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To identify early adaptive processes of cardiac remodeling (CR) in response to volume overload, we investigated the molecular events that may link intracellular Ca 2+ homeostasis alterations and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. In swine heart subjected to aorto-cava shunt for 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca 2+ pump activity was reduced until 48 h (−30%), but a recovery of control values was found at 96 h. The decrease in SR Ca 2+ -ATPase (SERCA2a) expression at 48 h, was more marked (−60%) and not relieved by a subsequent recovery, while phospholamban (PLB) concentration and phosphorylation were unchanged at all the considered times. Conversely, acylphosphatase activity and expression significantly increased from 48 to 96 h (+40%). Bcl-2 expression increased significantly from 6 to 24 h, but at 48 h, returned to control values. At 48 h, microscopic observations showed that overloaded myocardium underwent substantial damage and apoptotic cell death in concomitance with an enhanced Fas/Fas-L expression. At 96 h, apoptosis appeared attenuated, while Fas/Fas-L expression was still higher than control values and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy became to develop. These data suggest that in our experimental model, acylphosphatase could be involved in the recovery of SERCA2a activity, while cardiomyocyte apoptosis might be triggered by a decline in Bcl-2 expression and a concomitant activation of Fas.

Ca2+ transport by sarco/endoplasmic reticulum, tightly coupled with the enzymatic activity of Ca2+-dependent ATPase, controls the cell cycle through the regulation of genes operating in the critical G1 to S checkpoint. Experimental studies demonstrated that acylphosphatase actively hydrolyses the phosphorylated intermediate of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) and therefore enhances the activity of Ca2+ pump. In this study we found that SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell division was blocked by entry into a quiescent G0-like state by thapsigargin, a high specific SERCA inhibitor, highlighting the regulatory role of SERCA in cell cycle progression. Addition of physiological amounts of acylphosphatase to SY5Y membranes resulted in a significant increase in the rate of ATP hydrolysis of SERCA. In synchronized cells a concomitant variation of the level of acylphosphatase isoenzymes opposite to that of intracellular free calcium during the G1 and S phases occurs. Particularly, during G1 phase progression the isoenzymes content declined steadily and hit the lowest level after 6 h from G0 to G1 transition with a concomitant significant increase of calcium levels. No changes in free calcium and acylphosphatase levels upon thapsigargin inhibition were observed. Moreover, a specific binding between acylphosphatase and SERCA was demonstrated. No significant change in SERCA-2 expression was found. These findings suggest that the hydrolytic activity of acylphosphatase increase the turnover of the phosphoenzyme intermediate with the consequences of an enhanced efficiency of calcium transport across endoplasmic reticulum and a subsequent decrease in cytoplasmic calcium levels. A hypothesis about the modulation of SERCA activity by acylphosphatase during cell cycle in SY5Y cells in discussed.

Background: Acylphosphatase (ACP) is a low molecular weight phosphomonohydrolase catalyzing with high specificity the hydrolysis of the carboxyl-phosphate bond present in acylphosphates. The enzyme is thought to regulate metabolic processes in which acylphosphates are involved, such as glycolysis and the production of ribonucleotides. Furthermore the enzyme is capable of hydrolyzing the phospho-aspartyl intermediate formed during the action of membrane pumps such as (Ca 2+ +Mg 2+ ) ATPase. Although the tertiary structure of a muscle ACP has been determined by NMR spectroscopy, little is known about the catalytic mechanism of ACP and further structures might provide an increased understanding. Results: The structure of ‘common type' ACP from bovine testis has been determined by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 1.8 A. The structure has been refined to an R factor of 17.0 % using all data between 15 and 1.8 A. The binding of a sulphate and a chloride ion in the active centre allows a detailed description of this site. The overall protein folds of common type and muscle ACP are similar but their loops have very different conformations. These differences, in part, are probably caused by the binding of the ions in the active site of the common type form. The phosphate-binding loop of ACP shows some remarkable similarities to that of low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase. Conclusions: The active site of ACP has been located, enabling a reaction mechanism to be suggested in which the phosphate moiety bound to Arg23 acts as a base, abstracting a proton from a nucleophilic water molecule liganded to Asn41. The transition-state intermediate is stabilized by the phosphate-binding loop. We suggest the catalysis to be substrate assisted, which probably explains why this enzyme can only hydrolyze acylphosphates.

Ca2+ transport by cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum is tightly coupled with the enzymatic activity of Ca2+-dependent ATPase, which forms and decomposes an intermediate phosphoenzyme. Heart sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump is regulated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) phospholamban phosphorylation, which results in a stimulation of the initial rates of Ca2+ transport and Ca2+ ATPase activity. In the present studies we found that acylphosphatase from heart muscle, used at concentrations within the physiological range, actively hydrolyzes the phosphoenzyme of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump, with an apparent Km on the order of 10−7 M, suggesting an high affinity of the enzyme for this special substrate. In unphosphorylated vesicles acylphosphatase enhanced the rate of ATP hydrolysis and Ca2+ uptake with a concomitant significant decrease in apparent Km for Ca2+ and ATP. In vesicles whose phospholamban was PKA-phosphorylated, acylphosphatase also stimulated the rate of Ca2+ uptake and ATP hydrolysis but to a lesser extent, and the Km values for Ca2+ and ATP were not significantly different with respect to those found in the absence of acylphosphatase. These findings suggest that acylphosphatase, owing to its hydrolytic effect, accelerates the turnover of the phosphoenzyme intermediate with the consequence of an enhanced activity of Ca2+ pump. It is known that phosphorylation of phospholamban results in an increase of the rate at which the phosphoenzyme is decomposed. Thus, as discussed, a competition between phospholamban and acylphosphatase effect on the phosphoenzyme might be proposed to explain why the stimulation induced by this enzyme is less marked in PKA-phosphorylated than in unphosphorylated heart vesicles.

Acylphosphatase purified from cardiac muscle actively hydrolyzes the phosphoenzyme intermediate of heart sarcolemma Na+,K+-ATPase. This effect occurred with acylphosphatase amounts (up to 800 unitsmg membrane protein) that fall within the physiological range and the low value of the apparent Km (0.69 × 10−7 M) indicates a considerable affinity of the enzyme towards this specific substrate. Acylphosphatase addition to purified sarcolemmal vesicles significantly increased the rate of Na+,K+-dependent ATP hydrolysis. Maximal stimulation, observed with 800 unitsmg protein, resulted in an ATPase activity which was about 2-fold over basal value. The same acylphosphatase amounts significantly stimulated, in a similar and to an even greater extent, the rate of ATP driven Na+ transport into sarcolemmal vesicles. These findings lead to suppose that an accelerated hydrolysis of the phosphoenzyme may result in an enhanced activity of heart sarcolemmal Na+,K+ pump, therefore suggesting a potential role of acylphosphatase in the control of this active transport system.

Human red cell acylphosphatase actively hydrolyzes the Na + /K + -ATPase phosphoenzyme from erthrocyte membrane. This effect occurred with amounts of acylphosphatase (up to 10 units/mg membrane protein) within the physiological range, and the low value of the apparent K m (0.147±0.050 μ M) indicates that the enzyme has a high affinity for this substrate. When added at the above concentration to inside out vesicles from human erythrocytes, acylphosphatase significantly enhanced the rate of strophantidine-sensitive ATP hydrolysis. The same amounts of acylphosphatase stimulated, although to a lower extent, the rate of ATP-dependent 22 Na + influx (normal efflux). Thus, the calculated stoichiometry for Na + /ATP was 2.68 in the absence of acylphosphatase and 1.06 in the presence of 10 units/mg vesicle protein of the enzyme. Conversely, acylphosphatase addition strongly decreased the rate of ATP-dependent 86 Rb + (K + ) efflux (normal influx) which, with 10 units/mg vesicle protein, was almost suppressed. As a consequence, the Na + /Rb + ratio, calculated as 1.52 in the absence of acylphosphatase rose to 72.5 in the presence of 10 units/mg vesicle protein of this enzyme. These results suggest that, because of its hydrolytic activity on the phosphoenzyme intermediate, acylphosphatase ‘uncouples’ erythrocyte membrane Na + , K + pump. Possible mechanisms for this effect are discussed.

Acylphosphatase, purified from human erythrocytes, actively hydrolyzes the acylphosphorylated intermediate of human red blood cell membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase. This effect occurred with acylphosphatase amounts (up to 10 units/mg membrane protein) that fall within the physiological range. Furthermore, a very low Km value, 3.41 +/- 1.16 (S.E.) nM, suggests a high affinity in acylphosphatase for the phosphoenzyme intermediate, which is consistent with the small number of Ca(2+)-ATPase units in human erythrocyte membrane. Acylphosphatase addition to red cell membranes resulted in a significant increase in the rate of ATP hydrolysis. Maximal stimulation (about 2-fold over basal) was obtained at 2 units/mg membrane protein, with a concomitant decrease in apparent Km values for both Ca2+ and ATP. Conversely, similar amounts of acylphosphatase significantly decreased (by about 30%) the rate of Ca2+ transport into inside-out red cell membrane vesicles, albeit that reduced apparent Km values for Ca2+ and ATP were also observed in this case. A stoichiometry of 2.04 Ca2+/ATP hydrolyzed was calculated in the absence of acylphosphatase; in the presence of acylphosphatase optimal concentration, this ratio was reduced to 0.9. Acylphosphatase activity, rather than just protein, was essential for all the above effects. Taken together these findings suggest that, because of its hydrolytic activity on the phosphoenzyme intermediate, acylphosphatase reduces the efficiency of the erythrocyte membrane Ca2+ pump. A possible mechanism for this effect is that the phosphoenzyme is hydrolyzed before its transport work can be accomplished.

Hexokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, acylphosphatase, (Na + ,K + )-ATPase and Ca 2+ -ATPase of selected areas from postmortem Alzheimer's disease brains were studied. Hexokinase and lactate dehydrogenase were significantly changed in all the examined subcortical nuclei. (Na + ,K + )-ATPase activity was altered in several areas of Alzheimer's disease brains. No changes in Ca 2+ -ATPase and acylphosphatase were observed. The main alterations of the assayed enzymes were observed in subcortical areas but not in cortical areas of Alzheimer's disease brains.

An acylphosphatase (AcPase) overexpression study was carried out on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, using a green fluorescent fusion protein (AcP-GFP), with GFP acting as a reporter protein. The cellular proliferation rate was significantly reduced by overexpression of AcPase by a factor of ten. In contrast, clones transfected with two inactive AcPase mutants showed a growth rate comparable to control cells. This suggests that AcPase catalyzes the proliferative down-regulation. AcPase-overexpressing clones showed a physiological mortality rate as assessed by an MTT reduction test and by evaluation of necrotic markers. DNA fragmentation analysis and assays of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-active fragments showed no evidence of any apoptotic pattern. AcPase overexpression led to a marked increase in PARP activity as well as Bcl-2 content; these are commonly up-regulated during differentiative processes in neuronal cells. In fact, the typical differentiation marker, growth-associated-protein 43, was significantly up-regulated. Microscopic observations also showed a clear increase in the differentiative phenotype in AcPase-overexpressing cells. Our results clearly show that AcPase plays a primary causative role in neuronal differentiation.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system which causes progressive cognitive decline during mid to late adult life. The primary causes of AD have not yet been identified. Mutated genes have been located on chromosomes 21,14, and 1, leading to the early onset familial form of the disease (EOFAD) (Shellenberg, 1995; Sorbi, 1993). The first presenile AD gene encoding for β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) was identified in 1991 (Goate et al., 1991). The most frequent pathogenic mutation in exon 17, a Val-Ile substitution at codon 717, has been described in more than 10 families (Levy-Lahad et al., 1996). The largest portion of early onset FAD cases have been associated with mutations in Presenilin 1 (PS1) gene and Presenilin 2 (PS2) gene (Van Broeckhoven, 1995; Rogaev et al., 1995; Levy-Lahad et al., 1995). Fibroblasts from patients and pre-symptomatic carriers of mutations in PS1 and PS2 contain increased amounts of Aβ 1-42 peptide (Scheuner et al., 1996). Moreover, the allele E4 of APOE gene has been associated with increased risk for late-onset familial form of AD (Saunders et al., 1993). Apolipoprotein E is the first identified genetic susceptibility factor for sporadic AD. The familial AD form account for 10% of all AD cases (Van Broeckhoven, 1995).

Levels of free intracellular calcium have been measured on two cell lines of cultured human fibroblasts carrying the genetic lesions occurring in Duchenne and Becker dystrophies. Both cell lines elicited a markedly higher content of the cation (98 nM and 57 nM, respectively) than control fibroblasts (35 nM). Differences toward controls were statistically significant (p

Acylphosphatase (AcPase), an enzyme that modulates the activity of Ca(2+)-ATPase by hydrolysing its phosphorylated moiety, has been found to be significantly higher in cultured skin fibroblasts from donors affected by early onset familial Alzheimer's disease (EOFAD) with PS-1 and PS-2 gene mutations. Of the two known isoenzymes of acylphosphatase, only the erythrocyte one accounts for the total increase in activity. No relevant alteration was observed in phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity (PTPase), in Ca(2+)-ATPase and Na+, K(+)-ATPase activities of the same cells as compared to age-matched controls. This finding could suggest a possible explanation for the calcium-dependent biochemical alterations previously described in Alzheimer's disease fibroblasts.

Acylphosphatase purified from heart muscle actively hydrolyzes the phosphoenzyme intermediate of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase. This effect was evident with acylphosphatase concentrations (up to 100 units/mg sarcoplasmic reticulum protein) that fall within the physiological range, and the low value of the apparent Km, on the order of 10(-7)M, suggests a high affinity towards this special substrate. Moreover, acylphosphatase addition to sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles significantly enhanced the rate of Ca(2+)-dependent ATP hydrolysis. Maximal stimulation, observed with 100 units/mg vesicular protein, resulted in an ATPase activity which was about two folds over basal value. The same acylphosphatase concentration increased at a similar extent the rate of ATP driven Ca2+ influx into sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Taken together these findings lead to suppose that acylphosphatase, owing to its hydrolytic activity, induces an accelerated turnover of the phosphoenzyme intermediate, whence an overall stimulation of heart sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump, affecting both ATP hydrolysis and Ca2+ influx.

Acylphosphatase is a widespread cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of carboxylphosphate bond compounds. Among natural acylphosphates hydrolyzed by the enzyme are 3-phosphoglyceroylphosphate (1) carbamoylphosphate (2), succinoylphosphate (3).

We studied the effect of human acylphosphatase on the activity of human erythrocyte membrane Ca2(+)-ATPase. Both the acylphosphatase that is contained in hemolysate and the purified enzyme isolated from red blood cells were able to stimulate Ca2(+)-ATPase activity in erythrocyte membranes. Given the same acylphosphatase activity, however, the hemolysate showed higher stimulatory effect than the purified enzyme. Acylphosphatase stimulation was additive to that induced by calmodulin, thus indicating that acylphosphatase acts in a calmodulin-independent manner. Trifluoperazine, a calmodulin antagonist, did not inhibit acylphosphatase-induced stimulation of Ca2(+)-ATPase activity. Acylphosphatase significantly decreased the rate of Ca2+ influx into inside-out erythrocyte membrane vescicles, thus acting as Ca2+ pump inhibitor. Taken together these findings indicate that acylphosphatase is a soluble, non-calmodulin activator of erythrocyte membrane Ca2(+)-ATPase and might be involved in the control of calcium transport across the plasma membrane.

To explore a possible role of acylphosphatase in the regulation of energy metabolism, we measured this enzyme's activity and content in skeletal muscle, liver and erythrocytes of normal and tri-iodothyronine treated rabbits. Besides acylphosphatase we assayed (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, Ca2(+)-ATPase and several enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism. Acylphosphatase activity in erythrocytes rose steadily during treatment with triiodothyronine (25 micrograms/Kg per day for 5 weeks), and its increase occurred earlier and was much more pronounced than that of other soluble enzymes. In erythrocytes of treated animals (Na+ + K+)-ATPase declined whereas Ca2(+)-ATPase activity increased, in agreement with previously reported findings. In muscle and liver of the treated animals acylphosphatase activity was about twice as high as in the controls; in these tissues we found also increased activities for (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and glucose-6-phosphatase. In any case, among the enzymes we examined, acylphosphatase was one of the most strongly and regularly stimulated by the treatment. Furthermore we observed, through an immunochemical procedure, that there was a congruence between increases in acylphosphatase activity and content. On the basis of these results we conclude that the rise in acylphosphatase levels in treated animals is probably due to its increased biosynthesis. The possible significance of these findings in the metabolic modifications associated with hyperthyroidism are discussed.

Horse muscle acylphosphatase (EC 3.6.1.7) was found to hydrolyze the labeled phosphorylated intermediate of (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase from rabbit muscle. In addition, the phosphorylated peptides obtained by pepsin digestion of the labeled phosphorylated microsomes were completely hydrolyzed by acylphosphatase. These findings suggest a possible regulatory role of this enzyme in vivo on the calcium transport process by sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Acylphosphatase activity and content were measured in erythrocytes from hyperthyroid patients and healthy controls. In addition, the soluble enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, hexokinase, and the membrane bound (Na+ + K+)-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase were assayed. Our results confirmed previous studies indicating a decrease of (Na++ K+)-ATPase and an increase of Ca2+-ATPase activity in hyperthyroid erythrocytes. While glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was not significantly changed, hexokinase and acylphosphatase activities were significantly higher in the hyperthyroid group. Both activities and content of acylphosphatase returned to normal levels in erythrocytes from treated patients, when they were euthyroid. These findings suggest that an excess of thyroid hormones may stimulate acylphosphatase biosynthesis in erythroid cells and indicate a potential clinical usefulness of this enzyme in hyperthyroidism.

Human erythrocytes contain an acylphosphatase isoenzyme, whose concentration during cell ageing was determined by an enzyme immunoassay. Erythrocytes were age-fractionated by isopyenic centrifugation in “Percoll” density gradients. Acylphosphatase concentration was found to rise with the increase of cell density. Maximum values were attained in the mature erythrocytes and there was only a slight decrease in the older cells. Acylphosphatase activity in human erythrocytes of different ages followed a similar pattern, a finding which was confirmed for rabbit red cells with different levels of reticulocytes. The most probable mechanism for the increase of acylphosphatase content and activity during red cell maturation appears to be a de novo synthesis of this enzyme during the reticulocyte stage and its storage, virtually unaffected, in the mature erythrocytes. The possible consequences of increased acylphosphatase levels on the metabolic modifications associated with erythrocyte ageing are discusssed.

The post-mortem stability of some brain enzymes was studied. Over the time period under examination, the cytoplasmic enzymes investigated underwent a decisive decay, hexokinase being the most labile and acylphosphatase the most stable. On the other hand, structured activities such as Na+, K+-ATPase and Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase showed an apparent transitory increase. The differences in post-mortem stability of soluble enzymes could be ascribed, at least in part, to their different susceptibility toward proteolytic activities, as suggested by the electrophoretic results.

In cardiac and skeletal muscle Ca2+ translocation from cytoplasm into sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is accomplished by different Ca2+-ATPases whose functioning involves the formation and decomposition of an acylphosphorylated phosphoenzyme intermediate (EP). In this study we found that acylphosphatase, an enzyme well represented in muscular tissues and which actively hydrolyzes EP, had different effects on heart (SERCA2a) and fast twitch skeletal muscle SR Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA1). With physiological acylphosphatase concentrations SERCA2a exhibited a parallel increase in the rates of both ATP hydrolysis and Ca2+ transport; in contrast, SERCA1 appeared to be uncoupled since the stimulation of ATP hydrolysis matched an inhibition of Ca2+ pump. These different effects probably depend on phospholamban, which is associated with SERCA2a but not SERCA1. Consistent with this view, the present study suggests that acylphosphatase-induced stimulation of SERCA2a, in addition to an enhanced EP hydrolysis, may be due to a displacement of phospholamban, thus to a removal of its inhibitory effect.

An open reading frame encoding a putative acylphosphatase was found in Drosophila melanogaster. The corresponding gene product shows 40% identity and 22 additional amino acid residues at the C-terminus as compared to muscle- and common-type human acylphosphatases. Moreover, all the residues involved in the catalytic mechanism of vertebrate enzymes are conserved in the D. melanogaster acylphosphatase. The D. melanogaster protein and a deletion mutant, similar in length to vertebrate acylphosphatases, were produced by cloning the corresponding cDNA in Escherichia coli. The wild-type enzyme is a protein with a well-established three-dimensional fold and a markedly reduced conformational stability as compared to vertebrate isoenzymes. The specific activity of the enzyme is significantly lower than that found in vertebrate enzymes though the substrate binding capability is basically unaltered. The deletion of 22 residues does not cause a significant change in kcat, while affecting the apparent binding parameters. This work suggests that the genes encoding the vertebrate enzymes originate from an ancestor gene by duplication and subsequent evolution.

Acylphosphatase was purified from rabbit skeletal muscle by a procedure involving an affinity chromatography step on immunoadsorbent and subsequent ion-exchange chromatography. Three molecular forms with acylphosphatase activity, named Ra1, Ra2, and Ra3, were purified and characterized with respect to molecular weight, amino acid composition, and main kinetic parameters. The amino acid sequence of Ra1 is given in the present paper. The Ra1 form consists of a single polypeptide chain of 98 amino acid residues and contains only one cysteine residue at position 21 that is SS bound to glutathione. The polypeptide chain has an acetyl group blocking the NH 2 terminus. Ra1, Ra2, and Ra3 are compared with the corresponding molecular forms isolated from skeletal muscle of horse and turkey.

The complete primary structure of turkey muscle acylphosphatase has been determined. The sequence was derived from peptides obtained by digestion of the carboxymethylated protein with pepsin and thermolysin and by subdigestion of some of the cyanogen bromide fragments with trypsin and Staphylococcus aureus protease. Peptides were purified by preparative finger prints and/or preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. Sequencing of the various peptides was achieved by manual Edman degradation and by time-course analysis of amino acids released by carboxypeptidases. The amino-terminal blocking group (acetyl) was determined by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. This sequence was compared with that of horse muscle enzyme determined previously.

Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase, acylphosphatase and other soluble enzymes (creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, aldolase and pyruvate kinase) were assayed in muscle biopsies from patients affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and from normal controls. Specific activities of all the soluble enzymes were decreased in dystrophic muscle, acylphosphatase exhibiting the most marked and significant decrease, comparable to that of creatine kinase, in spite of a moderate increase in serum levels. Also, Ca 2+ -ATPase, particularly the calcium-dependent activity, was decreased in dystrophic muscle. A positive correlation, higher than with the other soluble enzymes, was obtained between acylphosphatase specific activity and the percentage of Ca 2+ -activation of Ca 2+ -ATPase. These findings: (i) suggest an impairment of microsomal calcium uptake which could be, at least in part, responsible for Sarcoplasmic calcium accumulation observed in DMD; (ii) do not disagree with an hypothesized role of acylphosphatase in intracellular calcium homeostasis, consistent with the enzyme's demonstrated hydrolytic activity on the phosporylated intermediate of Ca 2+ -ATPase.

Fractionation of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from rabbit skeletal muscle was performed by solubilization of the vesicles in the presence of deoxycholate, followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and gel filtration chromatography. This procedure permitted the isolation of essentially pure Ca 2+ -ATPase; this enzyme showed ATPase as well as acylphosphatase activity, both activities being clearly enhanced by deoxycholate. The acylphosphatase activity of the purified Ca 2+ -ATPase was characterized with regard to some kinetic properties, such as pH, Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , and deoxycholate dependence, and substrate affinity, determined in the presence of acetylphosphate, succinylphosphate, carbamylphosphate, and benzoylphosphate; in addition, the stability of both activities was checked in time-course experiments. The main similarities between the two activities, such as the Mg 2+ requirement, the deoxycholate activation, and the pH dependence, together with the competitive inhibition of the benzoylphosphatase activity by ATP, the inhibition of both activities by tris(bathophenanthroline)-Fe 2+ , and the relief of this inhibitory effect by carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazone support the hypothesis that acylphosphatase and ATPase activities of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles reside in the same active site of the enzyme. With regard to possible relationships between acylphosphatase activity of the purified Ca 2+ -ATPase and “soluble” acylphosphatase present in the 100,000 g supernatant fraction, comparison of some kinetic and structural parameters indicate that these two activities are supported by quite different enzymes.

Human skeletal muscle acylphosphatase was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography using anti-horse muscle acylphosphatase antibodies. The three forms of the enzyme present in human muscle are very similar to those found in muscles of other animal species. The two main forms, Hu 1 and Hu 3, were also characterized with respect to molecular weight and some kinetic properties. Levels of acylphosphatase activity were measured in specimens of muscle from normals and from patients with various forms of muscular dystrophies and other myopathies. Acylphosphatase activity appears to be lower in all myopathic forms considered than in controls, and seems to be correlated with percentage of Ca2+ activation of (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase.

Acylphosphatase was purified from horse muscle by a new procedure involving an affinity chromatography step and subsequent ion-exchange chromatography. This procedure was considerably milder than the preceding one, gave an overall yield of about 60% of activity and permitted isolation of three molecular forms with acylphosphatase activity. All these enzymatic forms are tightly bound to Sepharose 4B-linked anti-horse muscle acylphosphatase antibodies. Two of these forms (Ho1 and Ho3) are present in larger amounts: Ho1 corresponds to the enzyme purified according to the older procedure; this enzyme is a mixed disulfide between a main chain of 98 amino acid residues and glutathione. Ho2 differs from Ho1 only in the chemical nature of the molecule(s) SS bound to the sole cysteine present at position 21 of the main chain. Ho3 is an SS dimer of the main polypeptide chain. Ho1, Ho2, and Ho3 elicit very similar kinetic parameters in the presence of benzoylphosphate as a substrate.

Levels of acylphosphatase isoenzymes and free intracellular calcium have been investigated in cultured SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells under stimulation with all-trans retinoic acid and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate. Under these conditions morphological and functional characteristics demonstrated the differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells towards neuronal phenotype. Retinoic acid treatment caused a progressive and synchronous increase of the organ common-type acylphosphatase and of free intracellular calcium but not of the muscle-type acylphosphatase. Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate treatment gave rise to a peak of the muscle-type acylphosphatase levels during the early differentiation stage whereas organ common-type isoenzyme and free calcium levels show a pattern similar to that observed in retinoic acid-treated cells. These evidences indicate that the two acylphosphatase isoenzymes play different roles in SH-SY5Y differentiation and that during this process the expression of organ common-type acylphosphatase increases in a synchronous way with intracellular free calcium concentration.

A new acylphosphatase from human erythrocytes was isolated by an original purification procedure. It is an isoenzyme of the well-characterized human skeletal muscle acylphosphatase. The erythrocyte enzyme shows hydrolytic activity on acyl phosphates with higher affinity than the muscle enzyme for some substrates and phosphorylated inhibitors. The sequence was determined by characterizing the peptides purified from tryptic, peptic, and Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease digests of the protein, and it was found to differ in 44% of the total positions as compared to the human muscle enzyme. About one-third of these differences are in the form of strictly conservative replacements. The protein consists of 98 amino acid residues; it has an acetylated NH2-terminus and does not contain cysteine: (sequence in text).

Single crystals of a ‘common-type’ acylphosphatase from bovine testis have been grown. Crystals belong to space group C2 and have cell dimensions a = 64.6 Å, b = 36.5 Å, c = 45.2 Å and β = 104.8 and contain one monomer per asymmetric unit. The crystals diffract better than 2.0 Å resolution and are well suited for an X-ray structure determination.