The role of bound potassium ions in the hydrolysis of low concentrations of adenosine triphosphate by preparations of membrane fragments from ox brain cerebral cortex

Abstract

1. The intrinsic Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ contents of a preparation of membrane fragments from ox brain were determined by emission flame photometry. 2. Centrifugal washing of the preparation with imidazole-buffered EDTA solutions decreased the bound Na+ from 90±20 to 24±12, the bound K+ from 27±3 to 7±2, the bound Mg2+ from 20±2 to 3±1 and the bound calcium from 8±1 to <1nmol/mg of protein. 3. The activities of the Na++K++Mg2+-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase and the Na+-dependent reaction forming bound phosphate were compared in the unwashed and washed preparations at an ATP concentration of 2.5μm (ATP/protein ratio 12.5pmol/μg). 4. The Na+-dependent hydrolysis of ATP as well as the plateau concentration of bound phosphate and the rate of dephosphorylation were decreased in the washed preparation. The time-course of formation and decline of bound phosphate was fully restored by the addition of 2.5μm-magnesium chloride and 2μm-potassium chloride. Addition of 2.5μm-magnesium chloride alone fully restored the plateau concentration of bound phosphate, but the rate of dephosphorylation was only slightly increased. Na+-dependent ATP hydrolysis was partly restored with 2.5μm-magnesium chloride; addition of K+ in the range 2–10μm-potassium chloride then further restored hydrolysis but not to the control rate. 5. Pretreatment of the washed preparation at 0°C with 0.5nmol of K+/mg of protein so that the final added K+ in the reaction mixture was 0.1μm restored the Na+-dependent hydrolysis of ATP and the time-course of the reaction forming bound phosphate. 6. The binding of [42K]potassium chloride by the washed membrane preparation was examined. Binding in a solution containing 10nmol of K+/mg of protein was linear over a period of 20min and was inhibited by Na+. Half-maximal inhibition of 42K+-binding required a 100-fold excess of sodium chloride. 7. It was concluded (a) that a significant fraction of the apparent Na+-dependent hydrolysis of ATP observed in the unwashed preparation is due to activation by bound K+ and Mg2+ of the Na++K++Mg2+-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase system and (b) that the enzyme system is able to bind K+ from a solution of 0.5μm-potassium chloride.