Determination of the distribution of sodium and potassium ion activated adenosinetriphosphatase among the various oligomers formed in solutions of nonionic detergents

Isolation of stable (alphabeta)4-Tetraprotomer from Na+/K+-ATPase solubilized in the presence of short-chain fatty acids

Previously, it was demonstrated that acetate anions increase the higher oligomer (H), consuming (alphabeta) 2-diprotomer (D) and alphabeta-protomer (P) of solubilized dog kidney Na (+)/K (+)-ATPase [ Kobayashi, T. et al. (2007) J. Biochem. 142, 157-173 ]. Presently, short-chain fatty acids, such as propionate (Prop) and butyrate, have been substituted effectively for acetate. The molecular weight of 6.01 x 10 (5) for H and quantitative Na (+)/K (+)-dependent interconversion among H, D, and P showed that H was an (alphabeta) 4-tetraprotomer (T). T was optimally isolated from the enzyme solubilized in aqueous 40 mM K (+)Prop at pH 5.6 by gel chromatography performed at 0 degrees C with elution buffer containing synthetic dioleoyl phosphatidylserine (PS). K 0.5 values of K (+)-congeners constituting K (+)Prop for the maximal amount of T were NH 4 (+) >> Rb (+) congruent with K (+) > Tl (+), while Na (+) had no effect. The oligomers of T, D, and P were simultaneously assayed for ATPase upon elution from the gel column, resulting in a specific activity ratio of 1:2:2. The activity of the chromatographically isolated T increased with an increasing dioleoyl PS, giving a saturated activity of 2.38 units/mg at pH 5.6 and 25 degrees C, and the active enzyme chromatography of T showed 34% dissociation into D by exposing it at 25 degrees C. On the basis of these data, the specific ATPase activities of T, D, and P were concluded to be 32, 65, and 65 units/mg, respectively, under the conventionally optimal conditions of pH 7.3 and 37 degrees C, suggesting an equivalence to a fully active enzyme for D and P but half activity for T. The physiological significance of the stable form of T remains to be investigated.

Protein–protein contacts in solubilized membrane proteins, as detected by cross-linking

The amount of detergent required for the solubilization of membrane proteins needs to be optimised as an excess may cause loss of activity and insufficiency may result in poor solubilization or heterogeneous samples. With sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase as an example we show by cross-linking that it can be misleading to choose the proper amount of detergent based on clarification of membrane suspensions, because clarification -as detected by turbidity measurements, for instance- precedes full protein solubilization as monomers. We demonstrate that to assess the extent of sample homogeneity at a given detergent/protein ratio, cross-linking followed by HPLC gel filtration in detergent usefully complements cross-linking followed by SDS-PAGE.

Structure-function relationships in the NA+,K+-pump

The Na,K-pump was discovered about 50 years ago. Since then there has been a methodic investigation of its structure and functional characteristics. The development of the Albers-Post model for the transport cycle was a milestone that provided the framework for detailed understanding of the transport process. The pump is composed of 2 subunits that exist in the membrane as an alphabeta heterodimer. All known enzymatic functions of the pump occur through the alpha subunit. Although necessary for activity, the complete role of the beta subunit is not understood fully. Numerous studies have established that the alphabeta protomer is the minimal functional unit needed to perform the Albers-Post reaction cycle. However, higher orders of aggregation [(alphabeta)n] are commonly detected. There is little evidence that oligomerization has functional consequence for ion transport. The Na+,K+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) is a member of the P-type ATPase family of transporters. Proteins within this family have common amino acid sequence motifs that share functional characteristics and structure. Low-resolution 3-dimensional reconstruction of 2-dimensional crystal diffractions provide evidence for the similarity in tertiary structure of the alpha subunit and the Ca2+ATPase (a closely related P-type ATPase). The spatial location of the beta subunit also is obvious in these reconstructions. Recent high-resolution reconstructions from 3-dimensional crystals of the Ca2+ATPase provide structural details at the atomic level. It now is possible to interpret structurally some of the key steps in the Albers-Post reaction. Some of these high-resolution interpretations are translatable to the Na+,K+-ATPase, but a high-resolution structure of the Na,K-pump is needed for the necessary details of those aspects that are unique to this transporter.

Dynamics of Solvent and Rotational Relaxation of Coumarin 153 in Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Hexafluorophosphate Confined in Brij-35 Micelles: A Picosecond Time-Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopic Study

The dynamics of solvent and rotational relaxation of Coumarin 153 (C-153) in ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim][PF6]) and in the ionic liquid confined in Brij-35 micellar aggregates have been investigated using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. We observed slower dynamics in the presence of micellar aggregates as compared to the pure IL. However, the slowing down in the solvation time on going from neat IL to IL-confined micelles is much smaller compared to that on going from water to water-confined micellar aggregates. The increase in solvation and rotational time in micelles is attributed to the increase in viscosity of the medium. The slow component is assumed to be dependent on the viscosity of the solution and involves large-scale rearrangement of the anions and cations while fast component is assumed to originate from the initial response of the anions during excitation. The slow component increases due to the increase in the viscosity of the medium and increase in fast component is probably due to the hydrogen bonding between the anions and polar headgroup of the surfactant. The dynamics of solvent relaxation was affected to a small extent due to the micelle formation.

Distribution and oligomeric association of splice forms of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase regulatory gamma-subunit in rat kidney

Renal Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase is associated with the gamma-subunit (FXYD2), a single-span membrane protein that modifies ATPase properties. There are two splice variants with different amino termini, gamma(a) and gamma(b). Both were found in the inner stripe of the outer medulla in the thick ascending limb. Coimmunoprecipitation with each other and the alpha-subunit indicated that they were associated in macromolecular complexes. Association was controlled by ligands that affect Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase conformation. In the cortex, the proportion of the gamma(b)-subunit was markedly lower, and the gamma(a)-subunit predominated in isolated proximal tubule cells. By immunofluorescence, the gamma(b)-subunit was detected in the superficial cortex only in the distal convoluted tubule and connecting tubule, which are rich in Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase but comprise a minor fraction of cortex mass. In the outer stripe of the outer medulla and for a short distance in the deep cortex, the thick ascending limb predominantly expressed the gamma(b)-subunit. Because different mechanisms maintain and regulate Na(+) homeostasis in different nephron segments, the splice forms of the gamma-subunit may have evolved to control the renal Na(+) pump through pump properties, gene expression, or both.

Interaction of amphipols with sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase

Amphipols are short-chain amphipathic polymers designed to keep membrane proteins soluble in aqueous solutions. We have evaluated the effects of the interaction of amphipols with sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase either in a membrane-bound or a soluble form. If the addition of amphipols to detergent-solubilized ATPase was followed by removal of detergent, soluble complexes formed, but these complexes retained poor ATPase activity, were not very stable upon long incubation periods, and at high concentrations they experienced aggregation. Nevertheless, adding excess detergent to diluted detergent-free ATPase-amphipol complexes incubated for short periods immediately restored full activity to these complexes, showing that amphipols had protected solubilized ATPase from the rapid and irreversible inactivation that otherwise follows detergent removal. Amphipols also protected solubilized ATPase from the rapid and irreversible inactivation observed in detergent solutions if the ATPase Ca(2+) binding sites remain vacant. Moreover, in the presence of Ca(2+), amphipol/detergent mixtures stabilized concentrated ATPase against inactivation and aggregation, whether in the presence or absence of lipids, for much longer periods of time (days) than detergent alone. Our observations suggest that mixtures of amphipols and detergents are promising media for handling solubilized Ca(2+)-ATPase under conditions that would otherwise lead to its irreversible denaturation and/or aggregation.

High-level expression, functional reconstitution, and quaternary structure of a prokaryotic ClC-type chloride channel

ClC-type anion-selective channels are widespread throughout eukaryotic organisms. BLAST homology searches reveal that many microbial genomes also contain members of the ClC family. An Escherichia coli-derived ClC Cl(-) channel homologue, "EriC," the product of the yadQ gene, was overexpressed in E. coli and purified in milligram quantities in a single-step procedure. Reconstitution of purified EriC into liposomes confers on these membranes permeability to anions with selectivity similar to that observed electrophysiologically in mammalian ClC channels. Cross-linking studies argue that EriC is a homodimer in both detergent micelles and reconstituted liposomes, a conclusion corroborated by gel filtration and analytical sedimentation experiments.

Biochemical characterization of the subunits of the Na+/K+ ATPase expressed in insect cells

The Na+/K+ ATPase is composed of two subunits called alpha and beta chains. In insect cells, independently expressed alpha and beta chains are localized to intracellular membranes. Sucrose density gradient sedimentation, crosslinking analysis, and immunoprecipitation of radio-labeled proteins show that the alpha chains expressed alone are in large aggregates of different molecular weights with less than 4% being monomeric. Analysis by non-reducing SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting show that the beta chains expressed alone are in Triton X-100 insoluble, disulfide-linked aggregates. Co-expression of both subunits in insect cells results in only a small fraction (less than 15%) of the alpha chains being assembled as the active recombinant enzyme, with at least 22% of the active recombinant enzyme localized to the plasma membrane as determined by a biochemical assay. The small amount of beta chain at the plasma membrane in cells that express both subunits is beyond the limit of detection by the biochemical assay. Immunoprecipitation of Triton X-100 soluble alpha chains from radio-labeled cells expressing both subunits shows that the alpha chains are mostly in large aggregates containing beta chains. These results suggest that, in insect cells, the availability of correctly folded beta chains is the rate limiting step in the assembly of active Na+/K+ ATPase.

Signal transmission by epidermal growth factor receptor: coincidence of activation and dimerization

Dimerization of epidermal growth factor receptor dissolved in a solution of nonionic detergent was followed with a resolution of 1 min by quantitative cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. Upon addition of epidermal growth factor to the solution, the initially monomeric protein dimerized in a reaction that was second-order in the concentration of receptor. A second-order rate constant, on the basis of enzymatic activity as a measure of the concentration of functional receptor, was calculated from time courses of dimerization at various initial concentrations of receptor. The activation of the protein tyrosine kinase of the receptor was monitored directly under the same conditions with an exogenous substrate. The increase in tyrosine kinase activity displayed kinetics that were also second-order in the concentration of receptor. A second-order rate constant for the activation of the tyrosine kinase could be calculated from the time courses. The second-order rate constant for the activation of the tyrosine kinase by epidermal growth factor was indistinguishable from the second-order rate constant for the dimerization induced by epidermal growth factor. Therefore, dimerization of epidermal growth factor receptor and activation of its tyrosine kinase are coincident events, both initiated by the binding of epidermal growth factor.

Minimum enzyme unit for Na+/K+-ATPase is the alpha beta-protomer. Determination by low-angle laser light scattering photometry coupled with high-performance gel chromatography for substantially simultaneous measurement of ATPase activity and molecular weight

The oligomeric state of canine renal NA+/K+ -ATPase solubilized by octaethylene glycol n-dodecyl ether (C12E8) was studied by means of low-angle laser light scattering photometry coupled with high-performance gel chromatography (HPGC). At around 0 degree C the solubilized enzyme was separated into the (alpha beta)2-diprotomeric and alpha beta-protomeric protein components with Mr values of 302,000 +/- 10,000 and 156,000 +/- 4,000, respectively, in approximately equal quantities. As the temperature of chromatography was increased toward 20 degrees C, the two protein components converged into a single major component. The Mr of this component depended on the monovalent cation included in the elution buffer, and was 255,000 or 300,000 in the presence of 0.1 M NaCl or 0.1 M KCl, respectively. A computer simulation technique showed that the solubilized enzyme was in a dissociation-association equilibrium of 2 protomers = diprotomer at 20 degrees C, and the difference in apparent Mr of the solubilized enzyme between the two species of monovalent cation was interpreted by an association constant (Ka) in the presence of 0.1 M KCl that was about 50-fold larger than in the presence of 0.1 M NaCl. In order to measure ATPase activity and Mr of the solubilized enzyme simultaneously, a TSKgel G3000SW column had been equilibrated and was eluted with an elution buffer containing 0.30 mg/ml C12E8 and 60 microgram/ml phosphatidylserine (bovine brain) as well as the ligands necessary for the enzyme to exhibit the activity at pH 7.0 and 20 degrees C. The solubilized enzyme was always eluted as a single protein component irrespective of the the amount of the protein applied to the column, ranging between 240 and 10 microgram. The Mr of the protein component, however, decreased from 214,000 and 158,000 with the decrease of the protein amount. The specific ATPase activity, however, remained constant at a level of 64 +/- 4% of that of the membrane-bound enzyme even in the range of protein concentration sufficiently low as to allow the enzyme to exist only in the protomeric form. Thus, the alpha beta-protomer is concluded to be the minimum functional unit for the ATPase activity. The value of Ka obtained from the concentration-dependent dissociation curve was 5 . 10(5) M-1 for the enzyme turning over, and 1.1 . 10(7) M-1 for the enzyme inhibited with ouabain. It was discussed, based on the values of Ka obtained, that the enzyme would exist as the diprotomer or the higher oligomer in the membrane.

Reconstitution of Na+/K+-ATPase into phosphatidylcholine vesicles by dialysis of nonionic alkyl maltoside detergents

The reconstitution of Na+/K+-ATPase from outer medulla of rabbit kidney into large unilamellar liposomes was achieved through detergent removal by dialysis of mixed micellar solutions of synthetic dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine/octyl glucoside and Na+/K+-ATPase/decyl maltoside or decenyl maltoside. Tight, transport-active liposomes were formed when the lipid and the enzyme were solubilized separately in the nonionic detergents and mixed immediately before starting the dialysis. The two maltoside detergents with different structures of the hydrophobic part of the molecule proved to be well suited for the solubilization of Na+/K+-ATPase with high retention of enzyme activity; the inactivation of enzyme being evidently slower with the unsaturated decenyl maltoside. The diameters of the proteoliposomes, 110 and 170 nm, respectively, were also dependent on the structure of the maltoside detergent, the saturated decyl maltoside producing the bigger liposomes. After freeze-fracture, both preparations exhibited intramembranous particles as structural indicators of successful reconstitution. The electrogenic activity of the reconstituted enzyme was determined by fluorescence measurements with Oxonol VI and by tracer-flux measurements with 22Na+.

Lipid-induced aggregation of phospholipase A2: sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation and crosslinking studies

The aggregation behavior of cobra venom (Naja naja naja) phospholipase A2 in the presence of lipids and Ca2+ was examined using ultracentrifugation and crosslinking techniques. Velocity sedimentation experiments were performed in sucrose gradients. The sedimentation coefficients of the cobra phospholipase A2 and various controls, including bovine serum albumin (BSA), malate dehydrogenase, carbonic anhydrase and pancreatic phospholipase A2, were calculated both in the presence and absence of ligands. The monomeric phospholipid, diheptanoylphosphatidylcholine, and the phospholipid analogue, dodecylphosphocholine (DPC), increased the sedimentation coefficient of the cobra phospholipase A2 from 2.2 S to 2.9 S, a value that is consistent with the formation of an enzyme dimer. The control proteins were unaffected by the presence of phospholipid, except for BSA, which apparently binds large amounts of DPC. Crosslinking experiments with glutaraldehyde showed that in the presence of diheptanoylphosphatidylcholine or DPC, the amount of crosslinked enzyme increased. Ca2+ had no effect on the aggregation state of the enzyme as measured by either technique. Both the ultracentrifugation data and crosslinking data are consistent with the hypothesis that the cobra venom phospholipase A2 exists as a dimer or higher-order aggregate in the presence of lipid substrate, although it is yet to be determined whether the functional subunit is a monomer, dimer or higher-order oligomer.

Precipitation of solubilized Na+/K+-ATPase by divalent cations

A method for preparation of membranous fragments of pure and highly active shark rectal gland Na+/K+-ATPase by Mn2+ precipitation of C12E8-solubilized enzyme is described. The method is rapid and inexpensive, and yields enzyme with a specific Na+/K+-ATPase activity of up to 1800 mumol/mg per h at 37 degrees C. The influence of the detergent/protein and lipid/protein ratios on the yield of membrane bound enzyme is described.

(Na+ + K+)-ATPase: on the number of the ATP sites of the functional unit

Questions concerning the number of the ATP sites of the functional unit of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase (i.e., the sodium pump) have been at the center of the controversies on the mechanisms of the catalytic and transport functions of the enzyme. When the available data pertaining to the number of these sites are examined without any assumptions regarding the reaction mechanism, it is evident that although some relevant observations may be explained either by a single site or by multiple ATP sites, the remaining data dictate the existence of multiple sites on the functional unit. Also, while from much of the data it is clear that the multiple sites of the unit enzyme represent the interacting catalytic sites of an oligomer, it is not possible to rule out the existence of a distinct regulatory site for ATP in addition to the interacting catalytic sites. Regardless of the ultimate fate of the regulatory site, any realistic approach to the resolution of the kinetic mechanism of the sodium pump should include the consideration of the established site-site interactions of the oligomer.

A hexameric form of the Neurospora crassa plasma membrane H+-ATPase

As isolated by our recently developed large-scale procedure, the Neurospora plasma membrane H+-ATPase exists as a homogeneous, oligomeric complex of 105,000-Da monomers with a molecular mass equivalent to a spherical protein of about 1 million Da, as judged by its behavior during chromatography on calibrated columns of Sepharose CL-6B and CL-4B. Treatment of this complex with the nonionic detergent, Tween 20, followed by Sepharose column chromatography in the presence of this detergent produces particles with an apparent molecular mass reduced by 100-300 kDa, and, importantly, when the isolated complex is treated with Tween 20 and then subjected to Sepharose chromatography in the absence of detergent, fully viable, largely detergent-free, homogeneous particles with a molecular mass equivalent to a spherical protein of 670,000 Da are formed. As assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, treatment of the particles isolated in the presence of Tween 20 with glutaraldehyde progressively yields dimers, trimers, tetramers, pentamers, and hexamers of the 105,000-Da monomer, with the expected precursor-product relationships, but no species larger than a hexamer is formed. These results thus strongly indicate that these particles are hexamers of 105,000-Da monomers. Glutaraldehyde crosslinking experiments with the ca. 1 million- and 670,000-Da particles indicate that they too are hexamers, suggesting that the differences in the apparent sizes of the three types of particles are most likely due to bound detergents. Possible implications of these findings are discussed.

Application of the theory of enzyme subunit interactions to ATP-hydrolyzing enzymes. The case of Na,K-ATPase

The theory developed by T. L. Hill (1977, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 74:3632-3636) for enzyme interactions is applied to a dimeric enzyme, the subunits of which may each exist in three distinct states (as in a uni-bi kinetic mechanism). It is shown that when simultaneous binding of substrate to both subunits is excluded, the complex kinetic mechanism of the dimer reduces to a simpler scheme with two distinct, but analogous, cycles that are in principle separately observable in kinetic experiments. Because of the intersubunit interactions, which are explicitly taken into account, the two cycles have different Michaelis constants and maximal velocities. The model exhibits negative cooperativity and enhanced reactivity, relative to a monomeric enzyme. The theory is applied to Na,K-ATPase for which a complete, bicyclic, kinetic mechanism and rate constants are available. When taken together with other evidence, structural as well as functional, the striking similarity of the observed kinetics with that developed for a dimeric enzyme strongly suggests that the functional unit of Na,K-ATPase is a dimer. The free energy differences (calculated from the known rate constants) between intermediates are 6-16 kJ/mol, comparable, for example, to the free energy associated with the formation of a base pair in a nucleic acid double helix. The possible relevance of these results for other ATPases is briefly discussed.

Rat hepatic (Na+, K+)-ATPase: alpha-subunit isolation by immunoaffinity chromatography and structural analysis by peptide mapping

The catalytic alpha-subunit of rat hepatic (Na+, K+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) has been isolated by immunoaffinity chromatography from microsomes solubilized in n-dodecyl octaethylene glycol monoether. The procedure employs an anticatalytic mouse monoclonal antibody ("9-A5") covalently linked to Sepharose 4B that specifically blocks phosphorylation of the sodium pump's alpha-subunit from [gamma-32P]ATP [Schenk, D. B., Hubert, J.J., & Leffert, H.L. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 14941-14951]. The hepatic subunit is virtually identical with purified rat, dog, and human renal alpha-subunits as judged by its apparent molecular weight after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate (Mr 92K) and its two-dimensional tryptic and chymotryptic peptide maps on cellulose-coated thin-layer plates. In contrast, the structures of authentic renal beta-subunits from the three species differ significantly from each other as judged by their peptide maps; no detectable homologies are seen between their chymotryptic maps and those of putative hepatic "beta"-subunits (Mr 50K and 55K) eluted from 9-A5-Sepharose. Additional studies of ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ uptake in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes reveal inhibition curves with single inflection points (ID50 = 0.1 mM ouabain) in the absence or presence of pump-stimulating peptides like insulin, glucagon, and epidermal growth factor. These findings indicate that rat hepatocytes express only one of two known structurally conserved forms of catalytic subunit (the renallike alpha form) and, if at all, structurally divergent forms of the sodium pump's beta-subunit. In addition, immunoaffinity chromatography with 9-A5-Sepharose facilitates the isolation of (Na+, K+)-ATPases from nonrenal tissues with low levels of sodium pumps.

Solubilized (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from shark rectal gland and ox kidney--an inactivation study

The bi-exponential time-course of detergent inactivation at 37 degrees C of C12E8-solubilized (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from shark rectal glands and ox kidney was investigated. The data for shark enzyme, obtained at detergent/protein weight ratios between 2 and 16, are interpreted in terms of a simple model where the membrane bound enzyme is solubilized predominantly as (alpha-beta)2 diprotomers at low detergent concentrations and as alpha-beta protomers at high C12E8 (octaethyleneglycoldodecylmonoether) concentrations. It is observed that the protomers are inactivated 15-fold more rapidly than the diprotomers, and that the rate of inactivation of both oligomers is proportional to the detergent/protein ratio. Inactivation of kidney enzyme was biexponential with a very rapid inactivation of up to 40% of the enzyme activity. The observed rate of inactivation of the slower phase varied with the detergent/protein ratio, but the inactivation pattern for the kidney enzyme could not readily be accommodated within the model for inactivation of the shark enzyme. The rates of inactivation at 37 degrees C were about the same in KCl and NaCl, i.e., in the E2(K) and E1 X Na forms, for both enzymes.

One-dimensional crystals of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase dimers

Preparations of purified (Na+ + K+)-ATPase contain both fragments of membranes and long and undulating cylindrical structures. These structures have been described as edgeways of membrane fragments. We have analyzed these structures using negative staining, thin sectioning and freeze-fracture-etch electron microscopy and describe their structure for the first time. Each cylinder is 12-19 nm in width and is comprised of an unstained core from which rows of distinct particles spaced 5-6 nm apart project on both sides. Each cylindrical structure was interpreted as a linear polymer of (alpha beta)2 dimers of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase molecules. Therefore, the particles that project from both sides are the cytoplasmic domains of the molecules of the enzyme, whereas the membrane-spanning domains form the unstained core of the cylinder. From considerations of the packing of the dimers in the cylinder we conclude that the cross-sectional area of the cytoplasmic domain should be larger than that of the membrane-spanning domain. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the (alpha beta) protomer is the native state of the enzyme. The (alpha beta)2 dimers observed in the fractions are the result of a secondary aggregation process occurring during the purification procedure.

Stability of [3H]ouabain binding to the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase solubilized with C12E8

The (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from dog kidney and partially purified membranes from HK dog erythrocytes were labeled with [3H]ouabain, solubilized with C12E8 and analyzed by HPLC through a TSK-GEL G3000SW column in the presence of C12E8, Mg2+, HPO4(2-) and glycerol at 20-23 degrees C. The peaks of [3H]ouabain bound to the enzyme from dog kidney and HK dog erythrocyte membranes corresponded to each other with apparent molecular weights of 470 000-490 000. In addition, these bindings of [3H]ouabain to the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase were observed to be stable at 20-23 degrees C for at least 18 h after the solubilization.

Occlusion of Rb+ by detergent-solubilized (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from shark salt glands

Occlusion of Rb+ by C12E8-solubilized (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from shark salt glands has been measured. The rate of de-occlusion at room temperature is about 1 s-1, which is the same as for the membrane-bound enzyme. The amount of Rb+ occluded is 3 moles Rb+ per mole membrane-bound shark enzyme, whereas only about 2 moles Rb+ are occluded by the C12E8-solubilized enzyme.

Minimal functional unit for transport and enzyme activities of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase as determined by radiation inactivation

Frozen aqueous suspensions of partially purified membrane-bound renal (Na+ + K+)-ATPase have been irradiated at -135 degrees C with high-energy electrons. (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and K+-phosphatase activities are inactivated exponentially with apparent target sizes of 184 +/- 4 kDa and 125 +/- 3 kDa, respectively. These values are significantly lower then found previously from irradiation of lyophilized membranes. After reconstitution of irradiated (Na+ + K+)-ATPase into phospholipid vesicles the following transport functions have been measured and target sizes calculated from the exponential inactivation curves: ATP-dependent Na+-K+ exchange, 201 +/- 4 kDa; (ATP + Pi)-activated Rb+-Rb+ exchange, 206 +/- 7 kDa and ATP-independent Rb+-Rb+ exchange, 117 +/- 4 kDa. The apparent size of the alpha-chain, judged by disappearance of Coomassie stain on SDS-gels, lies between 115 and 141 kDa. That for the beta-glycoprotein, though clearly smaller, could not be estimated. We draw the following conclusions: (1) The simplest interpretation of the results is that the minimal functional unit for (Na+ + K+)-ATPase is alpha beta. (2) The inactivation target size for (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATP hydrolysis is the same as for ATP-dependent pumping of Na+ and K+. (3) The target sizes, for K+-phosphatase (125 kDa) and ATP-independent Rb+-Rb+ exchange (117 kDa) are indistinguishable from that of the alpha-chain itself, suggesting that cation binding sites and transport pathways, and the p-nitrophenyl phosphate binding site are located exclusively on the alpha-chain. (4) ATP-dependent activities appear to depend on the integrity of an alpha beta complex.

Amplification of sodium- and potassium-activated adenosinetriphosphatase in HeLa cells by ouabain step selection

A multistep selection for ouabain resistance was used to isolate a clone of HeLa S3 cells that overproduces the plasma membrane sodium, potassium activated adenosinetriphosphatase (Na+,K+-ATPase). Measurements of specific [3H]ouabain-binding to the resistant clone, C+, and parental HeLa cells indicated that C+ cells contain 8-10 X 10(6) ouabain binding sites per cell compared with 8 X 10(5) per HeLa cell. Plasma membranes isolated from C+ cells by a vesiculation procedure and analyzed for ouabain-dependent incorporation of [32P]phosphate into a 100,000-mol-wt peptide demonstrated a ten- to twelvefold increase in Na+,K+-ATPase catalytic subunit. The affinity of the enzyme for ouabain on the C+ cells was reduced and the time for half maximal ouabain binding was increased compared with the values for the parental cells. The population doubling time for cultures of C+ cells grown in dishes was increased and C+ cells were unable to grow in suspension. Growth of C+ cells in ouabain-free medium resulted in revertant cells, C-, with biochemical and growth properties identical with HeLa. Karyotype analysis revealed that the ouabain-resistant phenotype of the C+ cells was associated with the presence of minute chromosomes which are absent in HeLa and C- cells. This suggests that a gene amplification event is responsible for the Na+,K+-ATPase increase in C+ cells.

Coupling of membrane-bound and detergent-solubilized sodium- and potassium-activated ATPase to p-benzoquinone-treated microtiter plates

Membrane-bound and dodecyloctaoxyethyleneglycol monoether-solubilized Na,K-ATPases from pig kidney were covalently attached to microtiter plate wells pretreated with p-benzoquinone (plus collodion for some plates). The immobilized enzymes were detected with the mouse monoclonal antibody (named 38) specific to Na,K-ATPase and a perioxidase-conjugated rabbit IgG anti-mouse IgG. When the two Na,K-ATPase preparations were applied to each well at the same protein concentration, the color intensity of the peroxidase reaction for determination of antibody was two to three times stronger with the solubilized enzyme than with the membrane-bound enzyme. Similar titer values were obtained from the graphical analysis of titration curves of both enzymes. Red cell membrane proteins as well as Na,K-ATPase were covalently attached to the plastic. p-Benzoquinone should be generally useful for coupling membrane proteins, even in detergent solutions, to microtiter plate wells.

Kinetic properties of C12E8-solubilized (Na+ + K+)-ATPase

The properties of the rectal gland (Na+ + K+)-ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.8) solubilized in octaethyleneglycol dodecylmonoether ( C12E8 ) have been investigated. The kinetic properties of the solubilized enzyme resemble those of the membrane-bound enzyme to a large extent. The main difference is that Km for ATP for the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase is about 30 microM for the solubilized enzyme and about 100 microM for the membrane-bound enzyme. The Na+-form (E1) and the K+-form (E2) can also be distinguished in the solubilized enzyme, as seen from tryptic digestion, the intrinsic fluorescence and eosin fluorescence responses to Na+ and K+. The number of vanadate-binding sites is unchanged upon solubilization, and it is shown that vanadate binding is much more resistant to detergent inactivation than the enzymatic activities. The number of phosphorylation sites on the 95-100% pure supernatant enzyme is about 3.8 nmol/mg, and is equal to the number of vanadate sites. Inactivation of the enzyme by high concentrations of detergent can be shown to be related to the C12E8 /protein ratio, with a weight ratio of about 4 being a threshold for the onset of inactivation at low ionic strength. At high ionic strength, more C12E8 is required both for solubilization and inactivation. It is observed that the commercially available detergent polyoxyethylene 10-lauryl ether is much less deleterious than C12E8 , and its advantages in the assay of detergent-solubilized (Na+ + K+)-ATPase are discussed. The results show that (Na+ + K+)-ATPase can be solubilized in C12E8 in an active form, and that most of the kinetic and conformational properties of the membrane-bound enzyme are conserved upon solubilization. C12E8 -solubilized (Na+ + K+)-ATPase is therefore a good model system for a solubilized membrane protein.

The distribution of C12E8-solubilized oligomers of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase

Gel filtration of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.8) solubilized in octaethyleneglycol dodecylmonother ( C12E8 ) has been performed under conditions where active (alpha beta)2 dimers (Mr 265000) are obtained, and under conditions where dissociation into alpha beta monomers occurs without appreciable loss of activity. It is shown that the alpha beta monomers aggregate with time to form (alpha beta)2 dimers at low detergent concentrations with no change in enzymatic activity. At high detergent concentrations the aggregation is much slower, but the enzymatic activity is lost rapidly. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of C12E8 also suggest that high concentrations of detergent dissociate the (alpha beta)2 dimer into smaller particles, and conditions for gel electrophoresis are described. The inactivating effect of C12E8 at high C12E8 /protein ratios can be related to a delipidation of the enzyme, with about 0.19 mg phospholipid required per mg protein for optimal activity. The experiments suggest that the solubilized (Na+ + K+)-ATPase can be disrupted into particles containing only one alpha-chain and one or two beta-chains without irreversible loss of activity, and that the stable form of the enzyme is an (alpha beta)2 dimer.

Structural organization of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase in purified membranes

The structural organization of crystalline, membrane-bound (Na+ + K+)-ATPase was studied by negative staining and thin sectioning. The enzyme molecules were induced to form crystalline arrays within fragments of membrane by incubation in defined ionic conditions. The enzyme remained fully active after crystallization. Negative staining and computer processing of images of the crystalline specimens identified two discrete crystalline arrays. The dimensions of the unit cell of one of the arrays were large enough to accommodate an alpha beta protomer; those of the other array, an (alpha beta)2 diprotomer . Thin sections of the crystalline fraction contained a unique membrane complex that was formed from two apposed plasma membranes. The paired membranes in this complex were separated by a center-to-center space of 15 nm containing evenly spaced septa that connected the membrane surfaces; the overall thickness of the entire structure was 22-25 nm. The agglutinin from Ricinus communis, a lectin that binds to the carbohydrate moiety of the beta-subunit of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, decorated the free surfaces of the complex. Therefore, this complex of paired membranes is the result of interactions between the cytoplasmic domains of the enzyme. From measurements of the dimensions of these structures, we estimate the overall length of the enzyme to be approximately 11.5 nm along the axis perpendicular to the plane of the membrane, and the molecular protrudes more (approximately 5 nm) on the cytoplasmic surface than on the extracytoplasmic surface (approximately 2 nm).

Molecular weights of alpha beta-protomeric and oligomeric units of soluble (Na+, K+)-ATPase determined by low-angle laser light scattering after high-performance gel chromatography

The (Na+, K+)-ATPase of canine renal outer medulla was solubilized with a nonionic surfactant, octaethylene glycol n-dodecyl ether (C12E8), in the presence of 0.2 M sodium ion. The solubilized ATPase retained 74% of the enzymatic activity expressed before solubilization. Molecular species of the solubilized ATPase were analyzed by high-performance chromatography through a TSK-GEL G3000SW column in the presence of 1 mg/ml C12E8 at 23 degrees C. The eluate was monitored by one or two monitors chosen from the following: an ultraviolet absorption monitor, a precision differential refractometer and a low-angle laser light scattering photometer. The three kinds of elution pattern thus obtained can best be interpreted by assuming the presence of at least four kinds of protein component with molecular weights 1 740 000 +/- 230 000, 836 000 +/- 82 000, 286 000 +/- 30 000 and 123 000 +/- 8 000, respectively. Among them, those with the last two molecular weight were the major components. The amounts of the first three components were found to increase with time during the incubation before application to the column at the expense of that of the last one. The amounts of the last two were 18 and 73%, respectively, when measured immediately after the solubilization. A stoichiometric composition of 1:1 molar ratio for the alpha and beta polypeptide chains was obtained for the two major components as well as for the intact ATPase by high-performance gel chromatography in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate using the same column as above. The (Na+, K+)-ATPase was, thus, indicated to be solubilized with C12E8 to give the alpha beta-protomer and its dimer as the main components.

Modification of the conformational equilibria in the sodium and potassium dependent adenosinetriphosphatase with glutaraldehyde

Glutaraldehyde treatment of electroplax membrane preparations of Na,K-ATPase leads to irreversible changes in the enzymic behavior of the protein, which are not due to modification of the active site. When the glutaraldehyde treatment is carried out in a medium containing K+ and without Na+, the "K+-modified enzyme" so produced shows the following changes in enzymic properties: The steady-state phosphorylation by ATP and the rate of ATP-ADP exchange are decreased to approximately 40% of control, while Na,K-ATPase activity decreases to approximately 15% of control. Phosphatase activity is decreased very little, but the potassium activation parameters of the reaction are changed, from K0.5 approximately equal to 5 mM and nH = 1.9 in control to K0.5 approximately equal to 0.5 mM and nH = 1 in K+-modified enzyme. KI(app) for nucleotide inhibition of phosphatase activity is increased significantly. Changes in the cation dependence of the ATPase reaction are also observed. All of these effects can be explained by assuming that the cross-linking of surface groups in protein subunits when they are in conformation E2 shifts the intrinsic conformational equilibrium of the enzyme toward E2. We considered the simplest mathematical model for the coupling between K+ binding and the conformational equilibrium, with equivalent potassium sites that must be simultaneously in the same state. If one assumes that the potassium activation of phosphatase activity in the K+-modified enzyme reflects the affinity for K+ of E2, the behavior of the phosphatase activity in the native enzyme can be fit if there are only two potassium sites, whose affinity is 80-fold higher in E2 than in E1, and the equilibrium constant for E2 in equilibrium E1 is about 250. The same sites can explain the activation of dephosphorylation during ATP hydrolysis. Independent of the model chosen, potassium ions must be required for the catalytic action of form E2 and cannot be merely "allosteric activators". The enzyme modified with glutaraldehyde in a medium containing Na+ also has interesting properties, but their rationalization is less straightforward. The Na,K-ATPase activity is inhibited more than the "partial reactions", as in the K+-modified enzyme. We suggest that this is a generally expected result of modifications of the enzyme.

Monoclonal antibodies to rat Na+,K+-ATPase block enzymatic activity

A panel of nine mouse monoclonal antibodies has been prepared against purified preparations of rat kidney Na+,K+-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3). Selection for specific antibody was based upon the ability of crude hybridoma fluids to inhibit Na+-ATPase activity (using luciferase-linked ATPase assays) and upon antibody binding to both the purified kidney membrane enzyme and to glutaraldehyde-fixed hepatocytes by using standard enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assays. After immunoaffinity purification, two of the antibodies (both of the IgG1 subclass) fully inhibit kidney and liver membrane Na+,K+-ATPase activity with Ki (apparent) values of 30 nM ("9-A5") and 600 nM ("9-B1"). Immunoblots demonstrate directly that three different 125I-labeled antibodies (6-4, 9-A5, and 9-B1) bind predominantly to a 94,000 Mr protein that comigrates in NaDodSO4/polyacrylamide gels with the fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled alpha subunit of the Na+,K+-ATPase. Indirect immunofluorescence studies with these antibodies on paraformaldehyde-fixed liver slices reveal staining patterns congruent with bile canalicular membrane domains. These results together suggest that the antibodies exert inhibitory effects by recognizing alpha subunits of both liver and kidney Na+ pumps in their native conformations.

Soluble and enzymatically stable (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from mammalian kidney consisting predominantly of protomer alpha beta-units. Preparation, assay and reconstitution of active Na+, K+ transport

Soluble (Na+ + K+)-ATPase consisting predominantly of alpha beta-units with Mr below 170 000 was prepared by incubating pure membrane-bound (Na+ + K+)-ATPase (35-48 mumol Pi/min per mg protein) from the outer renal medulla with the non-ionic detergent dodecyloctaethyleneglycol monoether (C12E8). (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and potassium phosphatase remained fully active in the detergent solution at C12E8/protein ratios of 2.5-3, at which 50-70% of the membrane protein was solubilized. The soluble protomeric (Na+ + K+)-ATPase was reconstituted to Na+, K+ pumps in phospholipid vesicles by the freeze-thaw sonication procedure. Protein solubilization was complete at C12E8/protein ratios of 5-6, at the expense of partial inactivation, but (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and potassium phosphatase could be reactivated after binding of C12E8 to Bio-Beads SM2. At C12E8/protein ratios higher than 6 the activities were irreversibly lost. Inactivation could be explained by delipidation. It was not due to subunit dissociation since only small changes in sedimentation velocities were seen when the C12E8/protein ratio was increased from 2.9 to 46. As determined immediately after solubilization, S20,w was 7.4 S for the fully active (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, 7.3 S for the partially active particle, and 6.5 S for the inactive particle at high C12E8/protein ratios. The maximum molecular masses determined by analytical ultracentrifugation were 141 000-170 000 dalton for these protein particles. Secondary aggregation occurred during column chromatography, with formation of enzymatically active (alpha beta)2-dimers or (alpha beta)3-trimers with S20,w = 10-12 S and apparent molecular masses in the range 273 000-386 000 daltons. This may reflect non-specific time-dependent aggregation of the detergent micelles.