PubMed:6300124 JSONTXT 14 Projects

Isoelectric focussing of the catalytic subunit of (Na,K)-ATPase from pig kidney. The catalytic subunit of sodium and potassium ion transport adenosine triphosphatase was isolated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis and was subjected to isoelectric focussing on 3.5% acrylamide in 2% Triton X-100, 9 M urea, and 2% Bio-Lyte 3/10 from Bio-Rad Laboratories. At 20 degrees C this resolved 2 equal and closely spaced bands centered at pH 5.5 about 0.04 pH unit apart. The distribution of the polypeptide between the 2 bands came to a temperature-dependent equilibrium during focussing. At 15 degrees C predominantly the acidic band and at 25 degrees C predominantly the alkaline band appeared. Perhaps association of the nonionic detergent with the polypeptide resulted in its partitioning into bands corresponding to different physical states. A change of phase in a polypeptide-detergent complex might have altered its charge. To test functional homogeneity of the subunit in the native enzyme, the active center for ATP binding was covalently labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate, an acidic ligand. Isoelectric focussing of the derivatized subunit at 20 degrees C showed displacement of all of the alkaline band to the position of the acidic band, which was fluorescent. Isoelectric focussing at 25 degrees C showed displacement of almost half of the alkaline band to the position of the acidic band, and both bands were fluorescent. The results suggest that all of the subunit accepted the fluorescent label and that derivatization slightly raised the temperature at which the polypeptide equilibrated between the 2 states. A few experiments on the calcium-dependent ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum indicated that it responded similarly.