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In reconstituted rabbit skeletal muscle (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase proteoliposomes, Ca(2+)-uptake is decreased by more than 90% with T2 cleavage (Arg-198). However, no difference in the ATP dependence of hydrolysis activity is seen between SR and trypsin-treated SR. A large decrease in E-P formation and hydrolysis activity of the enzyme appear only at T3 cleavage, which represents the cleavage of A1 fragment to A1a + A1b forms. The disappearance of hydrolysis activity due to digestion is prior to the disappearance of E-P formation. No significant difference is found in the passive Ca2+ efflux between control SR and tryptically digested SR in the absence of Mg2+ + ruthenium red or in the presence of ATP. However, the passive Ca2+ efflux rate for tryptically digested SR is much larger than control SR in the presence of Mg2+ + ruthenium red. These results show that the Ca2+ channel cannot be closed after trypsin digestion of SR membranes by the presence of the Ca2+ channel inhibitors, Mg2+ and ruthenium red. In the reconstituted proteoliposomes, the Ca2+ efflux rates are the same regardless of digestion (T2); also, efflux is not affected by the presence or absence of Mg2+ + ruthenium red. These results indicate that T2 cleavage causes 'uncoupling' of the 'Ca(2+)-pump' from ATP hydrolytic activity. A theoretical model is developed in order to fit the extent of tryptic digestion of the A fragment of the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase polypeptide with the loss of Ca(2+)-transport. Fits of the theoretical equations to the data are consistent with that Ca(2+)-transport system appears to require a dimer of the polypeptide (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase.

The Ca2+ binding site region of the Ca2+-ATPase of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum was labeled with several fluorescent analogs of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. As has been shown by Chadwick and Thomas, in the absence of Ca2+ in the medium, labeling with the naphthyl carbodiimide results in the inhibition of enzyme activity. Further, Ca2+ occupancy of the high affinity sites of the enzyme protects against incorporation into the site(s). The fluorescent carbodiimide has been used to determine the depth of the site of label incorporation relative to the aqueous-bilayer interfaces by quenching studies using spin-labeled fatty acid derivatives. The series of quenchers used have their spin-label moiety located at different positions along the fatty acid chain. It was found that after suitable correction for differences in partitioning of the various derivatives, the order of quenching efficiency was 16- greater than 12- greater than 10- greater than 7- greater than 5-NS, indicating that the naphthyl moiety is near the center of the bilayer. In contrast, quenching with the aqueous-restricted I- indicated that the label is accessible from the external milieu, likewise for a presumed aqueous quencher, acrylamide. The aqueous quenchers accessibilities were altered upon Ca2+ binding to the ATPase. Quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence with the x-NS derivatives indicates that the ATPase tryptophan residues are primarily localized at the aqueous-membrane interfaces, with the order of quenching being 5- greater than 7- greater than 10- greater than 12- greater than 16-NS. The trp residue(s) which changes its fluorescence upon Ca2+ binding is shown to be near the membrane surface.

The effects of trypsin digestion and low temperature on Ca2+ binding and on Ca2+ activation of ATP hydrolysis by the high-affinity transport sites of the Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum were examined. Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles contain 0.7-1.1 high-affinity Ca2+ sites per 10(5) g sarcoplasmic reticulum with K = 3-5 X 10(5) M-1, as well as sites of lower affinity. The first cleavage of the ATPase with trypsin (TD1) has no effect on the binding properties of the high affinity sites. The second tryptic cleavage (TD2) decreases the affinity of the high sites to K = 3 X 10(4) M-1 with conservation of the total number of sites. The purified ATPase contains 1.6-2.0 high affinity Ca2+ sites per 10(5) g protein when measured at 23 degrees C, while at 0-4 degrees C there is approximately equal to 1 high-affinity (K = 5 - 10 X 10(5) M-1) affinity site and approximately equal to 1 intermediate-affinity (K = 3 X 10(4) M-1) site per 10(5) g. Trypsin digestion to the point of TD1 has no effect on either the number or the binding constants of the high-affinity sites. Upon TD2 cleavage, one of the sites is converted to the intermediate-affinity state, while the other remains at high affinity. After TD2 modification of the enzyme both of the sites are in the intermediate affinity state at 4 degrees C. On the basis of the binding data, several models for the roles of the Ca2+ sites in the activation of ATP hydrolysis are derived. The results are summarized by a scheme in which the two high-affinity Ca2+ sites are heterogeneous with respect to sensitivity to temperature and to TD2 modification. The results of this and a previous study [Scott, T. L. and Shamoo, A. E. (1982) J. Membr. Biol. 64, 137-144] indicate that while occupation of either of the two Ca2+ sites can stimulate ATP hydrolysis, the site which is sensitive to TD2 is essential for the coupling of hydrolysis to Ca2+ transport.

Luminescence energy transfer measurements have been used to determine the distances between the two high affinity Ca2+ binding-transport sites of the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. The lanthanide Tb3+ situated at one high affinity Ca2+ site was used as the transfer donor, and acceptors at the other Ca2+ site were the lanthanides Nd3+, Pr3+, Ho3+, or Er3+. Terbium bound to the enzyme was excited directly with a pulsed dye laser. Analysis of the changes in the terbium luminescence lifetime due to the presence of the acceptor indicates that the distance between the Ca2+ sites is 10.7 A. The distance between the Ca2+ sites and the nucleotide-binding catalytic site was determined using Tb3+ at the Ca2+ sites and either trinitrophenyl nucleotides (TNP-N) or fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate (FITC) in the catalytic site as energy acceptors. The R0 values for the Tb-acceptor pairs are approximately 30 and approximately 40 A for TNP-N and FITC, respectively. The distance between Tb3+ at the Ca2+ sites and TNP-ATP at the nucleotide site is approximately 35 A and that between the Ca2+ sites and the FITC labeling site is approximately 47 A. Considerations of the molecular dimensions of the ATPase polypeptide indicate that while the two Ca2+ sites are close to each other, the Ca2+ sites and the nucleotide site are quite remote in the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme.

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase was previously shown to have Ca2+-dependent and -selective ionophoric activity when tested in oxidized cholesterol lipid bilayer membranes (Shamoo, A. E., and MacLennan, D. H. (1974) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 71, 3522). ruthenium red, a known inhibitor of (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase, is found to inhibit the Ca2+-ionophoric activity associated with (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase. Furthermore, ruthenium red alone acts as an anion-selective ionophore in lipid bilayers with the the following selectivity sequence for anions: l- greater than Cl-, Br- greater than F- greater than NO3-. The PCl-/PNa+ ratio was approximately 4/l. The presence of ruthenium red in excess of Ca2+ ionophore in lipid bilayer experiments converts the cation selectivity of the bilayer due to Ca2+ ionophore into anion selectivity.

The fluorescent thiol reagent N-(1-anilinonaphthyl-4)maleimide (ANM) reacts covalently with the Ca2+ ATPase moiety of fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum in two phases as determined by the increase of fluorescence intensity and optical density at 350 nm. In the rapid phase, 5.5 nmol of ANM reacts with 1 mg of fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum protein. Assuming that 55% of the total membrane protein is the Ca2+ ATPase, this is equivalent to 1 mol of SH/10(5) g of ATPase, designated as SH1-ANM. ANM reacts with the second SH (SH2-ANM) at a much slower rate. Reaction of ANM with both SH1-ANM and SH2-ANM produces no inhibition of phosphoenzyme (EP) formation. Upon addition of Mg . ATP in the micromolar range, at [Ca2+] = 1 microM there is an increase in the fluorescence intensity of ANM attached to SH2-ANM, while the ANM attached to SH1-ANM does not respond to Mg . ATP. Under conditions in which there is no EP formation, there is no fluorescence change. Furthermore, the enhancement of ANM fluorescence produced by Mg . ATP is reversed by ADP as it reacts with EP to form ATP. Thus, it appears that the Mg . ATP-induced fluorescence increase reflects changes of enzyme conformation produced by EP formation.

Direct excitation of lanthanide luminescence with a pulsed dye laser has been used to probe the molecular environment of the high affinity sites of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase. The direct excitation spectrum of Tb3+ bound to these sites has been determined and a luminescence lifetime of approximately 1 ms measured. Measurements of the difference in lifetime of the Tb X ATPase complex in H2O and D2O indicate that there are approximately 2 H2O molecules in the first coordination sphere of Tb3+ bound at the high affinity sites of the ATPase. The results are compared with the properties of Tb3+ binding to high affinity sites of other Ca2+ binding proteins. The binding constant of Tb3+ to the ATPase is in the range of 0.3-5.0 X 10(8) M-1 as inferred from the KI for inhibition of ATP hydrolysis, in agreement with a previous report (Highsmith, S. R., and Head, M. R. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 6858-6862). The values of the Ca2+ binding constant (approximately 2 X 10(6) M-1) and the cooperative nature (n = 1.9) of Ca2+ protection of Tb3+ inhibition indicate that Tb3+ and Ca2+ compete for the high affinity sites of the ATPase. The results demonstrate that directly-excited Tb3+ luminescence provides unique information on the environment of the Ca2+ binding-transport sites of the SR ATPase.