PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H J Apell

Publications and source records attributed to H J Apell.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Photodynamic inactivation of the Na,K-ATPase occurs via different pathways.

The photodynamic, i.e., the light-induced, inactivation of the Na,K-ATPase in the presence of the sensitizer rose bengal was studied under different conditions. The shape of inactivation curves of the enzyme activity was analyzed as well as partial reactions of the pump cycle. Both experimental approaches showed the existence of two different time constants of inactivation of the ion pump, which reflect two pathways of a photodynamic modification. This is supported by the following observations: (1) The amplitude of the initial fast decay of enzyme activity was enhanced in the presence of D2O and reduced in the presence of the singlet oxygen scavenger imidazole. (Similar results were found for the SR Ca-ATPase.) (2) Contrary to the fast enzyme inactivation the slow process shows an inverse dose-rate behavior. (3) Inactivation of the partial reactions of Na+ -binding and of K+-binding to the membrane domain of the Na,K-ATPase showed only a single time constant, which corresponded to the slower time constant of enzyme inactivation. In the presence of high concentrations of singlet oxygen the fast time constant dominated the inactivation of the ATP-induced partial reaction for which the cytoplasmic domains of the enzyme play an important role. The data support the conclusion that fast inactivation is due to modification of the cytoplasmic domains and slow inactivation due to modifications of the membrane domain of the ion pumps.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Detection of charge movements in ion pumps by a family of styryl dyes.

A family of fluorescent styryl dyes was synthesized to apply them as probes that monitor the ion-translocating activity of the Na,K-ATPase and the SR Ca-ATPase, similar to the widely used dye RH421. All dyes had the same chromophore but they differed in the length of the spacer between chromophore and polar head, an isothiocyanate group, and in the lengths of the two identical acyl chains, which form the tail of the dye molecules. A number of substrate-dependent partial reactions of both P-type ATPases affected the fluorescence intensity, and the magnitude of the fluorescence changes was used to characterize the usefulness of the dyes for further application. The experimental results indicate that electrochromy is the major mechanism of these dyes. While in the case of the Na,K-ATPase a single dye, 5QITC, showed larger fluorescence changes than all others, in the case of the SR Ca-ATPase all dyes tested were almost equal in their fluorescence responses. This prominent difference is interpreted as a hint that the position of the ion binding sites in both ion pumps may differ significantly despite their otherwise closely related structural features. Quench experiments with spin-labeled lipids in various positions of their fatty acids were used to gain information on the depth of the chromophore of the different dyes within the membrane dielectric, however, the spatial resolution was so poor that only qualitative information on the position of the chromophore in the lipid phase could be obtained.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Functional properties of Na,K-ATPase, and their structural implications, as detected with biophysical techniques.

A full understanding of the molecular mechanism of ion transport and energetics of the Na,K-ATPase will require both structural and functional data. During recent years biophysical methods have provided a number of important pieces of information on ion binding and release and the charge transfer process. This allows the formulation of kinetic models of the transport process. Although a breakthrough has not been obtained due to the lack of detailed knowledge on the three-dimensional structure with a resolution high enough to identify the ion-binding sites and the transport pathway, the functional information has structural implications that create constraints on possible mechanisms of active transport. Here we describe briefly contributions of some biophysical methods to our conceptual understanding of the ion transport process.

Protein Conformation↗
PubMed2001

Ion selectivity of the cytoplasmic binding sites of the Na,K-ATPase: II. Competition of various cations.

In the E1 state of the Na,K-ATPase all cations present in the cytoplasm compete for the ion binding sites. The mutual effects of mono-, di- and trivalent cations were investigated by experiments with the electrochromic fluorescent dye RH421. Three sites with significantly different properties could be identified. The most unspecific binding site is able to bind all cations, independent of their valence and size. The large organic cation Br2-Titu3+ is bound with the highest affinity ( Na+ > Cs+ > Li+. The second type of binding site is specific for monovalent cations. its binding affinity is higher than that of the first type, for Na+ ions the equilibrium dissociation constant is < 0.01 mM. Since binding to that site is not electrogenic it has to be close to the cytoplasmic surface. The third site is specific for Na+, no other ions were found to bind, the binding is electrogenic and the equilibrium dissociation constant is 0.2 mM.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Assignment of charge movements to electrogenic reaction steps of Na,K-ATPase by analysis of salt effects on the kinetics of charge movements.

Na,K-ATPase-enriched membrane fragments adsorbed to lipid bilayers were used to study electrogenic Na+ movements induced by enzyme phosphorylation when ATP was photo-released from inactive caged ATP, and simultaneously by externally applied alternating voltages which allowed the measurement of small ATP-induced membrane admittance changes. A detailed analysis of frequency dependence of the capacitance and conductance increments showed that the observed process consists of more than one electrogenic step. The frequency dependence could be described by the sum of two Lorentzian functions and a constant term. The faster process (approximately 2000 s(-1)) was assigned to the release of the first extracellular Na+ ion. The corner frequency of the slower Lorentzian (about 30 s(-1)) coincided with the reciprocal exponential time constant of the falling phase of the transient current, which can be assigned to the conformational transition. Preferentially, the slower process showed a dependence on the ion concentration of choline salts with different anions. The effectiveness of the used chaotropic anions to decelerate the kinetics decreased in agreement with the Hofmeister series, I- > Br- > Cl-. This observation matches their effect on the partition between two phosphoenzyme states of the Na,K-ATPase, as established previously.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Rate limitation of the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase pump cycle.

The kinetics of Na(+)-dependent phosphorylation of the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase by ATP were investigated via the stopped-flow technique using the fluorescent label RH421 (saturating [ATP], [Na(+)], and [Mg(2+)], pH 7.4, and 24 degrees C). The well-established effect of buffer composition on the E(2)-E(1) equilibrium was used as a tool to investigate the effect of the initial enzyme conformation on the rate of phosphorylation of the enzyme. Preincubation of pig kidney enzyme in 25 mM histidine and 0.1 mM EDTA solution (conditions favoring E(2)) yielded a 1/tau value of 59 s(-1). Addition of MgCl(2) (5 mM), NaCl (2 mM), or ATP (2 mM) to the preincubation solution resulted in increases in 1/tau to values of 129, 167, and 143 s(-1), respectively. The increases can be attributed to a shift in the enzyme conformational equilibrium before phosphorylation from the E(2) state to an E(1) or E(1)-like state. The results thus demonstrate conclusively that the E(2) --> E(1) transition does in fact limit the rate of subsequent reactions of the pump cycle. Based on the experimental results, the rate constant of the E(2) --> E(1) transition under physiological conditions could be estimated to be approximately 65 s(-1) for pig kidney enzyme and 90 s(-1) for enzyme from rabbit kidney. Taking into account the rates of other partial reactions, computer simulations show these values to be consistent with the turnover number of the enzyme cycle (approximately 48 s(-1) and approximately 43 s(-1) for pig and rabbit, respectively) calculated from steady-state measurements. For enzyme of the alpha(1) isoform the E(2) --> E(1) conformational change is thus shown to be the major rate-determining step of the entire enzyme cycle.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2000

Entrance port for Na(+) and K(+) ions on Na(+),K(+)-ATPase in the cytoplasmic loop between trans-membrane segments M6 and M7 of the alpha subunit. Proximity Of the cytoplasmic segment of the beta subunit.

Based on the following observations we propose that the cytoplasmic loop between trans-membrane segments M6 and M7 (L6/7) of the alpha subunit of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase acts as an entrance port for Na(+) and K(+) ions. 1) In defined conditions chymotrypsin specifically cleaves L6/7 in the M5/M6 fragment of 19-kDa membranes, produced by extensive proteolysis of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase, and in parallel inactivates Rb(+) occlusion. 2) Dissociation of the M5/M6 fragment from 19-kDa membranes is prevented either by occluded cations or by competitive antagonists such as Ca(2+), Mg(2+), La(3+), p-xylylene bisguanidinium and m-xylylene bisguanidinium, or 1-bromo-2,4, 6-tris(methylisothiouronium)benzene and 1,3-dibromo-2,4,6-tris (methylisothiouronium)benzene (Br(2)-TITU(3+)). 3) Ca(2+) ions raise electrophoretic mobility of the M5/M6 fragment but not that of the other fragments of the alpha subunit. It appears that negatively charged residues in L6/7 recognize either Na(+) or K(+) ions or the competitive cation antagonists. Na(+) and K(+) ions are then occluded within trans-membrane segments and can be transported, whereas the cation antagonists are not occluded and block transport at the entrance port. The cytoplasmic segment of the beta subunit appears to be close to or contributes to the entrance port, as inferred from the following observations. 1) Specific chymotryptic cleavage of the 16-kDa fragment of the beta subunit to 15-kDa at 20 degrees C (Shainskaya, A., and Karlish, S. J. D. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 10309-10316) markedly reduces affinity for Br(2)-TITU(3+) and for Na(+) ions, detected by Na(+) occlusion assays or electrogenic Na(+) binding, whereas Rb(+) occlusion is unchanged. 2) Na(+) ions specifically protect the 16-kDa fragment against this chymotryptic cleavage.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Novel polymer substrates for SFM investigations of living cells, biological membranes, and proteins.

Extended studies were performed to prepare substrates for scanning force microscopy of biological samples with a surface roughness below 1 nm rms over an area of 500 x 500 nm2. The substrate smoothness and the lack of tip obscuring material are indispensable in order to visualize detailed structures of membrane surfaces, particularly when scanning the lamellipodia of mechanically sensitive goldfish glial cells where peripheral lamellipodia are only 20-30 nm in thickness. Appropriate substrates are poly(vinyl phenyl ketone) or furan polymers with corrugations of 0.3 and 0.15 nm rms, respectively, to which the growth-promoting protein laminin adsorbs directly with an acceptably increased roughness. Cells show normal growth behavior on these substrates and stick to the substrates in a stable fashion during several scans. Thus details of the membrane's surface may be resolved and are not obscured by the substrate texture. The uncoated furan polymer substrates are suitable for immobilization of membrane preparations such as purified membrane fragments containing bacteriorhodopsin or Na, K-ATPase and protein preparations such as antibodies.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1999

Ion selectivity of the cytoplasmic binding sites of the Na,K-ATPase: I. Sodium binding is associated with a conformational rearrangement.

To investigate Na+ binding to the ion-binding sites presented on the cytoplasmic side of the Na,K-ATPase, equilibrium Na+-titration experiments were performed using two fluorescent dyes, RH421 and FITC, to detect protein-specific actions. Fluorescence changes upon addition of Na+ in the presence of various Mg2+ concentrations were similar and could be fitted with a Hill function. The half-saturating concentrations and Hill coefficients determined were almost identical. As RH421 responds to binding of a Na+ ion to the third neutral site whereas FITC monitors conformational changes in the ATP-binding site or its environment, this result implies that electrogenic binding of the third Na+ ion is the trigger for a structural rearrangement of the ATP-binding moiety. This enables enzyme phosphorylation, which is accompanied by a fast occlusion of the Na+ ions and followed by the conformational transition E1/E2 of the protein. The coordinated action both at the ion and the nucleotide binding sites allows for the first time a detailed formulation of the mechanism of enzyme phosphorylation that occurs only when three Na+ ions are bound.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1998

Fluorescence heterogeneity of tryptophans in Na,K-ATPase: evidences for temperature-dependent energy transfer.

The intrinsic fluorescence emission kinetics of Na,K-ATPase, a large membrane protein containing 16 tryptophan residues, was studied by time-resolved techniques. The lifetime distributions recovered by the Maximum Entropy Method exhibit a strong dependence on the emission wavelength at temperatures between 37 degrees C and -70 degrees C. From the 'blue' edge of the fluorescence emission spectrum up to the maximum of emission, the lifetime distribution at room temperature is the result of four broad peaks which cover the time range 0.3-7 ns. With increasing emission wavelength, these peaks move to longer lifetimes and the peak at shorter times are suppressed at the red edge, while the longest component (6-7 ns) becomes dominant. With decreasing temperature, the number of lifetime components is reduced for the benefit of the long one. At cryogenic temperatures, the emission decay in the red-edge of the fluorescence spectrum consists of one major slow component (6-7 ns) and a fast one (0.5 ns) associated with a negative pre-exponential term. This is a characteristic feature of an excited-state reaction. The temperature dependence of this fast component and the fluorescence anisotropy decay at low temperature in the red-edge, indicate that this excited state reaction may be accounted for a unidirectional inter-tryptophan fluorescence energy transfer from 'blue' populations of donors to 'red' populations of acceptors. This is also illustrated by the time-resolved emission spectra. In the blue edge of the fluorescence emission spectrum, moreover, the time course of the anisotropy decay suggests the existence of homo-transfer of excitation energy involving 'blue' tryptophan residues. The steady-state anisotropy excitation spectrum in vitrified solvent agrees with this suggestion. These different energy transfer mechanisms may be used as structural probes to detect more accurately conformational changes of the protein elicited by effectors and ion binding or release.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1998

Influence of sodium concentration on changes of membrane capacitance associated with the electrogenic ion transport by the Na,K-ATPase.

Electrogenic ion transport by the Na,K-ATPase was investigated in a model system of protein-containing membrane fragments adsorbed to a lipid bilayer. Transient Na+ currents were induced by photorelease of ATP from inactive caged ATP. This process was accompanied by a capacitance change of the membrane system. Two methods were applied to measure capacitances in the frequency range 1 to 6000 Hz. The frequency dependent capacitance increment, delta C, was of sigmoidal shape and decreased at high frequencies. The midpoint frequency, f0, depended on the ionic strength of the buffer. At 150 mM NaCl f0 was about 200 Hz and decreased to 12 Hz at high ionic strength (1 M). At low frequencies (f << f0) the capacitance increment became frequency independent. It was, however, dependent on Na+ concentration and on the membrane potential which was generated by the charge transferred. A simple model is presented to analyze the experimental data quantitatively as a function of two parameters, the capacitance of the adsorbed membrane fragments, Cp, and the potential of maximum capacitance increment, psi 0. Below 5 mM Na+ a negative capacitance change was detected which may be assigned to electrogenic Na+ binding to cytoplasmic sites. It could be shown that the results obtained by experiments with the presented alternating current method contain the information which is determined by current-relaxation experiments with cell membranes.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1998

Kinetics of Na(+)-dependent conformational changes of rabbit kidney Na+,K(+)-ATPase.

The kinetics of Na(+)-dependent partial reactions of the Na+,K(+)-ATPase from rabbit kidney were investigated via the stopped-flow technique, using the fluorescent labels N-(4-sulfobutyl)-4-(4-(p-(dipentylamino)phenyl)butadienyl)py ridinium inner salt (RH421) and 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein (5-IAF). When covalently labeled 5-IAF enzyme is mixed with ATP, the two labels give almost identical kinetic responses. Under the chosen experimental conditions two exponential time functions are necessary to fit the data. The dominant fast phase, 1/tau 1 approximately 155 s-1 for 5-IAF-labeled enzyme and 1/tau 1 approximately 200 s-1 for native enzyme (saturating [ATP] and [Na+], pH 7.4 and 24 degrees C), is attributed to phosphorylation of the enzyme and a subsequent conformational change (E1ATP(Na+)3-->E2P(Na+)3 + ADP). The smaller amplitude slow phase, 1/tau 2 = 30-45 s-1, is attributed to the relaxation of the dephosphorylation/rephosphorylation equilibrium in the absence of K+ ions (E2P<==>E2). The Na+ concentration dependence of 1/tau 1 showed half-saturation at a Na+ concentration of 6-8 mM, with positive cooperatively involved in the occupation of the Na+ binding sites. The apparent dissociation constant of the high-affinity ATP-binding site determined from the ATP concentration dependence of 1/tau 1 was 8.0 (+/- 0.7) microM. It was found that P3-1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethyl ATP, tripropylammonium salt (NPE-caged ATP), at concentrations in the hundreds of micromolar range, significantly decreases the value of 1/tau 1, observed. This, as well as the biexponential nature of the kinetic traces, can account for previously reported discrepancies in the rates of the reactions investigated.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1998

Fast transient currents in Na,K-ATPase induced by ATP concentration jumps from the P3-[1-(3',5'-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-phenyl-2-oxo]ethyl ester of ATP.

Electrogenic ion transport by Na,K-ATPase was investigated by analysis of transient currents in a model system of protein-containing membrane fragments adsorbed to planar lipid bilayers. Sodium transport was triggered by ATP concentration jumps in which ATP was released from an inactive precursor by an intense near-UV light flash. The method has been used previously with the P3-1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethyl ester of ATP (NPE-caged ATP), from which the relatively slow rate of ATP release limits analysis of processes in the pump mechanism controlled by rate constants greater than 100 s(-1) at physiological pH. Here Na,K-ATPase was reinvestigated using the P3-[1-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-phenyl-2-oxo]ethyl ester of ATP (DMB-caged ATP), which has an ATP release rate of >10(5) s(-1). Under otherwise identical conditions, photorelease of ATP from DMB-caged ATP showed faster kinetics of the transient current compared to that from NPE-caged ATP. With DMB-caged ATP, transient currents had rate profiles that were relatively insensitive to pH and the concentration of caged compound. Rate constants of ATP binding and of the E1 to E2 conformational change were compatible with earlier studies. Rate constants of enzyme phosphorylation and ADP-dependent dephosphorylation were 600 s(-1) and 1.5 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), respectively, at pH 7.2 and 22 degrees C.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1998

Study of the non-steady state electrogenic transport of sodium ions by Na+,K(+)-ATPase by the capacitance measurement method.

The goal of work was to investigate the electrogenic transport of Na ions by Na+,K(+)-ATPase in membrane fragments absorbed on a planar bilayer lipid membrane. The photorelease of ATP from an inactive precursor, caged ATP, induced a transient current and changes in the net system capacitance measured during the application of an alternating voltage. The increments of capacitance (delta c) decreased with the increase in the frequency of the applied voltage. The characteristic frequency F0 of the steepest slope of the curve significantly decreased in solutions with high ionic strength (either NaCl or choline chloride), in which Na+ transport is decelerated. The value of delta c correlated with the total charge delta q transported across the membrane. The capacitance increments decreased when the Na+ concentration in solution decreased. At a concentration below 2 mM the increment became negative. The increase in membrane capacitance can be attributed to the charge relaxation process inside the protein, as discovered in the cells by other methods. The characteristic frequency F0 depends on the time constants of charge redistribution. The nonlinear dependences of delta c on delta q were explained by a voltage bias across the membrane fragments resulting from pumping. The potentials corresponding to the maximum capacitance change were similar to the midpoint potentials of the equilibrium charge distribution and depended on the Na+ concentrations in solution. The model enabled also the determination of the total capacitance of the active region of a lipid membrane with the adsorbed protein containing membrane fragments.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1998

Partial reactions of the Na,K-ATPase: kinetic analysis and transport properties.

The complex functions of the Na,K-ATPase can be described by reaction cycles based on the generally accepted "Post-Albers cycle". By appropriate experimental conditions various, partly overlapping partial reactions may be isolated which allow the investigation of specific reaction steps and their succession. From kinetic analysis rate constants and dielectric properties may be determined which characterize the function of the ion pump and allow the formulation of constraints with respect to structure-function relations. This is exemplified by two partial reactions which comprise (1) the ATP-driven Na+ transport, and (2) binding of Na+ ions to the cytoplasm sites. Equilibrium Na+ titration experiments were performed using the fluorescent dyes RH421 and FITC. Fluorescence changes upon addition of Na+ in the presence of various Mg2+ concentrations were similar and the half-saturation concentrations determined were almost identical. As RH421 responds to binding of Na+ to the neutral site whereas FITC monitors conformational changes, this result implies that electrogenic biding of the third Na+ is a trigger for a structural rearrangement of the ATP-binding moiety. This enables enzyme phosphorylation, which is accompanied with a fast occlusion of the Na+ ions and followed by the conformational transition E1/E2 of the protein. Current transients produced by the Na,K-ATPase could be induced by ATP-concentration jumps using DMB-caged ATP. The dependence of the maximum of the current transients on concentration of ADP was reproduced by mathematical simulations. They fit the data well on the assumption that the rate-limiting reaction step of the Na(+)-translocation partial reaction is the conformational transition E1/E2.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗