Rat liver plasma membrane Ca2+- or Mg2+-activated ATPase. Evidence for proton movement in reconstituted vesicles

Ecto-ATPases: identities and functions

Ecto-ATPases are ubiquitous in eukaryotic cells. They hydrolyze extracellular nucleoside tri- and/or diphosphates, and, when isolated, they exhibit E-type ATPase activity, (that is, the activity is dependent on Ca2+ or Mg2+, and it is insensitive to specific inhibitors of P-type, F-type, and V-type ATPases; in addition, several nucleotide tri- and/or diphosphates are hydrolysed, but nucleoside monophosphates and nonnucleoside phosphates are not substrates). Ecto-ATPases are glycoproteins; they do not form a phosphorylated intermediate during the catalytic cycle; they seem to have an extremely high turnover number; and they present specific experimental problems during solubilization and purification. The T-tubule Mg2+-ATPase belongs to this group of enzymes, which may serve at least two major roles: they terminate ATP/ADP-induced signal transduction and participate in adenosine recycling. Several other functions have been discussed and identity to certain cell adhesion molecules and the bile acid transport protein was suggested on the basis of cDNA clone isolation and immunological work.

The possibility that Ca(2+)-ATPase from the plasma membrane-rich fraction of bovine parotid gland is ecto-Ca(2+)-dependent nucleoside triphosphatase

1. Parotid plasma membrane nonpump low-affinity Ca(2+)-ATPase, which possesses high-affinity (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase activity, was characterized. 2. Purified Ca(2+)-ATPase hydrolyzed the nucleoside triphosphates, GTP, ITP, CTP, UTP, TTP (67-93% of ATP) and nucleoside diphosphates, ADP, GDP, IDP, CDP, TDP (12-40% of ATP) but not AMP and p-NPP. 3. The maximum activities of Ca(2+)- and (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPases were obtained in the presence of 1 mM and 0.13 microM Ca2+, respectively. 4. The Km values for Ca2+ in Ca(2+)- and (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPases were 0.2 mM and 22 nM, respectively. 5. The activities of both Ca(2+)- and (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPases were found in the right-side-out-vesicles obtained from the plasma membrane-rich fraction. 6. These features suggest that Ca(2+)-ATPase is an ecto-Ca(2+)-dependent nucleoside triphosphatase.

Characterisation of Ca2+ or Mg(2+)-dependent nucleoside triphosphatase from rat mesenteric small arteries

When isolated rat mesenteric small arteries were submitted to 2 s of sonication, a nucleoside triphosphatase activity was released to the medium, mainly from the plasma membrane of the vascular smooth muscle cells. The activity was kinetically characterized: It hydrolysed ATP, UTP and GTP with the same substrate affinity and the same specific activity. CaATP, as well as MgATP were substrates for the enzyme with an apparent Km in the micromolar range. ATPase inhibitors: ouabain, vanadate, AlF4-, oligomycin and N-ethylmaleimide were without effect on the hydrolytic activity. Among other modifiers tested only N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide caused significant (greater than 30%) inhibition. In the presence of micromolecular concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+, small (less than 20 mM) concentrations of Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+ and choline+, irrespective of the nature of the anion, activated the hydrolysis with an equilibrium ordered pattern, but concentrations of monovalent cation salts above 20 mM decreased the hydrolysis rate. No activation by monovalent cation salts was seen at millimolar concentrations of divalent cations and substrate. On the basis of the results a standard mixture is proposed, which allows a sensitive assay of the specific enzyme activity.

Calcium regulation in neurons: transport processes

The ionic stoichiometry of the major Ca2+ transport mechanisms in neurons is still a matter for debate. The past year has seen some particularly interesting developments in this field, not least the finding that the neuronal Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange may be able to transport K+.

Effect of carbodiimides on the activity of Mg(2+)-ATPase of slow-twitch muscle microsomal membranes

1. The hydrophobic N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) inhibits the activity of Mg(2+)-ATPase of slow-twitch muscle microsomal fraction. 2. The inhibition is dependent on time and concentration, with half-maximal inhibition occurring at 0.4 mM concentration of carbodiimide after a 0.5 hr incubation at room temperature. 3. ATP does not protect against the inhibition. 4. Two water-soluble carbodiimides, 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinoethyl)-carbodiimide (CMCD) and 1-ethyl-3(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDCD), are not inhibitory. 5. Inhibition of Mg(2+)-ATPase activity by DCCD is accompanied by covalent incorporation of the radioactive agent into the partially purified enzyme preparation.