+)-ATPase in an E(2) conformation (Protein Data Bank identification code ). Thus, it can be presumed that the movements of N, P, and A cytoplasmic domains, associated with the E(1) <--> E(2) transitions, are similar in all P-type ATPases. Fe(2+)-catalyzed cleavage patterns also reveal sequences involved in phosphate, Mg(2+), and ATP binding, which have not yet been shown in crystal structures, as well as changes which occur in E(1) <--> E(2) transitions, and subconformations induced by H(+),K(+)-ATPase-specific ligands such as SCH28080.

Constitutive activation of gastric H+,K+-ATPase by a single mutation

In the reaction cycle of P-type ATPases, an acid-stable phosphorylated intermediate is formed which is present in an intracellularly located domain of the membrane-bound enzymes. In some of these ATPases, such as Na+,K+-ATPase and gastric H+, K+-ATPase, extracellular K+ ions stimulate the rate of dephosphorylation of this phosphorylated intermediate and so stimulate the ATPase activity. The mechanism by which extracellular K+ ions stimulate the dephosphorylation process is unresolved. Here we show that three mutants of gastric H+,K+-ATPase lacking a negative charge on residue 820, located in transmembrane segment six of the alpha-subunit, have a high SCH 28080-sensitive, but K+-insensitive ATPase activity. This high activity is caused by an increased 'spontaneous' rate of dephosphorylation of the phosphorylated intermediate. A mutant with an aspartic acid instead of a glutamic acid residue in position 820 showed hardly any ATPase activity in the absence of K+, but K+ ions stimulated ATPase activity and the dephosphorylation process. These findings indicate that the negative charge normally present on residue 820 inhibits the dephosphorylation process. K+ ions do not stimulate dephosphorylation of the phosphorylated intermediate directly, but act by neutralizing the inhibitory effect of a negative charge in the membrane.

Effects on the hepatocyte [Ca2+]i oscillator of inhibition of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump by carboxyeosin or glucagon-(19-29)

Single rat hepatocytes, microinjected with the Ca(2+)-sensitive photoprotein aequorin, respond to agonists acting through the phosphoinositide signalling pathway by the generation of oscillations in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). The duration of [Ca2+]i transients generated is characteristic of the receptor species activated; the variability results in differences in the rate of fall of [Ca2+]i from its peak. It is conceivable that the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase (PM Ca2+ pump) may have an important role in the mechanism underlying agonist specificity. It has recently been shown that an esterified form of carboxyeosin, an inhibitor of the red cell PM Ca2+ pump, is suitable for use in whole cell studies. Glucagon-(19-29) (mini-glucagon) inhibits the Ca2+ pump in liver plasma membranes, mediated by Gs. We show here that carboxyeosin and mini-glucagon inhibit Ca2+ efflux from populations of intact rat hepatocytes. We show that carboxyeosin and mini-glucagon enhance the frequency of oscillations induced by Ca(2+)-mobilizing agonists in single hepatocytes, but do not affect the duration of individual transients. Furthermore, we demonstrate that inhibition of the hepatocyte PM Ca2+ pump enables the continued generation of [Ca2+]i oscillations for a prolonged period following the removal of extracellular Ca2+.

Transmembrane carboxyl residues are essential for cation-dependent function in the gastric H,K-ATPase

The K+-dependent ATPase activity of the H,K-ATPase was irreversibly inhibited by the carboxyl activating reagent, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD). The inhibition was first order and displayed a concentration dependence with the K0.5 (DCCD) = 0.65 +/- 0.04 mM. KCl protected 70% of the ATPase activity from DCCD-dependent inhibition in a concentration-dependent manner with a K0.5 (K+) = 0.58 +/- 0.1 mM KCl. DCCD modification selectively inhibited the K+-dependent rather than ATP-dependent partial reactions including eosin fluorescence responses and ligand-stabilized initial tryptic cleavage patterns of the membrane-associated enzyme. DCCD modification also inhibited the binding of 86Rb+ and the fluorescent responses of the K+-competitive, fluorescent inhibitor 1-(2-methylphenyl)-4-methylamino-6-methyl-2, 3-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-c]quinoline. [14C]DCCD was incorporated into the H,K-ATPase in a time course identical to that describing the inactivation of the K+-dependent ATPase activity of the H,K-ATPase. A component of the [14C]DCCD incorporated into the H,K-ATPase was K+-sensitive where K+ reduced the [14C]DCCD incorporated into the enzyme by 1.6 nmol of [14C]DCCD/mg of protein. Membrane-associated tryptic peptides resolved from the [14C]DCCD-modified H,K-ATPase exhibited various K+ sensitivities with peptides at 23, 9.6, 8.2, 7.1, and 6.1 kDa containing 10-78%, 23-52%, 24-36%, 2%, and 3-4% K+-sensitivity, respectively. The N-terminal sequence of the K+-sensitive, approximately 23- and 9.6-kDa peptides was LVNE857, a C-terminal fragment of the ATPase alpha-subunit. The mass of the smaller peptide limited the residue assignment to the transmembrane M7/M8 domains and an intervening extracytoplasmic loop. An N-terminal sequence, SD840IM, was obtained from a 3.3-kDa, [14C]DCCD-labeled peptide resolved from a V8 digest of the partially purified alpha-subunit. This mass was sufficient to include LVNE but would exclude M8 and the intervening loop between M7 and M8. Glu857 is a unique residue present in each of the proteolytic preparations of the H,K-ATPase modified by [14C]DCCD. These data provide functional evidence of the selective inactivation of the K+-dependent partial reactions of the H,K-ATPase and show that Glu857 located at the M7 boundary in the C terminus of the pump molecule is a significant site of DCCD modification. These data are interpreted to indicate that this carboxyl residue is important for cation binding function.

Effects of photo-oxidizing analogs of fluorescein on the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase. Functional consequences for substrate hydrolysis and effects on the partial reactions of the hydrolytic cycle

Erythrosin B was used to photo-oxidize the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase. The ATPase activity is rapidly and irreversibly inhibited by photo-oxidation with erythrosin. This inhibition is protected by the presence of ATP during the photo-oxidation period. After photo-oxidation, the steady-state phosphorylation by ATP remains almost unchanged, whereas phosphorylation by inorganic phosphate is impaired. The pseudo-first order rate constants for phosphorylation by 15 microM ATP at 25 degrees C are strongly inhibited when starting from either a Ca2+-bound or a Ca2+-free enzyme form, decreasing from 145 to 23 s-1 for the Ca2+-bound form and from 50 to 18 s-1 for the Ca2+-free form. Concurrently, the rate constants for dephosphorylation are also severely inhibited, changing from a fast double exponential to a very slow single exponential decay in the reverse direction and from a moderately slow single to a very slow single exponential decay in the forward direction. Ca2+ binding data show that the phosphorylated intermediate formed by the photo-oxidized enzyme contains two occluded Ca2+, and TNP-ATP fluorescence measurements indicate that it accumulates in a E1-P.Ca2-like conformation. Protection by ADP against glutaraldehyde-induced cross-linking indicates that ADP binding to Ca2+-ATPase is not impaired by photo-oxidation nor by free erythrosin. These data support the view that an ADP-insensitive, Ca2+-bound, slowly interconverting phosphoenzyme is formed. Thus, photo-oxidation with erythrosin B leads to impairment of phosphoryl transfer reactions and related conformational changes.

Inhibition of the red blood cell calcium pump by eosin and other fluorescein analogues

This paper addresses the mechanism of inhibition of the plasma membrane Ca pump by fluorescein analogues and their isothiocyanate derivatives. Eosin (i.e., tetrabromofluorescein) was found to be one of the most potent reversible inhibitors of the erythrocyte Ca pump [half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) < 0.2 microM]; fluorescein itself was about four orders of magnitude less potent (IC50 approximately 1,000 microM). Eosin decreased the maximum influx and thus did not compete with ATP for the Ca pump. Irreversible inhibition produced by the isothiocyanate analogues of eosin and fluorescein [eosin 5-isothiocyanate (EITC) and fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate (FITC), respectively] was also studied. While EITC bound reversibly at the eosin site, two results suggest that EITC does not react covalently at this site: 1) eosin did not alter the time course of the EITC irreversible reaction, and 2) the concentration dependence for reversible EITC inhibition was different from the concentration dependence for irreversible EITC inhibition. ATP did slow the rate of inactivation of both EITC and FITC consistent with the idea that EITC and FITC bind to the ATP site. Our results are consistent with eosin and ATP binding to separate sites and EITC reacting covalently at the ATP site, but not the eosin site.

Kinetics of transient pump currents generated by the (H,K)-ATPase after an ATP concentration jump

(H,K)-ATPase containing membranes from hog stomach were attached to black lipid membranes. Currents induced by an ATP concentration jump were recorded and analyzed. A sum of three exponentials (tau 1(-1) approximately 400 sec-1, tau 2(-1) approximately 100 sec-1, tau 3(-1) approximately 10 sec-1; T = 300 K, pH 6, MgCl2 3 mM, no K+) was fitted to the transient signal. The dependence of the resulting time constants and the peak current on electrolyte composition, ATP conversion rate, temperature, and membrane conductivity was recorded. The results are consistent with a reaction scheme similar to that proposed by Albers and Post for the NaK-ATPase. Based on this model the following assignments were made: tau 2 corresponds to ATP binding and exchange with caged ATP. tau 1 describes the phosphorylation reaction E1 x ATP-->E1P. The third, slowest time constant tau 3 is tentatively assigned to the E1P-->E2P transition. This is the first electrogenic step and is accelerated at high pH and by ATP via a low affinity binding site. The second electrogenic step is the transition from E2K to E1H. The E2K<==>E1H equilibrium is influenced by potassium with an apparent K0.5 of 3 mM and by the pH. Low pH and low potassium concentration stabilize the E1 conformation.

Temperature dependence of the rates of conformational changes reported by fluorescein 5'-isothiocyanate modification of H+,K(+)- and Na+,K(+)-ATPases

Stopped-flow fluorometry has been used to measure the forward and reverse rates of the conformational change from E1 to E2 in the fluorescein-modified proton and sodium pumps (1) as a function of Na+ and K+ concentrations to verify the proposed mechanism of ion interaction with the enzymes and (2) as a function of temperature to gain insight into the nature of the conformational transition. (1) The fluorescence changes caused by Na+ and K+ are consistent with rapid competitive binding of the two ions to the E1 conformations of the enzymes followed by rate-limiting transitions between E1K and E2K. (2) Reaction coordinate diagrams for the E1K to E2K transitions in the H,K-ATPase and Na,K-ATPase are qualitatively similar. Enthalpy barriers to reaction are partially compensated by increased entropy in the transition states. However, there are striking quantitative differences between the two enzymes. The E2K to E1K reaction of the H,K-ATPase is more than 2 orders of magnitude faster (tau 1/2 = 6 ms at 22 degrees C) than the reverse rate of the Na,K-ATPase transition (tau 1/2 = 1.6 s), explaining repeated failure to detect a K(+)-"occluded" form of the H,K-enzyme. The E2K conformer of the Na,K-ATPase is 3 orders of magnitude more stable than E1K, while the E1K and E2K conformations of the H,K-ATPase are nearly equivalent energetically.

A monoclonal antibody against pig gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase, which binds to the cytosolic E1.K+ form

Monoclonal antibodies were raised against a purified membrane fraction from hog gastric mucosa containing H+/K(+)-ATPase. The properties of one of these monoclonal antibodies (5B6) were further evaluated. On immunoblot it recognized the 95 kDa peptide of the H+/K(+)-ATPase-rich membrane fraction. The K(+)-ATPase activity was inhibited by 65% under standard assay conditions (pH 7.0). At pH 6.0 and 8.0 this enzyme activity was inhibited by 40% and 100%, respectively. The maximal inhibition in inside-out vesicles was also 65% at pH 7.0. The inhibition was uncompetitive with respect to K+ and noncompetitive with respect to ATP. Mg2(+)-ATPase activity and K(+)-dependent p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity were not influenced. The monoclonal antibody lowered the steady-state phosphorylation level at pH 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 by 30%, 40% and 60% respectively. The rate of the K(+)-stimulated dephosphorylation step was not inhibited. These findings demonstrate that 5-B6 recognizes the E1.K+ dephosphoenzyme at the cytosolic side.

Conformational states of (K+ + H+)-ATPase studied using tryptic digestion as a tool

The (K+ + H+)-ATPase from gastric mucosa has been treated by limited proteolytic digestion with trypsin to study the conformational states of the enzyme. The existence of a K+- and an ATP-form of the enzyme follows from the kinetics of inactivation and from the specific cleavage products. In the presence of K+ the 95 kDa chain is cleaved into two fragments of 56 and 42 kDa, whereas in the presence of ATP fragments of 67 and 35 kDa are formed. When Mg2+ is present during tryptic digestion cleavage products which are specific for both the ATP- and the K+-form of the enzyme are yielded. In analogy to ATP, Mg2+ is able to convert the enzyme from a K+-conformation to a more protected form. Moreover Mg2+ supports the protecting effect of ATP against tryptic inactivation. The K0.5 for ATP is lowered from 1.6 mM (no Mg2+) to 0.2 mM in the presence of 10 mM Mg2+. Mg2+, which in previous studies has been shown to induce a specific conformation, apparently induces a conformation different from the K+-form of the enzyme and has ATP-like effects on the enzyme. In addition it has been found that in the initial rapid phase of the digestion process the K+-ATPase activity is interrupted at a step which is very likely the interconversion of the phosphoenzyme forms E1P and E2P, since neither the K+-stimulated p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity nor the phosphorylation of the enzyme are inhibited in this phase. During the tryptic digestion in the presence of K+ there is a good correlation between the residual ATPase activity and the amount of the catalytic subunit left, suggesting that the latter is homogeneous. After tryptic digestion in the presence of K+, phosphorylation only occurs in the 42 kDa and not in the 56 kDa band. The same experiments in the presence of ATP yield only phosphorylation in the 67 kDa band and not in the 35 kDa band. A provisional model for the structure of the catalytic subunit is given.