Mikael Esmann

The Na,K-ATPase

The energy dependent exchange of cytoplasmic Na+ for extracellular K+ in mammalian cells is due to a membrane bound enzyme system, the Na,K-ATPase. The exchange sustains a gradient for Na+ into and for K+ out of the cell, and this is used as an energy source for creation of the membrane potential, for its de- and repolarisation, for regulation of cytoplasmic ionic composition and for transepithelial transport. The Na,K-ATPase consists of two membrane spanning polypeptides, an α-subunit of 112-kD and a β-subunit, which is a glycoprotein of 35-kD. The catalytic properties are associated with the α-subunit, which has the binding domain for ATP and the cations. In the review, attention will be given to the biochemical characterization of the reaction mechanism underlying the coupling between hydrolysis of the substate ATP and transport of Na+ and K+.

Preparation of membrane-bound and of solubilized (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from rectal glands of Squalus acanthias. The effect of preparative procedures on purity, specific and molar activity.

Abstract A simple method is described for the routine preparation of larger quantities of purified (Na + + K + )-ATPase from the rectal glands from Squalus acanthias and for solubilization of the purified enzyme in a highly active form. Microsomes are prepared by homogenization of the glands in a Waring Blendor followed by differential centrifugation. They keep their activity for years when stored at −70°C. Based on the earlier method (Jorgensen, P.L. and Skou, J.C. (1971) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 233, 366–380), enzyme with a specific activity of 1500 μmol Pi · mg−1 protein · h−1 was prepared by treating the microsomes with low concentrations of deoxycholate followed by differential centrifugation, and with a yield of 70% of the activity in the deoxycholate-treated microsomes. The purified enzyme can be dissolved in deoxycholate in the presence of cholesterol, and after a single centrifugation to remove undissolved enzyme, the specific activity of the solubilized enzyme is increased to 2400–2600 μmol Pi · mg−1 protein · h−1. Precipitation of the solubilized enzyme leads to a decrease in specific activity to 1500 μmol Pi · mg−1 protein · h−1 and to a decrease in molar activity.

Eosin, a fluorescent probe of ATP binding to the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase

Abstract (1) Eosin bound to the ( Na + + K + )- ATPase in the presence of K+ has practically the same fluorescence as eosin without enzyme while in the presence of Na+ the fluorescence is higher, the excitation maximum is shifted from 518 to 524 nm, the emission maximum from 538 to 542 nm, and a shoulder appears at about 490 nm on the excitation curve. (2) The amount of eosin bound increases with the K+ concentration but with a low affinity. With equal concentrations of Na+ and K+ more is bound in the presence of Na+, and the difference between 150 mM Na+ and 150 mM K+ shows one high-affinity eosin binding site per 32P-labelling site ( K D 0.45 μM). With lower concentrations of the cations there are between one and two Na+-dependent high-affinity eosin binding sites per 32P-labelling site. (3) ATP (and ADP) prevents the hig-affinity Na+-dependent eosin binding and there is competition between eosin and ATP for the hydrolysis in the presence of Na+ (+Mg2+). (4) Eosin, like ATP, increases the Na+ relative to K+ affinity ( Na + + K + = 150 mM ) for Na+ activation of hydrolysis and for Na+ protection against inactivation by N- ethylmaleimide . (5) The results suggest that the high affinity eosin binding site is an ATP binding site and that it is located on the enzyme in an environment with a low polarity, i.e., the conformational change induced by Na+ opens a high-affinity site for ATP while K+ closes the site (or decreases the affinity to a low level). The experiments suggest, furthermore, that the ATP which increases the Na+ relative to K+ affinity of the internal sites is not the ATP which is hydrolyzed, i.e., in a turnover cycle in the presence of Na + + K + the system reacts with two different ATP molecules.

Structural insights into the high affinity binding of cardiotonic steroids to the Na+,K+-ATPase.

The Na+,K+-ATPase belongs to the P-ATPase family, whose characteristic property is the formation of a phosphorylated intermediate. The enzyme is also a defined target for cardiotonic steroids which inhibit its functional activity and initiate intracellular signaling. Here we describe the 4.6 Å resolution crystal structure of the pig kidney Na+,K+-ATPase in its phosphorylated form stabilized by high affinity binding of the cardiotonic steroid ouabain. The steroid binds to a site formed at transmembrane segments αM1-αM6, plugging the ion pathway from the extracellular side. This structure differs from the previously reported low affinity complex with potassium. Most importantly, the A domain has rotated in response to phosphorylation and αM1-2 move towards the ouabain molecule, providing for high affinity interactions and closing the ion pathway from the extracellular side. The observed re-arrangements of the Na+,K+-ATPase stabilized by cardiotonic steroids may affect protein-protein interactions within the intracellular signal transduction networks.

Solubilization and molecular weight determination of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from rectal glands of Squalus acanthias

The membrane-bound (Na+ + K+)-activated ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) system was treated with the nonionic detergent octaethylene-glycoldodecyl ether, yielding a transparent supernatant after centrifugation. The supernatant was highly active with both ATPase and p-nitrophenylphosphatase, with initial specific activities of 2300 mumol Pi released . mg-1 protein. h-1 and 350 mumol p-nitrophenol released.mg-1 protein.h-1, respectively. The supernatant was purified to 95--100%, with respect to the 96 000 dalton and the 56 000 dalton peptides. The solubilized enzyme was gel filtered in Sepharose 4B-Cl and displayed 2 peaks, both with catalytic activity. The low molecular weight particles eluted at Kav = 0.54, corresponding to a molecular weight of approximately 500 000 daltons and the particles had a specific activity of 2100 mumol Pi.mg-1 protein.h-1. Both peaks contained phospholipid with 60 mol phospholipid bound per 300 000 g protein. The low molecular weight particles had a molecular weight of 276 000 as determined by sedimentation equilibrium analysis.

Temperature-dependencies of various catalytic activities of membrane-bound Na+/K+-ATPase from ox brain, ox kidney and shark rectal gland and of C12E8-solubilized shark Na+/K+-ATPase

The temperature dependence of ouabain-sensitive ATPase and phosphatase activities of membrane fragments containing the Na+/K+-ATPase were investigated in tissue from ox kidney, ox brain and from shark rectal glands. The shark enzyme was also tested in solubilized form. Arrhenius plots of the Na+/K+-ATPase activity seem to be linear up to about 20 degrees C, and non-linear above this temperature. The Arrhenius plots of mammalian enzyme (ox brain and kidney) were steeper, especially at temperatures below 20-30 degrees C, than that of shark enzyme. The Na+-ATPase activity showed a weaker temperature-dependence than the Na+/K+-ATPase activity. The phosphatase reactions measured, K+-stimulated, Na+/K+-stimulated and Na+/K+/ATP-stimulated, also showed a weaker temperature-dependence than the overall Na+/K+-ATPase activity. Among the phosphatase reactions, the largest change in slope of the Arrhenius plot was observed with the Na+/K+/ATP)-stimulated phosphatase reaction. The Arrhenius plots of the partial reactions were all non-linear. Solubilization of shark enzyme in C12E8 did not change the curvature of Arrhenius plots of the Na+/K+-ATPase activity or the K+-phosphatase activity. Since solubilization involves a disruption of the membrane and an 80% delipidation, the observed curvature of the Arrhenius plot can not be attributed to a property of the membrane as such.

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.

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.

Sulphydryl groups of (Na+ +K+)-ATPase from rectal glands of Squalus acanthias: Titrations and classification

1. (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from rectal glands of Squalus acanthias contains 34 SH groups per mol (Mr 265000). 15 are located on the alpha subunit (Mr 106000) and two on the beta subunit (Mr 40000). The beta subunit also contains one disulphide bridge. 2. The reaction of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase with N-ethylmaleimide shows the existence of at least three classes of SH groups. Class I contains two SH groups on each alpha subunit and one on each beta subunit. Reaction of these groups with N-ethylmaleimide in the presence of 40% glycerol or sucrose does not alter the enzyme activity. Class II contains four SH groups on each alpha subunit, and the reaction of these groups with 0.1 mM N-ethylmaleimide in the presence of 150 mM K+ leads to an enzyme species with about 16% activity. The remaining enzyme activity can be completely abolished by reaction with 5-10 mM N-ethylmaleimide, indicating a third class of SH groups (Class III). This pattern of inactivation is different from that of the kidney enzyme, where only one class of SH groups essential to activity is observed. 3. It is also shown that N-ethylmaleimide and DTNB inactivate by reacting with the same Class II SH groups. 4. Spin-labelling of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase with a maleimide derivative shows that Class II groups are mostly buried in the membrane, whereas Class I groups are more exposed. It is also shown that spin label bound to the Class I groups can monitor the difference between the Na+- and K+-forms of the enzyme.

Effect of magnesium ions on the high-affinity binding of eosin to the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase

(1) The fluorescence of eosin Y in the presence of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase is enhanced by Mg2+. The enhancement by Mg2+ is larger than that obtained with Na+ (Skou, J.C. and Esmann, M. (1981) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 647, 232-240). Mg2+ shifts the excitation maximum from 518 to 524 nm, the emission maximum from 538 to 542 nm. Also a shoulder appears at about 490 nm on the excitation curve, as was also observed with Na+. (2) The Mg2+-dependent enhancement of fluorescence can be reversed by K+ as well as by ATP. In the presence of Mg2+ + Pi (i.e. under conditions of phosphorylation), the fluorescence enhancement can be reversed by ouabain. With Mg2+ and a low concentration of K+ (i.e. conditions for vanadate binding), the enhancement of fluorescence can be reversed by vanadate. (3) There is a low-affinity binding of eosin which increases with the Mg2+ concentration. This is observed as a slight increase in the fluorescence when the excitation wavelength is above 520 nm. The low-affinity binding is K+-, ATP-, ouabain- and vanadate-insensitive. (4) Scatchard analysis of the binding experiments suggests that there are two high-affinity eosin-binding sites per 32P-labelling site in the presence of 5 mM Mg2+ both of which are ouabain-, vanadate- and ATP-sensitive. With 5 mM Mg2+ + 0.25 Pi, the Kd values are 0.14 microM and 1.3 microM, respectively. With 5 mM Mg2+, 150 mM Na+, the Kd values are 0.45 microM and 3.2 microM, respectively. With 5 mM Mg2+, the addition of K+ gives a pronounced decrease in affinity but does not decrease the number of binding sites (which remains at two per 32P-labelling site). With 5 mM Mg2+ + 150 mM K+, the affinities of the two binding sites become identical, at a Kd of 17 microM. (5) The rate of conformational transitions was measured using the stopped-flow method. The rate of the transition from the Mg2+-form to the K+-form is high. Oligomycin has only a small (if any) effect on the rate. Addition of Na+ in the presence of Mg2+ does not appreciably change the rate of conversion to the K+-form, giving a rate constant of about 110 s-1. However, the addition of oligomycin in the presence of Mg2+ + Na+ had a profound effect: the rate of conversion to the K+-form was decreased by a factor of 2000 to about 0.063 s-1. This suggests that the conformation with Mg2+ alone is different from the conformation with Na+ alone. (6) The effects of K+, ouabain, vanadate and ATP on the high-affinity binding of eosin suggest that the two eosin molecules bound per 32P-labelling site are bound to ATP sites.