Expression, localization, and function of an N-terminal half fragment of the rat Na,K-ATPase beta-subunit in HeLa cells.

The N-terminal half of the beta-subunit of rat brain Na,K-ATPase was expressed in HeLa cells transfected with the plasmid pSV2TKneo beta N containing the truncated beta-subunit cDNA to study the assembly and transport of alpha-beta complex. Immunoprecipitation from extracts of metabolically labeled transformed cells demonstrated that the truncated beta-subunit polypeptide (beta N) was neither transported to the plasma membrane nor assembled into an alpha-beta complex with the endogenous alpha-subunit. Cell fractionation experiments showed that the beta N truncated subunit remained unassembled within rough microsomes, suggesting that it never exited from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The assembly of the endogenous alpha-and beta-subunits in the beta N-expressing cells was significantly inhibited compared with control cells or with the transformants that did not express the beta N. These results suggest that the N-terminal portion of the beta-subunit interferes with the normal assembly of the endogenous complex which normally takes place in the ER.