The inactivation by concanavalin A of the ecto-ATPase and ectoacetylcholinesterase of intact skeletal muscles.

The (Ca2+ or Mg2+)-activated ectophosphohydrolase of intact frog muscle liberates, in situ, about 37 mumol inorganic phosphate/g muscle in 20 min at 20 degrees C with 10 mM ATP. Pretreatment with concanavalin A (ConA) at 4 degrees C for 18 h caused ectoenzyme inactivation which plateaued at 35-40% of the control rate. The inhibition was concentration dependent, being maximal at about 500 micrograms ConA/mL Ringer's solution. The lectin mediated its effect via the membrane glycoproteins since the inhibition was specifically prevented by alpha-methyl D-mannopyranoside. As the temperature increased from 10 to 40 degrees C, the ectoenzyme activity of untreated muscles increased linearly between 10 and 35 degrees C, with a "break point" and a clear change in slope at 35 degrees C. When treated with ConA the activity increased linearly from 10 to 40 degrees C, eliminating the transition temperature. The findings suggested that a phase transition toward fluidity in the lipid bilayer may have occurred at 35 degrees C and that this was abolished by the lectin binding. Hence we perturbed the surface membrane phospholipids of muscle pretreated with the lectin. Phospholipase C increased the activation by the lectin; phospholipase D had no effect, but phospholipase A2 completely prevented it. The lectin may require the more fluid fatty acyl chains of membrane lipids to achieve inhibition of this ecto-ATPase. Ectoacetylcholinesterase, in situ, and its inactivation by ConA were measured directly on whole, intact skeletal muscles.

Characteristics of skeletal muscle ecto-ATPase in situ.

The properties of a cell surface nucleoside 5'-triphosphatase have been studied in small, intact, frog skeletal muscles, as a means of distinguishing the enzyme from other adenosine 5'-triphosphatases and of understanding its behaviour in the muscle membrane. The ectoenzyme in situ was shown to be a Ca2+- or Mg2+-activated ATPase liberating 7.5 +/- 0.4 (mean +/- SEM, n = 30) mumol of inorganic phosphate/g of muscle per 20 min, when the muscle was exposed to 2 mM ATP and 2 mM Ca2+ in Ringer's solution. The apparent Km for Mg2+ was 0.74 mM and for Ca2+ was 0.23 mM. A residual ATPase activity (20%) was found in the complete absence of divalent cations suggesting the existence of two ATPase types. A broad specificity toward nucleoside 5'-triphosphates was exhibited by the ecto-ATPase, but there was no nonspecific phosphatase activity. The enzyme was inhibited by La3+ and Cd2+, but was insensitive to ouabain, 2,4-dinitrophenol, oligomycin, and ruthenium red. Thus the ectoenzyme was not a Na+, K+-transport ATPase, was not an ATPase of mitochondrial origin, or a Ca2+-transport enzyme. Insulin had no effect. Inhibition by mersalyl, carbodiimide, and polar and cross-linking nonpolar nitrobenzene derivatives suggested that, for maximum activity, this membrane-bound enzyme required free sulfhydryl groups, certain free carboxyls, and an appreciable degree of hydrophobicity in its microenvironment.

The determination of calcium-binding sites of human erythrocyte membranes.

Calcium binding to leaky erythrocyte plasma membranes was measured by three different procedures: Millipore filtration, equilibrium dialysis, and partition centrifugation. The curve derived from the binding equation, which best fit the means of the raw data, was used to estimate the association constants and capacities of the binding sites. A computer program (Gaushaus) which uses a nonlinear, least-squares regression protocol was also used to confirm these estimates. On the basis of these analyses we propose the presence of three classes of calcium-binding sites with the following apparent association constants and capacities: site 1, Ka = 3 X 10(4) M-1 and n = 30 nmol/mg protein; site 2, Ka = 3 X 10(3) M-1 and n = 200 nmol/mg protein; site 3, Ka = approximately 10(2) M-1 and n = approximately 200 nmol/mg protein. Calcium binding to erythrocyte membranes sealed in a high-salt solution showed the presence of site 3, but not site 2. The influence of phospholipids on the binding of calcium was evaluated by pretreating ghosts with phospholipase C (Clostridium welchii, EC 3.1.4.3). Treatment with this enzyme removed 80% of the total membrane phosphorus, predominantly from sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine. By the method of partition centrifugation two classes of binding sites were identified by computer analysis. Their association constants and capacities are, respectively, 1.1 X 10(5) M-1 and 20 nmol/mg protein for site 1 and 4.4 X 10(3) M-1 and 200 nmol/mg protein for site 2. We speculate that calcium-binding site 1 is composed of acidic phospholipids, calcium-binding site 2 is composed of spectrin and actin, and calcium-binding site 3 is composed of sialic acid.

Enhancement (by ATP, insulin, and lack of divalent cations) of ouabain inhibition of cation transport and ouabain binding in frog skeletal muscle; effect of insulin and ouabain on sarcolemmal (Na + K)MgATPase.

Using small, intact frog muscles, the basic properties of Na+ and K+ transport were shown to resemble those of the (Na+ + K+)Mg2+ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) isolated from skeletal muscle. (a) External K+ is essential for Na+ exit and K+ entry after the muscles are Na+-loaded and K+-depleted; (b) the ouabain concentration causing maximum inhibition of recovery is the same for transport as for the inhibition of the isolated enzyme. Ouabain causes a decrease in the sorbitol space and causes muscle fibre swelling. Absence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ inhibits recovery of normal Na+ and K+ concentrations and increases the sorbitol space. Insulin stimulates K+ uptake and Na+ loss in intact muscles but has no effect on the isolated sarcolemmal (Na+ + K+)Mg2+ATPase. Absence of divalent cations, addition of external ATP and of insulin enhance the ouabain inhibition of recovery. Bound ouabain was measured using [3H]ouabain and [14C]sorbitol (to measure the extracellular space). The process of binding was slowly reversible and was saturable within a range of ouabain concentrations from 1.48 X 10(-7) to 5.96 X 10(-7) M. From the nonexchangeable ouabain bound, the density of glycoside receptors was estimated to be 650 molecules per square micrometre of membrane surface. The absence of divalent cations, addition of external ATP and of insulin significantly enhanced the amount of ouabain bound. Substitution of Na+ and K+ by choline greatly reduced the bound ouabain.