Amino group modification of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase

Sodium- and potassium-activated ATPase in the mammalian vestibular system

Autoradiographic and cytochemical procedures were employed to determine the cellular distribution of the Na,K-ATPase enzyme in the mammalian vestibular system. A light-microscope survey of vestibular tissues incubated with [(3)H]ouabain shows high densities of ouabain binding sites within the dark cell epithelium (DC) of the ampullae of the semi-circular canals, and to a lesser extent, the DC of the utricular macula. A moderate number of binding sites was found in nerve fibers penetrating the connective tissue beneath the sensory epithelium (SE) of the ampullae and the maculae. A small number of binding sites is distributed in the deep portion of the SE, both in the ampullae and in the maculae. These latter binding sites seem to be associated with nerve terminals and receptor cells. At the ultrastructural level, the vestibular dark cells exhibit extensive basolateral membrane infolding, a morphological hallmark of cells engaged in trans-epithelial ion transport. The cytochemical reaction product is K(+)-dependent, ouabain inhibitable, and is restricted to the basolateral membrane extensions, with little or no product on the luminal membrane. The extent of membrane infolding in dark cells of the utricle is less pronounced than that of the ampullar dark cells and the intensity of the cytochemical reaction appears to correlate with the extent of membrane infolding. The results support the widely held hypothesis that the vestibular dark cells play a role in endolymph production. They also suggest that the vestibular sensory epithelia may be a site of ion exchange.

Inhibition of (Na/K)-ATPase by electrophilic substances: functional implications

The effect of electrophilic substances: p-bromophenylisothiocyanate (PBITC); fluoresceinisothiocyanate (FITC); [4-isothiocyanatophenyl-(6-thioureidohexyl)-carbamoylmethyl] -ATP (ATPITC); 2,4,6-trinitrobezenesulfonic acid (TNBS); 1-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-phenylsulfonyl-2-furylcarbonyl ethylene (FE1); 1-(5-phenylsulfonyl-2-furyl)-2-phenylsulfonyl-2-furylcarb onyl ethylene (FE2) and 1-(5-phenylsulfonyl-2-furyl)-2-phenylsulfonyl-2-tienocarb onyl ethylene (FE3) on the sarcolemmal (Na/K)-ATPase isolated from guinea-pig hearts was studied. FITC and PBITC were found to inhibit competitively the activation of (Na/K)-ATPase by ATP. Being for the enzyme inhibitor and substrate at the same time ATPITC does not offered clear kinetic behavior. However, the activation of (Na/K)-ATPase by sodium and potassium ions was inhibited non-competitively by all three isothiocyanates. These data indicated that isothiocyanates may interact predominantly in the ATP-binding site of the enzyme molecule. In contrary to isothiocyanates TNBS and FE1 (FE2 and FE3 were ineffective) inhibited the activation of (Na/K)-ATPase by ATP non-competitively i.e., their interaction in the ATP-binding site seemed to be improbable. Nevertheless, TNBS and FE1 both manifested affinities to that moiety of (Na/K)-ATPase molecule which is binding potassium. More specific was the effect of FE1 that showed clearly competitive inhibition of potassium-stimulation of the enzyme activity. FE1 exerted also an ouabain-like effect on the mechanical activity of isolated perfused guinea-pig heart. This result indicates that FE1 seems to exert a selective inhibition of the (Na/K)-ATPase not only in vitro but also in integrated cardiac tissue.

Principles of selectivity of sodium and potassium binding sites of the Na+/K+-ATPase. A corollary hypothesis

The mechanisms whereby the sodium and potassium binding sites of heart sacrolemmal Na+/K+-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) distinguished between monovalent cations were investigated using methods of enzyme kinetics. The properties of the sodium binding sites were studied in the presence of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid in concentrations completely inhibiting the action of potassium on the enzyme. To test the selectivity of potassium binding sites, K+-p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity was employed as a model. The results suggest that the selectivity of Na+- and K+-binding sites of Na+/K+-ATPase may be due to two independent mechanisms: (i) The principle of key and lock (formation of coordination bounds); (ii) Optimal difference between solvatation energy (in the specific binding site) and hydration enthalpy of the respective cation.