Effects of fluorescent pseudo-ATP and ATP-metal analogs on secondary structure of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase.

The secondary structure of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase after modification of the ATP-binding sites was analyzed. Consistently with recent reports, we found in trypsin-treated Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase additionally to alpha-helix also beta-sheet structures in the transmembrane segments. However, binding of fluorescein 5'-isothiocyanate (FITC), the pseudo-ATP analog, to the ATP-binding site did not affect the secondary structure of undigested Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase. Consequently, fluorescence intensity changes of FITC-labeled Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase commonly used to observe conformational transitions of the enzyme reflect physiological changes of the native structure. The metal complex analogues of ATP, Cr(H(2)O)(4)ATP and Co(NH(3))(4)ATP, on the other hand, affected the secondary structure of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase. We propose that these changes in the secondary structure are responsible for inhibition of backdoor phosphorylation.

Microenvironment of the high affinity ATP-binding site of Na+/K+-ATPase is slightly acidic.

Fluorescein-5'-isothiocyanate (FITC) was used to study the high-affinity ATP-binding site of Na+/K+-ATPase. The molar ratio of specifically bound FITC per alpha-subunit of Na+/K+-ATPase was found to be 0.5 as followed from pretreatment experiments with another specific E1ATP-inhibitor Cr(H2O)4AdoPP[CH2]P. This indicated an existence of one high affinity ATP-binding site (E1ATP-binding site) in the native (alphabeta)2-diprotomer of Na+/K+-ATPase. Fluorescence dual-excitation ratio of specifically bound FITC revealed that at external pH 7.5, the pH value inside the E1ATP-binding site is 6.95 +/- 0.18. In addition, FITC fluorescence quenching by anti-fluorescein and by iodide choline indicated the limited access of water into the small pocket of the E1ATP-binding site.

In vitro studies on transport and metabolism of short-chain fatty acids in pig hindgut.

An analytical method based on alkaline freeze drying, ultracentrifugation, and quantitative gas chromatography was established to differentiate between mucosal uptake, tissue accumulation, and serosal release of SCFA in pig hindgut. It was shown that serosal release of SCFA was substantially lower than mucosal uptake and tissue accumulation, indicating substantial degradation and/or metabolism during transepithelial movement.

2'(3')-O-[N- [2- [3- [5-fluoresceinyl] thioureido] ethyl] carbamoyl] adenosine 5'-triphosphate and its Cr(H2O)4 and Co(NH3)4 complex derivatives are new fluorescent tools for labelling ATP binding sites of Na+/K+-ATPase.

2'(3')-O-[N- [2- [3- [5-fluoresceinyl] thioureido] ethyl] carbamoyl] adenosine 5'-triphosphate (FEDA-ATP), a spectroscopic tool used for studying skeletal muscle myosin ATPase subfragment 1, was applied to Na+/K+-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.37). In contrast to the myosin subfragment, we found that FEDA-ATP is not a substrate for Na+/K+-ATPase. On the other hand, FEDA-ATP showed an affinity for both the low (E2, Kd=200 microM) and the high (E1, Kd=22 microM) affinity ATP-binding sites. When the microscopic affinities of FEDA-ATP were used for calculating the macroscopic affinity in the overall reaction according to Ki=(KdE1*KdE2)1/2, the experimentally measured inhibition constant of 66 microM was obtained. To evoke irreversible binding inhibitors, FEDA-ATP was transferred in its chromium(III) and cobalt(III) complex analogs, which are suitable tools for labelling the ATP binding sites of Na+/K+-ATPase in a specific way.