NA + -selective ionophoric material derived from electric organ and kidney membranes

Odorous chemical perturbations of (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATPase activities. Effects on native and lipid-substituted preparations from individual turbinals from dog olfactory tissue

Individual turbinals from the right and left sides of dog olfactory tissue were removed and nerve-ending-particle preparations were prepared. (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATPase activities of the individual preparations, and the effect of several odorous compounds [including (+)- and (-)-carvone] on the (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATPase activities, were determined. The maximally stimulatory odorant concentration in the reaction mixture for the majority of odorants was found to be 1.0 mM. Matched pairs of left/right turbinals showed a lack of bilateral symmetry of response. (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATPase activities of various dog brain nerve-ending particle preparations responded only slightly to 1.0 mM odorants. The role of phospholipids in the (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATPase activity was found to be critical. Partial replacement of endogenous lipid with either synthetic phospholipids or extracted lipids resulted in changes in stimulation obtained with endogenous lipids alone.

A potassium ionophore (Nigericin) inhibits stimulation of human lymphocytes by mitogens

Nigericin, an ionophore that exchanges K+ for H+ across most biologic membranes, reversibly inhibited the proliferative response of human lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Inhibition occurred at nigericin concentrations of 10(-8) M or greater, and only during the early event of mitogenesis. There was no effect if nigericin was added 24 h or later after the initiation of PHA-stimulated cultures. The effect was not the result of toxicity or impaired mitochondrial respiration. At similar concentrations, nigericin also inhibited lymphocyte responses in mixed lymphocyte cultures and to other mitogens including concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen, and the calcium ionophore A23187. The findings support the view that one or more transmembranous events, mediated by changes in cation flux and/or membrane potential, are critical in the initial stages of lymphocyte mitogenesis.

Electrogenesis from an ATPase-ATP-sodium pseudo pump

The short circuit current and the open circuit voltage responses of membranes to ATP, which have been attributed to membrane ATPase acting as a sodium pump, have been reproduced not only in a lipid membrane containing solubilized ATPase but also in membranes formed of the phospholipids contained in ATPase. The response is greatest with cardiolipin, but occurs with other acidic phospholipids. This observation of electrogenesis without hydrolysis is a surface phenomenon probably due to the alignment of ATP on the phospholipid by ion association at its interface with the water phase. The finding constitutes a precaution for interpreting studies of membrane Na-K-ATPase or for its incorporation into an artificial membrane. The substances necessary for electrogenesis are present at the mitochondrial membrane, and the particular orientation of the ATP on the phospholipids in vitro suggests a role for this ion association in the function of Na-K-ATPase.

A potassium ionophore (valinomycin) inhibits lymphocyte proliferation by its effects on the cell membrane

Valinomycin is a depsipeptide antibiotic which selectively translocates potassium across biologic membranes. This potassium ionophore was observed to inhibit phytohemagglutinin-stimulated blastogenesis and proliferation in human lymphocytes. The effect was not due to toxicity to the cells, nor appeared to be due to the effects of valinomycin as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect on phytohemagglutinin stimulated lymphocytes was prevented by increasing the potassium concentration of the external media. These results suggest that the interaction of mitogens with specific receptors at the cell membrane may involve mechanisms affecting cation fluxes and membrane potential. These ionic events may play a role in the transduction of membrane signals for lymphocyte stimulation.

Isolation, properties, and structural features of divalent cation ionophores derived from beef heart mitochondria

The notion of small molecular weight ion carriers in biological systems is herein documented by a description of the isolation and ionophoretic properties of a family of oxyoctadecadienoate congeners derived from beef-heart mitochondria. Although certain members of this family of compounds have been shown to possess unique ionophoretic properties, one should not lose sight of the fact that the compounds that we have described represented only a portion of the total picture. Other chemically unrelated, yet structurally unknown species have been isolated from beef-heart mitochondria, and compounds similar in both chromatographic and spectroscopic properties to the oxyoctadecadienoate family, as well as other unique structures, have been isolated in our laboratory from sarcoplasmic reticulum and chloroplasts. The important points to be derived from these findings are that there is an apparent abundance of natural ionophores and we should no longer concern should address ourselves to the more relevant task of digging them out and ourselves with the question "are there ionophores in biological systems?" but describing their chemical and physical properties. In view of the apparent abundance of natural ionophores, this is an enormous task, especially when one considers that it only represents half of the problem. The isolation and description of the ionophoroprotein or channel-forming complexes share equally in the overall significance and level of understanding attributable to this area of inquiry and it would appear that many fruitful collaborative ventures are, or should be, on the horizon.

Separate effects of mercurial compounds on the ionophoric and hydrolytic functions of the (Ca++ +Mg++)-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum

We have shown that a Ca++-ionophore activity is present in the (Ca++ +Mg++)-ATPase of rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (A. E. Shamoo & D. H. MacLennan, 1974. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 71:3522). Methylmercuric chloride inhibited the (Ca++ +Mg++)-ATPase and Ca++ transport, but had no effect on the activity of the Ca++ ionophore. Mercuric chloride inhibited ATPase, transport and ionophore activity. The ATPase and transport functions were more sensitive to methylmercuric chloride than to mercuric chloride. The two functions were inhibited concomitantly by methylmercuric chloride but slightly lower concentrations of mercuric chloride were required to inhibit Ca++ transport than were required to inhibit ATPase. Methylmercuric chloride and mercuric chloride probably inhibited ATPase and Ca++ transport by blocking essential -SH groups. However, it appears that there are no essential -SH groups in the Ca++ ionophore and that mercuric chloride inhibited the Ca++ ionophore activity by competition with Ca++ for the ionophoric site. Blockage of Ca++ transport by mercuric chloride probably occurs both at sites of essential -SH groups and at sites of ionophoric activity. These data suggest the separate identity of the sites of ATP hydrolysis and of Ca++ ionophoric activity.

Carbamylcholine and acetylcholine-sensitive, cation-selective ionophore as part of the purified acetylcholine receptor

Black lipid membranes were formed with oxidized cholesterol in the presence of either the acetylcholine receptor, purified from the electric organ of the electric ray Torpedo californica or its tryptic digest. In both cases, conductance of cations increased and was dependent on the concentration of the receptor protein. Conductance of Ca++ was dependent on the concentration, but addition of carbamylcholine gave no reproducible of consistent effects. Only in the case of the tryptic digest of the acetylcholine receptor did carbamylcholine and acetylcholine consistently induce monovalent cation selective conductance (PNa,K: PCl=4.4). The induced monovalent cationic conductance due to carbamylcholine (10 muM) varied from 10- to over 100-fold. Curare (10muM) prevented the action of carbamylcholine. Na-dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis of the acetylcholine receptor, before and after tryptic digestion, indicated that this mild enzyme treatment hydrolyzed the receptor molecule subunits. Nevertheless, the receptor molecule retained its full binding of [acetyl(-3)H]acetylcholine; and analytical gel electrophoresis indicated that it remained intact possibly through hydrogen, hydrophobic and disulfice bonding.

Enhancement of the electrical excitability of neuroblastoma cells by valinomycin

Mouse neuroblastoma cells in stationary phase of growth display partially developed electrical properties. Addition of the K+ selective carrier valinomycin to these cells causes rapid enhancement of electrical excitability. We suggest that the appearance of molecules with properties similar to valinomycin is essential for the full expression of electrical excitability in differentiating neuroblastoma.

A Ca++-dependent and -selective ionophore as part of the Ca++ plus Mg++-dependent adenosinetriphosphatase of sarcoplasmic reticulum

Solubilized Ca(++) + Mg(++)-dependent adenosinetriphosphatase (EC 3.6.1.3; ATP diphosphohydrolase) from sarcoplasmic reticulum increased bimolecular lipid membrane (oxidized cholesterol) conductance several hundred-fold. The relative conductance change and the relative permeability elicited by this material has the following sequence: Ba(++) > Ca(++) > Sr(++) > Mg(++) > Mn(++) > Zn(++), Na(+), K(+), Cs(+), Li(+), and Rb(+). Zn(++) and Na(+) strongly inhibit the increase in Ca(++) conductance obtained with solubilized Ca(++) + Mg(++)-dependent adenosinetriphosphatase. The Ca(++)-ionophore is an integral part of the Ca(++) + Mg(++)-dependent adenosinetriphosphatase enzyme and may function as a Ca(++)-carrier in the overall Ca(++)-pump of sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Isolation and characterization of the components of the sodium pump

A satisfactory understanding of the functions of the sodium pump, the system responsible for the active transport of sodium and potassium, require the isolation and characterization of its protein and lipid components which are integrated in the structure of the cell membrane. The enzyme system (Na++ K+)-ATPase, is located in membrane fragments and behaves in the test tube like the transport system in the intact cell membrane (Skou,1957) Purified preparations of this enzyme will contain some, if not all, of the components of the sodium pump.