The correlation between ouabain binding and potassium pump inhibition in human and sheep erythrocytes

PIEZO1 and the mechanism of the long circulatory longevity of human red blood cells

Human red blood cells (RBCs) have a circulatory lifespan of about four months. Under constant oxidative and mechanical stress, but devoid of organelles and deprived of biosynthetic capacity for protein renewal, RBCs undergo substantial homeostatic changes, progressive densification followed by late density reversal among others, changes assumed to have been harnessed by evolution to sustain the rheological competence of the RBCs for as long as possible. The unknown mechanisms by which this is achieved are the subject of this investigation. Each RBC traverses capillaries between 1000 and 2000 times per day, roughly one transit per minute. A dedicated Lifespan model of RBC homeostasis was developed as an extension of the RCM introduced in the previous paper to explore the cumulative patterns predicted for repetitive capillary transits over a standardized lifespan period of 120 days, using experimental data to constrain the range of acceptable model outcomes. Capillary transits were simulated by periods of elevated cell/medium volume ratios and by transient deformation-induced permeability changes attributed to PIEZO1 channel mediation as outlined in the previous paper. The first unexpected finding was that quantal density changes generated during single capillary transits cease accumulating after a few days and cannot account for the observed progressive densification of RBCs on their own, thus ruling out the quantal hypothesis. The second unexpected finding was that the documented patterns of RBC densification and late reversal could only be emulated by the implementation of a strict time-course of decay in the activities of the calcium and Na/K pumps, suggestive of a selective mechanism enabling the extended longevity of RBCs. The densification pattern over most of the circulatory lifespan was determined by calcium pump decay whereas late density reversal was shaped by the pattern of Na/K pump decay. A third finding was that both quantal changes and pump-decay regimes were necessary to account for the documented lifespan pattern, neither sufficient on their own. A fourth new finding revealed that RBCs exposed to levels of PIEZO1-medited calcium permeation above certain thresholds in the circulation could develop a pattern of early or late hyperdense collapse followed by delayed density reversal. When tested over much reduced lifespan periods the results reproduced the known circulatory fate of irreversible sickle cells, the cell subpopulation responsible for vaso-occlusion and for most of the clinical manifestations of sickle cell disease. Analysis of the results provided an insightful new understanding of the mechanisms driving the changes in RBC homeostasis during circulatory aging in health and disease.

The average circulatory lifespan of human red blood cells is about four months, amounting to about 200000 capillary transits. Among the many documented age-related changes red cells experience during this long sojourn the most relevant to homeostasis control comprise progressive densification with late density reversal, decline in the activities of calcium and sodium-potassium pumps, and slow inverse changes in their original sodium and potassium contents. Early experimental results have long established the view that these changes result from the cumulative effects of myriad capillary transits. However, many aspects of this process remain inaccessible to in vivo investigation. This prompted us to attempt a modelling approach applying a dedicated extension to our original red cell model. The results relegated the cumulative mechanism to a secondary role and exposed surprising critical roles for the declining patterns of the calcium and sodium-potassium pumps, as if harnessed by evolution to extend the circulatory longevity of cells within volume ranges that enable optimal rheological performance. The mechanism the model revealed implicated complex interactions between PIEZO1, the calcium-activated potassium channel KCNN4, the anion exchanger AE1, and the calcium and sodium-potassium pumps. These studies proved the model potential for exploring red cell homeostasis in health and disease.

On the functional use of the membrane compartmentalized pool of ATP by the Na+ and Ca++ pumps in human red blood cell ghosts

Previous evidence established that a sequestered form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP pools) resides in the membrane/cytoskeletal complex of red cell porous ghosts. Here, we further characterize the roles these ATP pools can perform in the operation of the membrane's Na(+) and Ca(2+) pumps. The formation of the Na(+)- and Ca(2+)-dependent phosphointermediates of both types of pumps (E(Na)-P and E(Ca)-P) that conventionally can be labeled with trace amounts of [gamma-(3)P]ATP cannot occur when the pools contain unlabeled ATP, presumably because of dilution of the [gamma-(3)P]ATP in the pool. Running the pumps forward with either Na(+) or Ca(2+) removes pool ATP and allows the normal formation of labeled E(Na)-P or E(Ca)-P, indicating that both types of pumps can share the same pools of ATP. We also show that the halftime for loading the pools with bulk ATP is 10-15 minutes. We observed that when unlabeled "caged ATP" is entrapped in the membrane pools, it is inactive until nascent ATP is photoreleased, thereby blocking the labeled formation of E(Na)-P. We also demonstrate that ATP generated by the membrane-bound pyruvate kinase fills the membrane pools. Other results show that pool ATP alone, like bulk ATP, can promote the binding of ouabain to the membrane. In addition, we found that pool ATP alone functions together with bulk Na(+) (without Mg(2+)) to release prebound ouabain. Curiously, ouabain was found to block bulk ATP from entering the pools. Finally, we show, with red cell inside-outside vesicles, that pool ATP alone supports the uptake of (45)Ca by the Ca(2+) pump, analogous to the Na(+) pump uptake of (22)Na in this circumstance. Although the membrane locus of the ATP pools within the membrane/cytoskeletal complex is unknown, it appears that pool ATP functions as the proximate energy source for the Na(+) and Ca(2+) pumps.

Ion transport pathology in the mechanism of sickle cell dehydration

Polymers of deoxyhemoglobin S deform sickle cell anemia red blood cells into sickle shapes, leading to the formation of dense, dehydrated red blood cells with a markedly shortened life-span. Nearly four decades of intense research in many laboratories has led to a mechanistic understanding of the complex events leading from sickling-induced permeabilization of the red cell membrane to small cations, to the generation of the heterogeneity of age and hydration condition of circulating sickle cells. This review follows chronologically the major experimental findings and the evolution of guiding ideas for research in this field. Predictions derived from mathematical models of red cell and reticulocyte homeostasis led to the formulation of an alternative to prevailing gradualist views: a multitrack dehydration model based on interactive influences between the red cell anion exchanger and two K(+) transporters, the Gardos channel (hSK4, hIK1) and the K-Cl cotransporter (KCC), with differential effects dependent on red cell age and variability of KCC expression among reticulocytes. The experimental tests of the model predictions and the amply supportive results are discussed. The review concludes with a brief survey of the therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing sickle cell dehydration and with an analysis of the main open questions in the field.

L antigens of sheep red blood cell membranes and modulation of ion transport

Sheep are polymorphic with respect to the intracellular Na+ and K+ concentrations of their erythrocytes. Erythrocytes of sheep of the high-K+ (HK) phenotype have high K+ and low Na+ concentrations; erythrocytes from sheep of the allelic low-K+ (LK) phenotype have abnormally low K+ and high Na+ concentrations. The difference is due to differences in rates of cation transport: higher Na+-K+ pump flux in HK cells and higher K+-Cl- cotransport in LK cells. The HK/LK polymorphism is associated with a polymorphism of red blood cell antigens: the L antigen is only on LK cells, and HK cells have only the M antigen. There are two classes of L antigen that assort together: Lp, which is associated with Na+-K+ pumps, and Ll, which is associated with K+-Cl- cotransporters. There are functional consequences of these associations: anti-Lp antibody stimulates the pump and anti-Ll antibody inhibits cotransport. The use of these antibodies has permitted delineation of the roles of the antigens in modulating the function of the transporters. In this review, we summarize the evidence that these antigens are entities distinct from the pump. The Lp antigen reacts reversibly with the Na+-K+ pump; the antigen inhibits the pump, mainly by promoting nonspecific inhibition by intracellular K+. The antigen also modulates pump differentiation in immature cells. In contrast, the Ll antigen stimulates K+-Cl- cotransport. The evidence suggests that the two polymorphisms are controlled by a single genetic locus and that all of the distinct properties of ion transporters in LK cells are attributable to interactions with L antigens.

Adsorption isotherms of ouabain on hepatocytes from normal and diabetic (streptozotocin-induced) rats

A cell surface adsorption isotherm approach is investigated with normal and diabetic (streptozotocin-induced) rat hepatocytes utilizing mathematical modeling. Freshly prepared monodispersed viable rat hepatocytes in Ca(2+)- and Mg(2+)-free phosphate buffer are obtained by collagenase perfusion and used in this study. [3H]ouabain is used as a ligand that specifically binds with the alpha 1 and alpha 2 isoforms of the alpha-protein subunit of the hepatocyte-membrane-incorporated Na-K-ATPase. The model that fits the experimental data assumes the presence of multiple receptors on the cell surface, and only when a specific fraction of the total number of one receptor have effectively reacted will the other receptor initiate reaction with the ligand. The results suggest the existence of two receptors, in normal and diabetic hepatocytes, interacting with ouabain and having different equilibrium constants. The alpha 2 isoform interacts more strongly with ouabain than the alpha 1 isoform in both types of cells. The alpha 1 isoform of the diabetic hepatocytes has stronger affinity with the glycoside than the alpha 1 isoform of the normal hepatocytes, while alpha 2 of the diabetics shows weaker affinity than alpha 2 of the normal hepatocytes. Therefore, the alpha 1 and alpha 2 isoforms of Na-K-ATPase in hepatocyte-cell-membrane have different affinities for ouabain and have been conformationally and/or structurally altered in chronic diabetes.

The role of (alpha beta) protomer interaction in determining functional characteristics of red cell Na,K-ATPase

We have examined the possibility that interaction of (alpha beta) protomers within a diprotomer is responsible for some anomalous characteristics of red cell Na,K-ATPase by examining their response to two inhibitors, FITC and H2DIDS, which bind covalently, and to ouabain, which debinds slowly from red cell pumps. The phenomena we examined were: (1) the biphasic curve relating Na,K-ATPase activity to ATP concentration, and (2) protection of Na pumps against vanadate inhibition by external Na. If interaction of (alpha beta) protomers within a diprotomer were responsible for these phenomena, random inactivation of (alpha beta) protomers should have resulted in a high proportion of (alpha beta) promtomers with an inhibited protomer as a partner, and therefore should have significantly altered the consequences of subunit interaction. With each inhibitor, 60-70% inhibition of ATPase activity did not alter the functional characteristics of the residual activity. We conclude that interaction of functional (alpha beta) protomers does not explain the phenomena which we investigated. This is consistent with our previous observation that Na,K pumps of red cell membranes exist as monomeric (alpha beta) protomers (Martin, D.W. and Sachs, V.R. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 23922-23929).

Differentiation of Na(+)-K+ pumps of low-K+ sheep red blood cells is promoted by Lp membrane antigens

Na(+)-K+ pumps of red blood cells from sheep of the low-K+ (LK) phenotype undergo differentiation during circulation, manifested in part by a striking increase in sensitivity to inhibition by intracellular K+ (Ki). Pumps of red blood cells from sheep from the allelic phenotype, high K+ (HK), do not undergo this type of maturation. The hypothesis was tested that the Lp antigen, found on LK but not HK cells, is responsible for the maturation of LK pumps. Lp antigens have been shown to inhibit LK pumps because anti-Lp antibody stimulates the pumps by relieving inhibition by the antigen. Lp antigens were recently shown to be molecular entities separate from Na(+)-K+ pumps [Xu, Z.-C., P. Dunham, J. Munzer, J. Silvius, and R. Blostein. Am. J. Physiol. 263 (Cell Physiol. 32): C1007-C1014, 1992]. The test of the hypothesis was to modify the Lp antigens of immature LK red blood cells with two kinds of treatments, anti-Lp antibody and trypsinization (which cleaves Lp), and to observe the effects of these treatments on maturation of pumps during culture of the cells in vitro. Both of these treatments prevented the maturation of the kinetics of the pumps to the Ki-sensitive pattern, supporting the hypothesis that interaction of the pumps with Lp antigens is responsible for the maturation of the pumps. Strong supportive evidence came from experiments on Na(+)-K+ pumps from rat kidney delivered into immature LK sheep red blood cells by microsome fusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Incorporation of 3H-N-ethylmaleimide into sheep red cell membrane thiol groups following protection by diamide-induced oxidation

The thiol oxidant diazene dicarboxylic acid bis [N,N-dimethylamide] (diamide) is known to reversibly activate K-Cl cotransport in sheep red blood cells. Although the detailed mechanism of activation is unknown, functional thiols at the membrane or at the cytoplasmic level are recognized as important. To search for membrane bound thiols involved in the regulation of K-Cl cotransport, sheep red cells were first exposed to diamide at concentrations activating K-Cl cotransport, and then to the alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) in order to block non-oxidized thiols. White ghosts, prepared by osmotic lysis from these cells, were again treated with NEM followed by reduction of the diamide-induced dithiols with dithiothreitol (DTT) concentrations known to reverse the diamide-induced K-Cl flux. Maximum 3H-NEM incorporation into the DTT-reduced thiols occurred at 50 microM DTT. Saturation labelling by 3H-NEM of about 2 x 10(4) diamide-protected thiols/cell occurred at 25 microM NEM. Diamide protected about 0.1% of all membrane thiols chemically determined earlier. Membranes from high K (HK) and low K (LK) sheep red cells did not differ significantly in the number of diamide-protected thiols, and polyacrylamide gels revealed a similar protein distribution of 3H-NEM-labelled thiols. Since diamide is known to stimulate K-Cl flux in LK cells ten times more than in HK cells this finding is consistent with the hypothesis of a cytoplasmic control effecting different K-Cl flux activities in the membranes of the two cation genotypic red blood cells.

Ion transport in sheep red blood cells

There is a polymorphism (HK/LK or high potassium/low potassium) of the cation concentrations in sheep red cells which also affects the cation transport pathways in these cells. The current status of understanding of two of these pathways in LK red cells, the Na/K pump and the K-Cl cotransporter, is summarized here. Recent results are presented on stimulation of the Na/K pump by insulin-like growth factor, and on the transduction mechanism by which changes in cell volume modulate the K-Cl cotransporter.

Decrease in Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase associated with maturation of sheep reticulocytes

Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase of immature and mature sheep red blood cells of both the high-K+ and low-K+ genotype and of immature cells matured in vitro was detected using polyclonal antiserum to purified sheep kidney Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. This antiserum detects both alpha (alpha 1)- and alpha + (alpha 2 and/or alpha 3)-isoforms of the catalytic subunit as well as the beta-subunit of brain and kidney Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. After sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting, a single major immunologically reactive component corresponding to the alpha-subunit was detected in membranes of immature and mature cells from sheep of both genotypes. Cells separated according to increasing density showed a corresponding decrease in ouabain binding sites on the cells and Na(+)-activated ATP hydrolysis of membranes isolated from the cells. A progressive decrease in immunologically reactive alpha-subunit was also observed. After in vitro culture of reticulocytes, reduction in ouabain binding to the cells was also associated with loss in alpha-subunit. As well, appearance of immunologically reactive alpha-subunit was detected in membranous material shed into the incubation medium, accounting for a fraction (less than or equal to 30%) of the material lost from the cells. Proteolytic sensitivity of the alpha-subunit indicates that, in this material, the cytoplasmic surface of the enzyme is exposed to the medium. The shed material was largely devoid of function as evidenced in little, if any, Na(+)-dependent phosphorylation of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. The existence in reticulocytes of an intracellular pool of ouabain binding sites was indicated by the transient appearance on the cell surface of ouabain binding sites after rapid ATP depletion and also after addition of chloroquine to cells during culture. Taken together, these findings indicate that the maturation-associated loss of sodium pump protein involves, at least partly, energy-dependent endocytosis and, presumably, processing whereby inactivation of function occurs as well as release of pump protein into the extracellular milieu.

Characteristics of ouabain binding to isolated trout hepatocytes

Na+, K+ exchanges were studied in isolated hepatocytes of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri. Ouabain at 10(-4) M produced maximal inhibition (95%) of K+ uptake and enhanced intracellular Na+ accumulation, showing that active fluxes account for a very large proportion of Na+ and K+ exchanges. Inhibition of the Na-K pump by ouabain was significant at low concentrations (10(-8) M). When external K+ concentration was reduced from 7 mM to 0.5 mM, half maximum inhibition (IC50) of K+ uptake was obtained at a 22-fold lower concentration of ouabain confirming that ouabain and potassium compete at the same pump site. Time-course analysis of [3H]ouabain binding indicated a two-component kinetics: one component saturable and dependent on K+ concentration in the medium, the other linear and independent of external K+. The ouabain binding site number, determined by Scatchard plots, remained constant (ca. 2.5 x 10(5) per cell) and independent of the external K+ concentration (7, 0.5 or 0 mM), while the dissociation constant (KD) decreased from 4.2 microM to 7.3 nM when K+ was removed from the Hank's medium. These ouabain binding sites are characterized by an exceptionally low turnover rate (400 min-1), as estimated from ouabain-sensitive K+ flux, in comparison to those described in other cell types of higher vertebrates. At each external K+ concentration studied, the inhibition of K+ uptake and ouabain binding measured as a function of ouabain concentration indicated a strict correlation between the degree of K pump inhibition and the amount of bound glycoside.

Potassium influx in human neonatal red blood cells. Partition into its major components

The potassium influx in human neonatal red blood cells (nRBC) shows an approximately 25% lower value compared to the total potassium influx in adult red blood cells (aRBC). The ouabain-sensitive potassium influx component represents approximately 70-75% of the total potassium influx for both types of cells but with an absolute value significantly lower in nRBC. In nRBC, the half maximum inhibitory effect for ouabain was obtained at a 10(-9) M concentration. The ouabain-insensitive nRBC potassium influx fractions showed two components: (i) a bumetanide-sensitive component, significantly lower than that of aRBC, (ii) a ouabain-bumetanide-insensitive (leak) component with a similar value in both cell types. The sum of the ouabain-sensitive and furosemide-sensitive components amounted in nRBC to a greater value than the total potassium influx. This behaviour could be interpreted as a superposition of the action of the inhibitors on the components affected.

Na+-K+ pump activities of high- and low-potassium sheep red cells with internal magnesium and calcium altered by A23187

1. Sheep erythrocytes were treated with the divalent metal ionophore A23187 to alter the cellular magnesium (Mgi) and calcium (Cai) composition. Ouabain-sensitive Na+-K+ pump fluxes were measured using rubidium as a potassium congener in media where Cl- was replaced by NO3-. 2. A23187, per se, had no effect on ouabain-sensitive rubidium influx. However, lowering the concentration of cellular magnesium [( Mg]i) and increasing that of calcium [( Ca]i) decreased Na+-K+ pump flux. 3. Ouabain-sensitive rubidium influx was found to be a saturating function of [Mg]i in high-potassium (HK) red cells with a Hill coefficient of about 1.8 and an apparent half-activation constant (K0.5) of 0.46 mmol/(l original cells). In low-potassium (LK) cells, in the absence and presence of the Na+-K+ pump stimulatory L-antibody, ouabain-sensitive rubidium influx was also saturated with Mgi yielding Hill coefficients of close to 1.8 and K0.5 values of 0.20 and 0.30 mmol/(l original cells), respectively. 4. When [Ca]i was raised at constant [Mg]i ouabain-sensitive rubidium influx was inhibited at about 700 mumol/(l cells) in both HK, and in anti-L-treated LK red cells. 5. These data exclude the possibility that the Na+-K+ pump turnover, known to be different in HK red cells, and in LK red cells in the absence and presence of anti-L (Joiner & Lauf, 1978b), is based on differences in the activation by MgATP, and that Cai interacts with the Na+-K+ pump cycle differently in the two red cell cation types.

High sensitivity of the Na+, K+-pump of human red blood cells to genins of cardiac glycosides

1. Four different cardiac glycosides (ouabain, digitoxin, digoxin and gitoxin) and their corresponding genins were tested on Na+, K+-pump fluxes measured under steady-state and initial rate conditions (non equilibrium conditions) in human and rat erythrocytes and in mouse macrophages. 2. In human red cells, Na+, K+-pump fluxes exhibited up to 8 fold higher sensitivity to genins than to glycosides. In addition genins, but not the corresponding glycosides, exhibited double reactivity with regard to the erythrocyte Na+, K+-pump (with the exception of gitoxigenin). A weak reactivity component was similar to the one of the corresponding glycosides (IC50 of about 10(-6) M) and a high reactivity component exhibited IC50 values varying from 0.1 to 0.5 X 10(-6) M for digitoxigenin and ouabagenin respectively. 3. In contrast with human red cells, the initial rate of Na+, K+-pump fluxes in rat erythrocytes and mouse macrophages was less sensitive to genins than to the corresponding cardiac glycosides. 4. Dihydroouabain was 3, 10 and 75 times less active than ouabain in inhibiting the initial rate of Na+, K+-pump fluxes in human and rat erythrocytes and in mouse macrophages respectively. 5. In conclusion, Na+, K+-pump fluxes measured under initial rate conditions in human erythrocytes exhibit an unusually high sensitivity to genins of cardiac glycosides. This property probably results from the fast binding rate constants of genins and the slow association rates of glycosides to human red cells.

Homogeneity of [3H]ouabain-binding sites in rat soleus muscle

Homogeneity or heterogeneity of rat soleus-muscle Na,K-ATPase (Na+ + K+-dependent ATPase) with respect to affinity for [3H]ouabain was evaluated. Since the standard method for measuring specific [3H]ouabain binding to rat skeletal-muscle samples includes subtraction of a value for non-specific [3H]ouabain uptake and retention, and a wash-out in the cold to remove [3H]ouabain from the extracellular phase, it was possible that these procedures could hide a class of [3H]ouabain-binding sites either with low affinity or with a rapid dissociation of [3H]ouabain. However, measurements of [3H]ouabain uptake and retention over the range 0.1-5 mM, as well as the omission of wash-out, gave no evidence for heterogeneity of [3H]ouabain-binding sites in rat soleus muscle. Furthermore, the observation of agreement between the uptake and retention of non-specific [3H]ouabain and of [14C]sucrose gave no evidence for the existence of a major pool of [3H]ouabain-binding sites with low affinity for [3H]ouabain. Assuming homogeneity, the total concentration of [3H]ouabain binding sites in soleus-muscle samples from 12-week-old rats is 278-359 pmol/g wet wt.

23Na-NMR studies of Na+ interaction with human red cell membranes from normotensives and hypertensives

Na+ interaction with unsealed human red cell ghosts has been studied by 23Na-NMR relaxation rate (R1) measurements. Data on a total of nine subjects including seven volunteer normotensives (NBP) and two untreated hypertensives (HBP) are presented. Qualitative treatment of the data gives information on the dynamic behavior of Na+ undergoing fast exchange between the free and bound states. The excess longitudinal relaxation rate (delta R)-1 plotted against total [Na+], known as the James-Noggle plot, exhibits different behavior for NBP and HBP ghosts, with a relatively low binding constant of approx. 100 M-1 for HBP (p less than 0.025) compared to a high constant of 500-1000 M-1 for NBP. To associate our NMR data with membrane-bound (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, 23Na relaxation rates were measured in the presence of 5 mM ouabain. James-Noggle plots constructed for ouabain-sensitive excess relaxation rates show the binding for NBP to be even high affinity (greater than 10(3) M-1) but low capacity. These data may suggest that for a given amount of intracellular Na+, the binding affinity could determine the distribution of Na+ between the membrane and cytoplasm, and that the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase which is primarily responsible for the Na+ affinity might assume an abnormal transport mechanism in HBP membranes.

Potassium accumulation by the glial membrane pump as revealed by membrane potential recording from isolated rabbit retinal Müller cells

Müller (glial) cells were isolated from rabbit retinae by papaine and mechanical dissociation. In a special perfusion chamber, the cells were penetrated with a recording electrode. When high-K+ solutions were applied into the environment of the cells by means of a second micropipette, the cell membrane depolarized strongly. During prolonged application of high-K+ solutions, however, there occurred a marked repolarization, and after cessation of high-K+ application, a strong hyperpolarization was observed. Both effects disappeared under the influence of ouabain, suggesting the accumulation of intracellular K+ by an active membrane pump. The data were used for calculation of the membrane's Na+:K+ permeability ratio, the intracellular K+ concentration, the pump rate and the mean pump site density. The calculated values are in good agreement with published data from mammalian astrocytes and are compared with those from amphibian Müller cells.

Intracellular potassium promotes antibody binding to an antigen associated with the Na/K pump of sheep erythrocytes

Anti-Lp antibody is known to bind to sheep red cells and to stimulate the Na/K pump. The antibody acts by reducing the affinity of the pumps for intracellular K as a noncompetitive inhibitor. We now show that intracellular K enhances the extent of anti-Lp binding to the pump-associated antigens. Cells made with approximately 60 mmol/1 K bound approximately 60% more anti-Lp than cells with O K; binding was assayed by measuring the extent of stimulation of the pump-mediated K influx.

Salt and acid studies on canine lingual epithelium

A section of dog tongue just anterior to the circumvallate papillae was placed in an Ussing chamber and characterized with respect to monovalent cation transport pathways, response to HCl, and the interaction between salt and acid for the purposes of determining whether ion transport through the tongue is related to the transduction process. The primary findings of this work follow. The stimulation of the short-circuit current (Isc) with decreasing pH on the dorsal surface results from a net Cl- efflux through an amiloride- and ouabain-insensitive pathway that changed its selectivity from cationic at neutral pH to anionic at lower pH values. The stimulation is abolished at isotonic NaCl concentrations. This behavior would not be predicted from the proton-binding model to a "sour receptor" as suggested by Beidler (Handbook of Sensory Physiology; Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1971). In symmetrical solutions of Krebs-Henseleit buffer, Isc is inhibited 30% by 10(-4) M amiloride on the mucosal side and 100% by 10(-3) M ouabain on the serosal side. These results coupled with net Cl- and Na+ flux measurements show that Isc is due to a net Cl- efflux. With 1.0 M NaCl on the dorsal side, 10(-4) M amiloride inhibits Isc 84%. In contrast, when the mucosal surface is bathed in KCl (1.0 M), CsCl (1.0 M), or HCl (10(-3) M), Isc is insensitive to both 10(-4) M amiloride and/or 10(-3) M ouabain. These data suggest that K+, Cs+, and H+ traverse the tongue through different pathways from Na+ and are not energized by a Na+ gradient.

Localization of the Na-K pump in turtle retina

The kinetics of ouabain binding to Na-K pump and the distribution of pump sites were examined in the retina of Pseudemys scripta elegans. Binding to retinal slices followed bimolecular kinetics characterized by a KD of 1.5 X 10(-6) M and a maximum binding capacity of 11.2 X 10(-8) mol g-1 of protein. Quantitative autoradiography of slices revealed a high concentration of bound ouabain in the inner segment, outer plexiform, inner plexiform and optic nerve layers, and correspondingly, a low level of binding in layers containing cell bodies. In the few instances that outer segments remained attached to cones, little or no binding to outer segments was observed. The membrane density of inner segment binding sites was measured by combining autoradiographic measurements of pump site concentration with stereological measurements of membrane concentration. The densities were 6.3 and 3.7 X 10(3) sites micron-2 of cone-ellipsoid and cone-fin cell membrane, respectively. The density of Müller cell microvilli was measured similarly but in enzymatically isolated cells and found to be 600 sites micron-2 of membrane. Measurements of Measurements of cone-ellipsoid pump site density in enzymatically isolated cones were not different from measurements in slices. Calculation of Na-K pump site turnover number for the cone inner segment from pump site densities and published dark current measurements yielded a value of 30 Hz.

Mechanism of alteration of sodium potassium pump of erythrocytes from patients with chronic renal failure

We examined intracellular electrolytes, K influx, and [3H]ouabain-binding capacity of erythrocytes from 32 normal subjects and 45 patients with end-stage renal failure on dialysis, including 16 with high intracellular Na (mean 17.3 +/- 3.9 mmol/liter cell water). The [3H]ouabain-binding capacity of erythrocytes with high cell Na was markedly reduced as compared with that of erythrocytes from normal subjects (274 +/- 52 vs. 455 +/- 59 sites/cell, P less than 0.001). The mean serum creatinine was higher in the uremic group with high cell Na. There was a significant linear correlation between intracellular Na and [3H]ouabain-binding in both normal and uremic subjects. Cross-incubation of normal cells with uremic plasma for 24 h failed to reduce [3H]ouabain-binding capacity of normal cells. In spite of a substantial increase in cell Na, K pump influx was not higher in uremic erythrocytes with high cell Na. When intracellular Na was altered with nystatin (cell Na equal to 120 mmol/liter cell water in both groups), K pump influx was proportional to the number of Na-K pump sites so that the ion turnover rate per pump site was similar in the two groups. Uremic plasma failed to depress K pump influx of normal erythrocytes. The passive net influx of Na in uremic cells with high intracellular Na was not different from that observed in erythrocytes from normal subjects. When erythrocytes were separated by age on Percoll density gradients, the number of Na-K pump sites of the youngest uremic cells was significantly lower than that of the youngest normal cells, suggesting that decreased synthesis of Na-K pump sites, rather than accelerated loss of Na-K pump sites during aging, was responsible for the decrease in [3H]ouabain-binding capacity of erythrocytes from uremic subjects. Taken together, these findings suggest that a decrease in the number of Na-K pump sites plays a major role in the abnormality of Na-K pump of erythrocytes from patients with chronic renal failure.

Stimulation of Na+-K+ pump in sheep red blood cells by heteroimmune anti-sheep red cell antibodies

In the HK-LK polymorphism of sheep red blood cells, alloimmune antiserum against the L antigen on LK cells is known to stimulate the Na+-K+ pump in low K+ (LK) cells, but alloimmune antiserum against the M antigen of high K+ (HK) cells does not. We have shown for the first time that heteroimmune antibodies against sheep red blood cells raised in mice can stimulate the pump. Heteroimmune antibodies against both LK(L) cells and HK(M) cells stimulated active K+ transport in LK cells. Furthermore heteroimmune antibodies against LK(L) cells also stimulated the pump in HK cells. As expected, alloimmune and heteroimmune antibodies acted at different sites in stimulating transport in LK cells.

The occlusion of sodium ions within the mammalian sodium-potassium pump: its role in sodium transport

The hypothesis that the ADP-sensitive form of phosphorylated Na+, K+-ATPase contains occluded sodium ions has been tested by a procedure which involves (i) modifying the enzyme with alpha-chymotrypsin or N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) so that the ADP-sensitive form is more stable than it is in the native enzyme, (ii) phosphorylating the modified enzyme with ATP in the presence of labelled sodium ions, and (iii) forcing the phosphorylated enzyme rapidly through a cation-exchange column and measuring the labelled sodium in the effluent. The results show that ADP-sensitive phosphoenzyme prepared from alpha-chymotrypsin- or NEM-modified Na+, K+-ATPase is able to carry labelled sodium ions through a cation-exchange resin. This behaviour was not seen with native Na+, K+-ATPase or when phosphorylation was prevented by the omission of magnesium ions or by the substitution of adenylyl(beta, gamma-methylene)diphosphonate (AMP-PCP) for ATP. The occluded sodium ions were rapidly released when the phosphoenzyme was dephosphorylated by ADP. When alpha-chymotrypsin-modified enzyme was phosphorylated by ATP with 1 mM-sodium in the medium, close to three sodium ions were occluded per phospho group. The stoicheiometry at much lower sodium concentrations could not be determined satisfactorily. A consideration of the rate constants of the reactions thought to be involved in the occlusion of sodium and in the release of sodium from the occluded state shows that, so far as they are known, these constants are compatible with the hypothesis that the occluded-sodium form of the phosphoenzyme plays a central role in sodium transport through the pump.

Thiol-dependent passive K/Cl transport in sheep red cells: I. Dependence on chloride and external ions

Treatment with 2 mM N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) caused a marked increase in K+ permeability of low K+ but not of high K+ sheep red cells suspended in isosmotic Cl- media with 10(-4) M ouabain. The Na+ permeability was unaltered. Kinetic analysis by K+ efflux and K+ or Rb+ influx measurements suggests that NEM primarily increased the bidirectional fluxes of K+ and Rb+, since (a) no significant change in the apparent external affinities of these ions was found, and (b) below unity, the observed flux ratios were close to those calculated from the Ussing relationship. Replacement of Cl- by NO3 abolished the NEM-stimulated and reduced the basal K+ flux rates. Similarly, 10(-3) M furosemide inhibited Cl- -dependent K+ fluxes in both control and NEM-treated LK red cells. Exposure of LK cells to hyposmotic but not to hyperosmotic salt solutions increased the basal Cl- dependent K+ flux twofold as reported by Dunham and Ellory (J. Physiol. (London) 318:511-530, 1981) but did not affect its fractional stimulation by NEM. The action of NEM is interpreted as a stimulation of a temperature-dependent and Cl- -requiring K+ transport pathway genetically preserved in adult LK but turned off in HK sheep red cells. In addition, common to both LK and HK sheep red cells was a basal K+ flux that operated in the presence of either Cl- or NO3-.

Energy depletion retards the loss of membrane transport during reticulocyte maturation

The effect of metabolic depletion on the maturation-associated loss of membrane functions has been studied by using sheep reticulocytes incubated in vitro at 37 degrees C for periods up to 41 hr. ATP was either maintained with glucose, adenosine plus inosine, or depleted with 2-deoxyglucose plus arsenate. Two membrane transport systems were studied: Na+-dependent glycine transport activity and the sodium pump, estimated from measurements of the number of [3H]ouabain binding sites per cell. Both transport systems were decreased during maturation. However, the decrease was much less in ATP-depleted cells compared to ATP-replete cells. It is concluded that the loss of certain functions during reticulocyte maturation is retarded by metabolic depletion.

Na+ K+ pump and passive K+ transport in large and small red cell populations of anemic high and low K+ sheep

Reticulocytes, isolated by centrifugal elutriation from massively bled sheep and identified by cytometric techniques, were analyzed with respect to their cation transport properties. In sheep with genetically high K+ (HK) or low K+ (LK) red cells, two reticulocyte types were distinguished by conventional or fluorescence-staining techniques 5-6 days after hemorrhage: Large reticulocytes as part of a newly formed macrocytic (M) erythrocyte population, and small reticulocytes present among the adult red cell population (volume population III of normal sheep blood, Valet et al., 1978). Although cellular reticulin disappeared within a few days, the M-cell population persisted throughout weeks in the peripheral circulation permitting a transport study of in vivo maturation. At all times, M cells of LK sheep had lower K+ and higher Na+ contents than M cells of HK sheep. Regardless of the sheep genotypes, M cells apparently reduced their volume during their first days in circulation; however, throughout the observation period, they did not attain that characteristic for adult red cells. Both ouabain-sensitive K+ pump and ouabain-insensitive K+ leak fluxes were elevated in M cells of both HK and LK sheep. The increased K+ pump flux was mainly due to higher K+ pump turnover rather than to the modestly increased number of pumps as measured by [3H]ouabain binding. In contrast, small reticulocytes enriched from separated volume population III cells by a Percoll-density gradient exhibited transport parameters close to their prospective mature HK or LK red cells. The data support the concept that the M cells derived from emergency reticulocytes while the small reticulocytes represented precursors of normal red cell maturation. The Na+ and K+ composition found in M cells of HK and LK sheep, respectively, suggest development of the LK steady state at or prior to the reticulocyte state, a finding consistent with that of Lee and Kirk (1982) on low K+ dog red cells.

[3H]Ouabain binding and Na+, K+-ATPase in resealed human red cell ghosts

The interaction of the cardiac glycoside [3H]ouabain with the Na+, K+ pump of resealed human erythrocyte ghosts was investigated. Binding of [3H]ouabain to high intracellular Na+ ghosts was studied in high extracellular Na+ media, a condition determined to produce maximal ouabain binding rates. Simultaneous examination of both the number of ouabain molecules bound per ghost and the corresponding inhibition of the Na+, K+-ATPase revealed that one molecule of [3H]ouabain inhibited one Na+, K+-ATPase complex. Intracellular magnesium or magnesium plus inorganic phosphate produced the lowest ouabain binding rate. Support of ouabain binding by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was negligible, provided synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through the residual adenylate kinase activity was prevented by the adenylate kinase inhibitor Ap5A. Uridine 5'-triphosphate (UTP) alone did not support ouabain binding after inhibition of the endogenous nucleoside diphosphokinase by trypan blue and depletion of residual ATP by the incorporation of hexokinase and glucose. ATP acting solely at the high-affinity binding site of the Na+, K+ pump (Km approximately 1 microM) promoted maximal [3H]ouabain binding rates. Failure of 5'-adenylyl-beta-gamma-imidophosphate (AMP-PNP) to stimulate significantly the rate of ouabain binding suggests that phosphorylation of the pump was required to expose the ouabain receptor.

The K+-induced apparent heterogeneity of high-affinity nucleotide-binding sites in (Na+ + K+)-ATPase can only be due to the oligomeric structure of the enzyme

K+ induces an apparent heterogeneity among an otherwise homogeneous population of nucleotide-binding sites in (Na+ + K+)-ATPase preparations from pig kidney. With the help of ouabain we show that this heterogeneity cannot be due to a mixture of different and independent sites and conclude that each enzyme molecule must contain two nucleotide site-containing units that show interaction. Na+ induces an apparent heterogeneity among an otherwise homogeneous population of ouabain-binding sites. The argument is, therefore, extended to include one ouabain site on each of the structural units that bind nucleotide. All these structural units are shown to hydrolyse substrate at identical rates. Using the presently available molecular weight data, it is concluded that the enzyme is composed of two subunits each possessing one nucleotide-binding site, one ouabain-binding site, one alpha-peptide and the capacity for hydrolysing ATP and p-nitrophenyl phosphate.

Evidence for metal inhibition of tumour membrane-bound neutral protease and the control of tumour-induced target cell cytolysis

Previous studies have characterized the enzymatic properties and inhibition of a trypsin-like neutral protease on the surface of Ehrlich ascites cells by means of kinetic analysis. The present study links these kinetic studies with the recently reported role of a tumour-cell membrane-bound serine protease in tumour-induced target cell lysis. Low-mol.-wt inhibitors of this cell-surface trypsin-like neutral protease exhibited a corresponding ability to prevent tumour-induced haemolysis. High-mol.-wt inhibitors of trypsin in free solution had no inhibitory action either on the tumour-bound enzyme or on the ability of tumour cells to lyse erythrocytes. Fragments of tumour-cell membrane retain both the trypsin-like neutral protease activity and the ability for haemolysis. This study represents a correlation between an easily assayed membrane-bound enzyme on tumour cells and a function of possible biological relevance.

Evidence for carriage of silver by sulphadimidine: haemolysis of human erythrocytes

1 Human erythrocytes suspended in isotonic saline haemolyse in the presence of both Ag+ ions and sulphadimidine. 2 Neither Ag+ ions nor sulphadimidine on their own will haemolyse erythrocytes suspended in isotonic saline. 3 At constant Ag+ ion concentration the degree of haemolysis of saline-suspended erythrocytes depends upon the concentration of sulphadimidine. 4 Human erythrocytes suspended in isotonic sucrose (chloride-free) haemolyse in the presence of Ag+ ions. 5 Sulphadimidine in chloride-free sucrose competes with erythrocytes for Ag+ ions resulting in stoichiometric protection of the erythrocytes from the haemolytic action of Ag+ ions. 6 Haemolysis occurs when each erythrocyte receives approximately 1.2 X 10(9) Ag+ ions whether suspended in saline or sucrose. 7 Sulphadimidine acts as a carrier for Ag+ ions and so prevents their precipitation as AgCl when erythrocytes are suspended in saline.

Kinetics of the sodium pump in red cells of different temperature sensitivity

Ouabain-sensitive K influx into ground squirrel and guinea pig red cells was measured at 5 and 37 degrees C as a function of external K and internal Na. In both species the external K affinity increases on cooling, being three- and fivefold higher in guinea pig and ground squirrel, respectively, at 5 than at 37 degrees C. Internal Na affinity also increased on cooling, by about the same extent. The effect of internal Na on ouabain-sensitive K influx in guinea pig cells fits a cubic Michaelis-Menten-type equation, but in ground squirrel cells this was true only at high [Na]i. There was still significant ouabain-sensitive K influx at low [Na]i. Ouabain-binding experiments indicated around 800 sites/cell for guinea pig and Columbian ground squirrel erythrocytes, and 280 sites/cell for thirteen-lined ground squirrel cells. There was no significant difference in ouabain bound per cell at 37 and 5 degrees C. Calculated turnover numbers for Columbian and thirteen-lined ground squirrel and guinea pig red cell sodium pumps at 37 degrees C were about equal, being 77-100 and 100-129 s-1, respectively. At 5 degrees C red cells from ground squirrels performed significantly better, the turnover numbers being 1.0-2.3 s-1 compared with 0.42-0.47 s-1 for erythrocytes of guinea pig. The results do not accord with a hypothesis that cold-sensitive Na pumps are blocked in one predominant form.

Glucocorticoid-induced alterations in the sodium potassium pump of the human erythrocyte

To evaluate the effects of glucocorticoids on the Na-K pump in human subjects, were evaluated the intracellular sodium and potassium, 42K influx across and the [3H]ouabain binding to cell membranes of intact human erythrocytes from a group of subjects taking glucocorticoids and a group of normal subjects. Intracellular sodium concentration was lower (7.2 +/- 0.4 vs. 10.9 +/- 0.2 mmol/liter cell water) and intracellular potassium concentration higher (149.8 +/- 1.5 vs. 137.2 +/- 1.2 mmol/liter cell water) in erythrocytes from steroid-treated patients. In spite of a significantly decrease intracellular sodium which normally diminishes ouabain-sensitive 42K influx, the ouabain-sensitive K influx was unchanged in erythrocytes from the steroid-treated group. Maximum [3H]ouabain binding was markedly higher in the steroid-treated group (835 +/- 44 vs. 449 +/- 11 sites/cell). There was close linear correlation between [3H]ouabain binding and inhibition of K pump, suggesting the specificity of ouabain binding to Na-K pump sites on the cell membrane. Association kinetics for ouabain were similar in the two groups despite the marked difference in the amount of [3H]ouabain binding. External potassium concentration required for half-maximum ouabain-sensitive K influx was identical in the two groups. Thus, the additional Na-K pump sites in the steroid-treated group were qualitatively similar to those in normals. These results suggest that administration of glucocorticoids leads to an increase in the number of Na-K pump sites. The increase in the number of Na-K pump sites may explain the low levels of intracellular sodium and higher cell potassium observed in steroid-treated subjects.

Microscopical methods for the localization of Na+,K+-ATPase

Na+,K+-ATPase plays a central role in the ionic and osmotic homeostasis of cells and in the movements of electrolytes and water across epithelial boundaries. Microscopic localization of the enzyme is, therefore, of crucial importance in establishing the subcellular routes of electrolyte flow across structurally complex and functionally polarized epithelia. Recently developed approaches to the localization of Na+,K+-ATPase are reviewed. These methods rely on different properties of the enzyme and encompass cytochemical localization of the K+-dependent nitrophenylphosphatase component of the enzyme, autoradiographic localization of tritiated ouabain binding sites, and immunocytochemical localization of the holoenzyme and of its catalytic subunit. The rationales for each of these techniques are outlined as are the criteria that have been established to validate each method. The observed localization of NA+,K+-ATPase in various tissues is discussed, particularly as it relative to putative and hypothetical mechanisms that are currently thought to mediate reabsorptive and secretory electrolyte transport.

Properties of the M antigen solubilized from genetically high potassium sheep red cells

The M antigen genetically associated with the high potassium (HK) status of sheep red cells was solubilized in 0.5% Triton X-100. This procedure did not impair M-antibody binding in the presence of detergent because solubilized membranes bound M-antibody in units equivalent to control membranes. As judged by M-antibody binding, the antigen was found to be stable in 0.5% Triton X-100 at 4 degree C but lost its activity rapidly at 37 degree C or when diluted to low detergent concentrations. However, the formation of the M antigen-antibody complex prior to dilution or exposure to elevated temperature protected the M antigen from inactivation. Brief exposure to alkaline pH released the extrinsic membrane proteins from red cell membranes without solubilizing the M antigen. The intrinsic membrane proteins were further separated by ion exchange chromatography on Affi-Gel 102. M antigenic activity copurified with the sheep specific protein band 2.2 band 6, and the glycoproteins and appeared to be separate from the main portion of band 3 protein.

Cation transport in different volume populations of genetically low K+ lamb red cells

During the first three months after birth lambs produce sequentially three erythrocyte populations of different mean volume as demonstrated by electric sizing methods (Valet, Franz, and Lauf, J. Cell. Physiol. 94 (1978) 215). We separated by centrifugal elutriation the small volume population (type II) red cells of a genotypically low K+ (LK) lamb from the population containing the larger volume type I and III cells, an admixture of fetal (I) and adult (III) erythrocytes. The cells were separated at various time intervals after birth and analyzed with respect to their volumes, cation contents, and cation flux properties by means of 86Rb uptake. The effect of anti-L on K+ pump and leak fluxes was ascertained in unseparated and separated red cells. It was found that the small red cells of population II, transiently present for several weeks, were fully developed LK cells with K+ pumps responding characteristically to the stimulatory action of anti-L. In constrast, the larger cells of population I and III were of high K+ (HK) nature at early time points, the K+ pump activities approximately ten times higher than adult LK cells. These cells constitute an admixture of type I fetal HK cells, and type III reticulocytes which are precursors for the final type III adult LK cells, since anti-L had a small stimulatory effect. At later times, however, only adult type III LK cells predominated. The data directly support our earlier finding that the HK-LK transition in genotypically LK lambs is primarily governed by cellular replacement.

LK sheep reticulocytosis: effect of anti-L on K influx and in vitro maturation

After massive hemorrhage, adult sheep with genotypically low potassium (LK) red cells temporarily produce high potassium (HK) cells with ouabain-sensitive K+ pump fluxes equivalent to mature HK red cells. In light of recent reports of different red cell volume populations accompanying the HK-LK transition also occurring in newborn LK sheep and the unresolved controversy over the effect of anti-L on K+ transport in these immature red cells, we have reexamined the K+ transport changes and the effect of anti-L in the newly formed HK cells at various times after anemic stress and under in vitro conditions. We found that approximately 7 d after bleeding, maximum reticulocytosis occurred in the peripheral blood. After separation by density centrifugation, the top 10% cell fraction contained 100% reticulocytes, with a mean cell volume 2.5 times larger than that of mature erythrocytes. These immature red cells were of HK type, and their K+ pump and leak fluxes were 30 and 10 times higher, respectively, than those found in mature LK cells. The new cells may possess HK- and LK-type pumps because K+ pump influx was significantly stimulated by anti-L. When separated by density centrifugation on days 9, 17, and 23 after bleeding, some of the cells apparently maintained their large size while gaining higher density. Large cells from day 9, kept in vitro for 22 h, showed anti-L-sensitive K+ pump and leak fluxes that declined within hours, paralleling the behavior of these cells in vivo, whereas cellular K+ levels changed much less. It is concluded that the newly formed red cells may belong to a stress-induced macrocytic cell population that does not acquire all of the characteristics of adult LK cells.

Structural and functional membrane polarity in cultured monolayers of MDCK cells

MDCK cells form monolayers which have many of the properties usually found in transporting epithelia. The present article is devoted to the study of the structural and functional polarization of MDCK cells, which is one of the central features of transporting epithelia. The results show: (i) that MDCK monolayers transport 2.6 mumol hr-1 cm-2 of sodium in the apical to basolateral direction; (ii) the passive flux of this ion is relatively large (20.3 mole hr-1 cm-2), which is a characteristic of leaky epithelia; (iii) a large fraction of the penetration of sodium into the cells proceeds through an amiloride-sensitive channel, and the exit is operated mainly by a ouabain-sensitive pump; (iv) the net transport of sodium from the apical to the basolateral side agrees with the asymmetric labeling of the pumps with 3H-ouabain; (v) this asymmetric labeling agrees, in turn, with a higher concentration of intramembrane particles (IMPs) in freeze-fracture replicas of the basolateral side of the plasma membrane; (vi) the structural polarization of confluent MDCK cells is also revealed by the location of microvilli, occluding junctions, and pinocytotic vesicles; and (vii) the presence of a continuous ring formed by actin microfilaments visualized by immunofluorescence under the lateral aspect of the plasma membrane that may be related to the distribution of the occluding junctions, which act as barriers separating apical from basolateral membrane components.

Some characteristics of Na/K-ATPase from rat intestinal basal lateral membranes

Basal lateral membrane vesicles were isolated from rat intestinal epithelial cells. The sodium potassium triphosphatase (Na/K-ATPase) of these plasma membranes has been characterized by (1) the molecular weight of the phosphorylated intermediate, (2) the sensitivity of the phosphorylated intermediate to hydroxylamine, (3) its ouabain binding constants, and (4) its susceptibility to digestion by pronase. The phosphorylated intermediate was shown by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to be a protein of 100,000 Daltons apparent mol wt. Its extensive hydrolysis in hydroxylamine demonstrated that it was an acyl phosphate. The isolated basal lateral membranes bound ouabain with a dissociation constant, Km (1.5 x 10(5) M), similar to the inhibitory constant KI (3 X 10(-5) M), measured for ouabain inhibition of the Na/K-ATPase activity. The association rate constant measured for ouabaiation rate constants reported for other tissues and species. The high dissociation rate constant 3.6 x 10(-2) sec-1, is consistent with the insensitivity of the rat to ouabain. Digestion of the intact cells by pronase yielded basal lateral membranes in which the Na/K-ATPase had been unaffected. The phosphorylated intermediate ran as a sharp band at 100,000 Daltons on electrophoresis, and the ouabain dissociation constant appeared to be unchanged. In these membranes, protein stains of polyacrylamide gels revealed digestion of the major high mol wt proteins including the major protein at 100,000 Daltons. This suggests that the Na/K-ATPase represents a minor component, less than 1%, of the basal lateral membrane protein. From these characteristics of the phosphorylated intermediate and the ouabain binding constants, we conclude that the Na/K-ATPase of the basal lateral membranes of rat intestinal epithelial cells is similar to that found in other tissues and species. Estimates of the number of pump sites and the turnover number predict rates of Na transport that are consistent with observed values.