An ethyl diazomalonyl derivative of cymarin was synthesized in order to photoaffinity label the cardiac glycoside-binding site on (Na+ + K+) adenosinetriphosphatase (EC 3.6.1.3). When a noncovalent complex of the enzyme and this cardiac glycoside derivative was photolyzed, a covalent bond was formed between the ligand and the larger of the two polypeptide subunits of the enzyme. Several control experiments demonstrate that this photochemical reaction occurred while the ligand was bound to the site at which it inhibits the enzyme activity. Another specific inhibitor, tentatively identified as the ethyl chloromalonyl derivative of cymarin, produced similar photoaffinity labeling of the larger subunit, demonstrating that the photolytic dissociation of the diazo group may not be responsible for the photochemical reaction. Since the cardiac glycoside-binding site, which is accessible from the outside surface of the plasma membrane, and the phosphorylation site, which is accessible from the inside surface, are both on the larger polypeptide subunit of (Na+ + K+) adenosinetriphosphatase, this polypeptide has sequences exposed to both sides of the membrane.(Na+ + K+) adenosinetriphosphatase is the membrane-bound enzyme that transports sodium and potassium in opposite directions across the cell membrane to create the ion gradients that are utilized to perform physiological functions. The cardiac glycosides and aglycones, such as digoxin, ouabain, and strophanthidin, are natural products that have been used therapeutically for centuries in the treatment of heart disease. Their only known biochemical effect is to inhibit specifically (Na+ + K+) adenosinetriphosphatase and consequently decrease or completely stop active cation flux.The purified enzyme is a specific complex of two polypeptide chains (1). In order to determine which polypeptide contains the cardiac glycoside-binding site, a radioactive affinity label can be used (2). Haloacetyl derivatives of the cardiac glycosides strophanthidin and hellebrigenin (3, 4) were synthesized for affinity labeling of the cardiac glycoside-binding site of (Na+ + K+) adenosinetriphosphatase. They did not, however, react covalently and specifically with the binding site (5). One disadvantage of such electrophilic reagents is the requirement for a suitably positioned nucleophile in the active site. On the other hand, a photoaffinity label can be converted by photolysis into an exceedingly reactive intermediate, and under appropriate circumstances even insertion into a C-H bond is possible (6). Compounds that generate carbenes or nitrenes upon photolysis have been used for the photoaffinity labeling of enzyme active sites (7), antibody ligand sites (8), and membrane-bound adenosine 3': 5'-cyclic monophosphate binding sites (9). We have synthesized and used an ethyl diazomalonyl derivative of the cardiac glycoside, cymarin (DAMN cymarin, Fig. 1) for photoaffinity labeling of this specific binding site in (Na+ + K+) adenosine triphosphatase.
MATERIALS AND METHODS Synthesis of pho...