Kinetic mechanism of inhibition of the Na+-pump and some of its partial reactions by external Na+ (Na+o)

Alternative cycling modes of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase in the presence of either Na(+) or Rb(+)

A comprehensive study of the interaction between Na(+) and K(+) with the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase requires dissecting the incidence of alternative cycling modes on activity measurements in which one or both of these cations are absent. With this aim, we used membrane fragments containing pig-kidney Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase to perform measurements, at 25°C and pH=7.4, of ATPase activity and steady-state levels of (i) intermediates containing occluded Rb(+) at different [Rb(+)] in media lacking Na(+), and (ii) phosphorylated intermediates at different [Na(+)] in media lacking Rb(+). Most relevant results are: (1) Rb(+) can be occluded through an ATPasic cycling mode that takes place in the absence of Na(+) ions, (2) the kinetic behavior of the phosphoenzyme formed by ATP in the absence of Na(+) is different from the one that is formed with Na(+), and (3) binding of Na(+) to transport sites during catalysis is not at random unless rapid equilibrium holds.

Membrane potential hyperpolarization in Mammalian cardiac cells by synchronization modulation of Na/K pumps

In previously reported work, we developed a new technique, synchronization modulation, to electrically activate Na/K pump molecules. The fundamental mechanism involved in this technique is a dynamic entrainment procedure of the pump molecules, carried out in a stepwise pattern. The entrainment procedure consists of two steps: synchronization and modulation. We theoretically predicted that the pump functions can be activated exponentially as a function of the membrane potential. We have experimentally demonstrated synchronization of the Na/K pump molecules and acceleration of their pumping rates by many fold through use of voltage-clamp techniques, directly monitoring the pump currents. We further applied this technique to intact skeletal muscle fibers from amphibians and found significant effects on the membrane resting potential. Here, we extend our study to intact mammalian cardiomyocytes. We employed a noninvasive confocal microscopic fluorescent imaging technique to monitor electric field-induced changes in ionic concentration gradient and membrane resting potential. Our results further confirm that the well-designed synchronization modulation electric field can effectively accelerate the Na/K pumping rate, increasing the ionic concentration gradient across the cell membrane and hyperpolarizing the membrane resting potential.

Electrical Activation of Na/K Pumps Can Increase Ionic Concentration Gradient and Membrane Resting Potential

It has been previously demonstrated by our group that our specifically designed synchronization modulation electric field can dynamically entrain the Na/K ATPase molecules, effectively accelerating the pumping action of these molecules. The ATPase molecules are first synchronized by the field, and subsequently their pumping rates are gradually modulated in a stepwise pattern to progressively higher and higher levels. Here, we present results obtained on application of the field to intact twitch skeletal muscle fibers. The ionic concentration gradient across the cell membrane was monitored, with the membrane potential extrapolated using a slow fluorescent probe with a confocal microimaging technique. The applied synchronization-modulation electric field is able to slowly but consistently increase the ionic concentration gradient across the membrane and, hence, hyperpolarize the membrane potential. All of these results were fully eliminated if ouabain was applied to the bathing solution, indicating a correlation with the action of the Na/K pump molecules. These results in combination with our previous results into the entrainment of the pump molecules show that the synchronization-modulation electric field-induced activation of the Na/K pump functions can effectively increase the ionic concentration gradient and the membrane potential.

Breakdown of Na+/K+-exchanging ATPase phosphoenzymes formed from ATP and from inorganic phosphate during Na+-ATPase activity

The reactivity towards Na+ and K+ of Na+/K+-ATPase phosphoenzymes formed from ATP and Pi during Na+-ATPase turnover and that obtained from Pi in the absence of ATP, Na+ and K+ was studied. The phosphoenzyme formed from Pi in the absence of cycling and with no Na+ or K+ in the medium showed a biphasic time-dependent breakdown. The fast component, 96% of the total EP, had a decay rate of about 4 s(-1) in K+-free 130 mm Na+, and was 40% inhibited by 20 mm K+. The slow component, about 0.14 s(-1), was K+ insensitive. Values for the time-dependent breakdown of the phosphoenzymes obtained from ATP and from Pi during Na+-ATPase activity were indistinguishable from each other. In K+-free medium containing 130 mm Na+, the decays followed a single exponential with a rate constant of 0.45 s(-1). The addition of 20 mm K+ markedly increased the decays and made them biphasic. The fast components had a rate of approximately 220 s-1 and accounted for 92-93% of the total phosphoenzyme. The slow components decayed at a rate of about 47-53 s(-1). A second group of experiments examined the reactivity towards Na+ of the E2P forms obtained with ATP and Pi when the enzyme was cycling. In both cases, the rate of dephosphorylation was a biphasic function of [Na+]: inhibition at low [Na+], with a minimum at about 5 mm Na+, followed by recovery at higher [Na+]. Although qualitatively similar, the phosphoenzyme formed from Pi showed slightly less inhibition and more pronounced recovery. These results indicate that forward and backward phosphorylation during Na+-ATPase turnover share the same intermediates.

Mutant Phe788 --> Leu of the Na+,K+-ATPase is inhibited by micromolar concentrations of potassium and exhibits high Na+-ATPase activity at low sodium concentrations

Mutant Phe788 --> Leu of the rat kidney Na+,K(+)-ATPase was expressed in COS cells to active-site concentrations between 40 and 60 pmol/mg of membrane protein. Analysis of the functional properties showed that the discrimination between Na+ and K+ on the two sides of the system is severely impaired in the mutant. Micromolar concentrations of K+ inhibited ATP hydrolysis (K(0.5) for inhibition 107 microM for the mutant versus 76 mM for the wild-type at 20 mM Na+), and at 20 mM K+, the molecular turnover number for Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity was reduced to 11% that of the wild-type. This inhibition was counteracted by Na+ in high concentrations, and in the total absence of K+, the mutant catalyzed Na(+)-activated ATP hydrolysis ("Na(+)-ATPase activity") at an extraordinary high rate corresponding to 86% of the maximal Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity. The high Na(+)-ATPase activity was accounted for by an increased rate of K(+)-independent dephosphorylation. Already at 2 mM Na+, the dephosphorylation rate of the mutant was 8-fold higher than that of the wild-type, and the maximal rate of Na(+)-induced dephosphorylation amounted to 61% of the rate of K(+)-induced dephosphorylation. The cause of the inhibitory effect of K+ on ATP hydrolysis in the mutant was an unusual stability of the K(+)-occluded E2(K2) form. Hence, when E2(K2) was formed by K+ binding to unphosphorylated enzyme, the K(0.5) for K+ occlusion was close to 1 microM in the mutant versus 100 microM in the wild-type. In the presence of 100 mM Na+ to compete with K+ binding, the K(0.5) for K+ occlusion was still 100-fold lower in the mutant than in the wild-type. Moreover, relative to the wild-type, the mutant exhibited a 6-7-fold reduced rate of release of occluded K+, a 3-4-fold increased apparent K+ affinity in activation of the pNPPase reaction, a 10-11-fold lower apparent ATP affinity in the Na+,K(+)-ATPase assay with 250 microM K+ present (increased K(+)-ATP antagonism), and an 8-fold reduced apparent ouabain affinity (increased K(+)-ouabain antagonism).

Equilibrium of phosphointermediates of sodium and potassium ion transport adenosine triphosphatase: action of sodium ion and Hofmeister effect

Sodium and potassium ion transport adenosine triphosphatase accepts and donates a phosphate group in the course of its reaction sequence. The phosphorylated enzyme has two principal reactive states, E1P and E2P. E1P is formed reversibly from ATP in the presence of Na+ and is precursor to E2P, which equilibrates with P(i) in the presence of K+. We studied equilibrium between these states at 4 degrees C and the effect of Na+ on it. To optimize the reaction system we used a Hofmeister effect, replacing the usual anion, chloride, with a chaotropic anion, usually nitrate. We phosphorylated enzyme from canine kidney with [32P]ATP. We estimated interconversion rate constants for the reaction E1P <--> E2P and their ratio. To estimate rate constants we terminated phosphorylation and observed decay kinetics. We observed E1P or E2P selectively by adding K+ or ADP respectively. K+ dephosphorylates E2P leaving E1P as observable species; ADP dephosphorylates E1P leaving E2P as observable species. We fitted a 2-pool model comprising two reactive species or a twin 2-pool model, comprising a pair of independent 2-pool models, to the data and obtained interconversion and hydrolysis rate constants for each state. Replacing Na+ with Tris+ or lysine+ did not change the ratio of interconversion rate constants between E1P and E2P. Thus Na+ binds about equally strongly to E1P and E2P. This conclusion is consistent with a model of Pedemonte (1988. J. Theor. Biol. 134:165-182.). We found that Na+ affected another equilibrium, that of transphosphorylation between ATP x dephosphoenzyme and ADP x E1P. We used the reactions and model of Pickart and Jencks (1982. J. Biol. Chem. 257:5319-5322.) to generate and fit data. Decreasing the concentration of Na+ 10-fold shifted the equilibrium constant 10-fold favoring ADP x E1P over ATP x dephosphoenzyme. Thus Na+ can dissociate from E1P x Na3. Furthermore, we found two characteristics of Hofmeister effects on this enzyme.

Asp804 and Asp808 in the transmembrane domain of the Na,K-ATPase alpha subunit are cation coordinating residues

The functional roles of Asp804 and Asp808, located in the sixth transmembrane segment of the Na,K-ATPase alpha subunit, were examined. Nonconservative replacement of these residues yielded enzymes unable to support cell viability. Only the conservative substitution, Ala808 --> Glu, was able to maintain the essential cation gradients (Van Huysse, J. W., Kuntzweiler, T. A., and Lingrel, J. B (1996) FEBS Lett. 389, 179-185). Asp804 and Asp808 were replaced by Ala, Asn, and Glu in the sheep alpha1 subunit and expressed in a mouse cell line where [3H]ouabain binding was utilized to probe the exogenous proteins. All of the heterologous proteins were targeted into the plasma membrane, bound ouabain and nucleotides, and adopted E1Na, E1ATP, and E2P conformations. K+ competition of ouabain binding to sheep alpha1 and Asp808 --> Glu enzymes displayed IC50 values of 4.11 mM (nHill = 1.4) and 23.8 mM (nHill = 1.6), respectively. All other substituted proteins lacked this K+-ouabain antagonism, e.g. 150 mM KCl did not inhibit ouabain binding. Na+ antagonized ouabain binding to all the expressed isoforms, however, the proteins carrying nonconservative substitutions displayed reduced Hill coefficients (nHill </= 2.0) compared to the control (nHill </= 2.8). Therefore, Asp804 and Asp808 of the Na,K-ATPase are required for normal Na+ and K+ transport, possibly coordinating these cations during transport.

Substitution of glutamic 779 with alanine in the Na,K-ATPase alpha subunit removes voltage dependence of ion transport

The effects of changing Glu-779, located in the fifth transmembrane segment of the Na,K-ATPase alpha subunit, on the phosphorylation characteristics and ion transport properties of the enzyme were investigated. HeLa cells were transfected with cDNA coding the E779A substitution in an ouabain-resistant sheep alpha1 subunit (RD). Steady state phosphorylation stimulated by Na+ concentrations less than 20 mM or by imidazole were similar for RD and E779A enzymes, an indication that phosphorylation and Na+ occlusion were not altered by this mutation. With E779A enzyme, higher Na+ concentrations reduced the level of phosphoenzyme and stimulated Na-ATPase activity in the absence of K+. These effects were a consequence of Na+ increasing the rate of protein dephosphorylation. In voltage-clamped HeLa cells expressing E779A enzyme, a prominent electrogenic Na+-Na+ exchange was observed in the absence of extracellular K+. Thus, increased Na-ATPase activity and Na+-dependent dephosphorylation result from Na+ acting as a K+ congener with low affinity at extracellular binding sites. These data suggest that E779A does not directly participate in ion binding but does affect the connection between extracellular ion binding and intracellular enzyme dephosphorylation. In cells expressing control RD enzyme, Na,K-pump current was dependent on membrane potential and extracellular K+ concentration. However, Na,K-pump current in cells expressing E779A enzyme was voltage independent at all extracellular K+ tested. These results indicate that Glu-779 may be part of the access channel determining the voltage dependence of ion transport by the Na, K-ATPase.

Access channel model for the voltage dependence of the forward-running Na+/K+ pump

The voltage dependence of steady state current produced by the forward mode of operation of the endogenous electrogenic Na+/K+ pump in Na(+)-loaded Xenopus oocytes has been examined using a two-microelectrode voltage clamp technique. Four experimental cases (in a total of 18 different experimental conditions) were explored: variation of external [Na+] ([Na]o) at saturating (10 mM) external [K+] ([K]o), and activation of pump current by various [K]o at 0, 15, and 120 mM [Na]o (tetramethylammonium replacement). Ionic current through K+ channels was blocked by Ba2+ (5 mM) and tetraethylammonium (20 mM), thereby allowing pump-mediated current to be measured by addition or removal of external K+. Control measurements and corrections were made for pump current run-down and holding current drift. Additional controls were done to estimate the magnitude of the inwardly directed pump-mediated current that was present in K(+)-free solution and the residual K(+)-channel current. A pseudo two-state access channel model is described in the Appendix in which only the pseudo first-order rate coefficients for binding of external Na+ and K+ are assumed to be voltage dependent and all transitions between states in the Na+/K+ pump cycle are assumed to be voltage independent. Any three-state or higher order model with only two oppositely directed voltage-dependent rate coefficients can be reduced to an equivalent pseudo two-state model. The steady state current-voltage (I-V) equations derived from the model for each case were simultaneously fit to the I-V data for all four experimental cases and yielded least-squares estimates of the model parameters. The apparent fractional depth of the external access channel for Na+ is 0.486 +/- 0.010; for K+ it is 0.256 +/- 0.009. The Hill coefficient for Na+ is 2.18 +/- 0.06, and the Hill coefficient for K+ (which is dependent on [Na]o) ranges from 0.581 +/- 0.019 to 1.35 +/- 0.034 for 0 and 120 mM [Na]o, respectively. The model provides a reasonable fit to the data and supports the hypothesis that under conditions of saturating internal [Na+], the principal voltage dependence of the Na+/K+ pump cycle is a consequence of the existence of an external high-field access channel in the pump molecule through which Na+ and K+ ions must pass in order to reach their binding sites.

Autocatalytic cooperativity and self-regulation of ATPase pumps in membrane active transport

We investigate the effect of autocatalysis on the conformational changes of membrane pumps during active transport driven by ATP. The translocation process is described by means of an alternating access model. The usual kinetic scheme is extended by introducing autocatalytic steps and allowing for dynamic formation of enzyme complexes. The usual features of cooperative models are recovered, i.e., sigmoid shapes of flux versus concentration curves. We show also that two autocatalytic steps lead to a mechanism of inhibition by the substrate as experimentally observed for some ATPase pumps. In addition, when the formation of enzyme complexes is allowed, the model exhibits a multiple stationary states regime, which can be related to a self-regulation mechanism of the active transport in biological systems.

Anion-coupled Na efflux mediated by the human red blood cell Na/K pump

The red cell Na/K pump is known to continue to extrude Na when both Na and K are removed from the external medium. Because this ouabain-sensitive flux occurs in the absence of an exchangeable cation, it is referred to as uncoupled Na efflux. This flux is also known to be inhibited by 5 mM Nao but to a lesser extent than that inhibitable by ouabain. Uncoupled Na efflux via the Na/K pump therefore can be divided into a Nao-sensitive and Nao-insensitive component. We used DIDS-treated, SO4-equilibrated human red blood cells suspended in HEPES-buffered (pHo 7.4) MgSO4 or (Tris)2SO4, in which we measured 22Na efflux, 35SO4 efflux, and changes in the membrane potential with the fluorescent dye, diS-C3 (5). A principal finding is that uncoupled Na efflux occurs electroneurally, in contrast to the pump's normal electrogenic operation when exchanging Nai for Ko. This electroneutral uncoupled efflux of Na was found to be balanced by an efflux of cellular anions. (We were unable to detect any ouabain-sensitive uptake of protons, measured in an unbuffered medium at pH 7.4 with a Radiometer pH-STAT.) The Nao-sensitive efflux of Nai was found to be 1.95 +/- 0.10 times the Nao-sensitive efflux of (SO4)i, indicating that the stoichiometry of this cotransport is two Na+ per SO4=, accounting for 60-80% of the electroneutral Na efflux. The remainder portion, that is, the ouabain-sensitive Nao-insensitive component, has been identified as PO4-coupled Na transport and is the subject of a separate paper. That uncoupled Na efflux occurs as a cotransport with anions is supported by the result, obtained with resealed ghosts, that when internal and external SO4 was substituted by the impermeant anion, tartrate i,o, the efflux of Na was inhibited 60-80%. This inhibition could be relieved by the inclusion, before DIDS treatment, of 5 mM Cli,o. Addition of 10 mM Ko to tartrate i,o ghosts, with or without Cli,o, resulted in full activation of Na/K exchange and the pump's electrogenicity. Although it can be concluded that Na efflux in the uncoupled mode occurs by means of a cotransport with cellular anions, the molecular basis for this change in the internal charge structure of the pump and its change in ion selectivity is at present unknown.