The effect of cytochrome c on Na,K-ATPase.

Na,K-ATPase is a crucial enzyme responsible for maintaining Na+, K+-gradients across the cell membrane, which is essential for numerous physiological processes within various organs and tissues. Due to its significance in cellular physiology, inhibiting Na,K-ATPase can have profound physiological consequences. This characteristic makes it a target for various pharmacological applications, and drugs that modulate the pump's activity are thus used in the treatment of several medical conditions. Cytochrome c (Cytc) is a protein with dual functions in the cell. In the mitochondria, it is essential for ATP synthesis and energy production. However, in response to apoptotic stimuli, it is released into the cytosol, where it triggers programmed cell death through the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Aside from its role in canonical intrinsic apoptosis, Cytc also plays additional roles. For instance, Cytc participates in certain non-apoptotic functions -those which are less well-understood in comparison to its role in apoptosis. Within this in vitro study, we have shown the impact of Cytc on Na,K-ATPase for the first time. Cytc has a biphasic action on Na,K-ATPase, with activation at low concentrations (0.06 ng/ml; 6 ng/ml) and inhibition at high concentration (120 ng/ml). Cytc moreover displays isoform/subunit specificity and regulates the Na+ form of the enzyme, while having no effect on the activity or kinetic parameters of the K+-dependent form of the enzyme. Changing the affinity of p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (PCMB) by Cytc is therefore both a required and sufficient condition for confirming that PCMB and Cytc share the same target, namely the thiol groups of cysteine in Na,K-ATPase.

Effect of H2O2 on Na,K-ATPase.

Na,K-ATPase is a member of the P-type ATPase family, which transforms the energy of ATP to the transmembrane Na/K gradient that is used to create membrane potential, support the excitability of neurons and myocytes, control pH, and transport substances. The regulation of the Na,K-ATPase function by physiological regulators also comprises a central role in the adaptation of organisms to different conditions. H2O2 is one of the main signaling molecules in redox metabolism and plays important function in cellular physiology. H2O2 also regulates signaling pathways via the specific oxidation of proteins harboring redox-sensitive moieties, like metal centers or cysteine residues, which control their activity. The Na,K-ATPase is redox-sensitive with an "optimal redox potential range," where the reactive oxygen species (ROS), levels beyond this "optimal range" are responsible for enzyme inhibition. Thus reactive oxygen species manifest a hermetic effect, which is expressed by biphasic action; stimulation by low doses and inhibition by high doses. This study was aimed to reveal redox-sensitivity of brain synaptic membrane fractions Na,K-ATPase via H2O2 effects. Different concentrations of H2O2 change the kinetic parameters of the enzyme system for MgATP complex, Na+, and K+ differently. Moreover, H2O2 changes p-chloromercuribenzoic acids (PCMB) affinity. H2O2 targets thiols of the Na,K-ATPase - low and high concentrations of H2O2 change the oxidative state of thiolate (S-) from Cys differently, resulting in the corresponding activation or inhibition of the enzyme. Targeting thiols of the Na,K-ATPase tunes the activity of the Na,K-ATPase to the cellular demands and sustains the enzyme activity at the "optimal" level.

Some Kinetic Features of Na,K-ATPase and Sensitivity to Noradrenaline.

A comparative kinetic analysis of albino rat brain synaptic and kidney plasma membrane fraction Na,K-ATPase was performed to comprehend the different levels of sensitivity of these fractions to the neurotransmitter noradrenaline. Noradrenaline (NA) inhibits the rat brain synaptic membrane Na,K-ATPase, changes the stoichiometry of Na+ and K+ and shifts the enzyme system from an MgATP to an Mg2+ dependent cycle. While the kidney plasma membrane fraction Na,K-ATPase is not sensitive to noradrenaline. To investigate the mechanism underlying this difference, we studied enzyme velocity dependence on the concentration of Mg2+. The 1/V = f(Mg2+) function has shown different kinetic features for the synaptic and kidney plasma membrane Na,K-ATPase. With the addition of ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) to the reaction medium the geometric form of 1/V = f(Mg2+) function is affected differently. We thereafter measured the essential activator number for Na+ and K+ with, in excess Mg2+. The results of these experiments reveal that, contrary to the synaptic membrane Na,K-ATPase, the kidney plasma membrane fraction Na,K-ATPase does not possess an Mg2+ dependent cycle and noradrenaline exhibits different modulatory effects on the enzyme system.

Molecular mechanism of Mg-ATPase activity.

Mg-ATPase is very important in living organisms. To better understand the molecular mechanism of Mg-ATPase activity, we applied the method of kinetic analysis of multi-sited enzyme systems; this is a suitable approach used for kinetic investigation of multi-sited enzyme systems. The study of Mg-ATPase has demonstrated: (1) It is a multi-sited enzyme system whose functional unit is minimum a dimmer; (2) Its substrate is MgATP, while free ATP and Mg(2+) appear to be the enzyme modifiers with a dual effect; (3) The enzyme system for MgATP has at least three sites: i.e., the essential activator, full inhibitor, and partial effect modifiers sites; (4) Mg-ATPase carries out Mg(2+) transport through the 1Mg(2+):1ATP stochiometry. Based on the results of these analyses, the kinetic scheme for Mg-ATPase has been developed.

Some kinetic singularities of Mg2+-dependent Mn-ATPase in rat brain synaptic membranes.

Mn(2+) stimulated change of Mg-ATPase activity has been found in the synaptic fraction of rat brain that was named Mn-ATPase. Investigation of the molecular mechanism has shown that Mn-ATPase is a multi-sited enzyme system whose minimum functional unit is a dimer. Its substrate is the MgATP complex. The number of sites for Mn(2+) as for essential activators and that of full-effect inhibitors are equal, n = m = 1. Studying regulation of the Mn-ATPase system by Mg(2+) has shown that Mg(2+) represents a double-sided effect modifier, namely, it activates the enzyme system at low concentration but inhibits at high concentration. Supposedly, binding-release of MgATP and Mg(2+) from the enzyme would be performed by a randomized mechanism. When analyzing experiments by using the kinetic method of complex curves, a "minimal model" for Mn-ATPase has been created.