1. Inactivation of purified Na+/K'-transporting ATPase by the MgATP complex analogue CO(NH~)~ATP, which binds to the low-affinity ATP-binding site, results in the concomitant inhibition of the K+-activated pnitrophenylphosphatase, which is considered to be a partial reaction catalyzed by the enzyme in the E2 conformational state.2. Complete inactivation of Na+/K+-transporting ATPase by C O ( N H~)~A T P does not alter the ADP/ATP exchange reaction which is considered to be part of the catalytic activity in the El conformation.3. The enzyme binds eosin at the high-affinity ATP-binding site as measured by the change in eosin fluorescence. Eosin binding to the C~(NH~)~ATP-inactivated enzyme is, in contrast to the untreated enzyme, not stimulated by Na+ . Inactivation by C O ( N H~)~A T P increased the half-maximal opposing effect of K + on eosin binding from 1.1 mM in the control to 43.2 mM in the almost completely inactive enzyme. No eosin fluorescence changes were observed when the Co(NH3)4ATP-inactivated enzyme was treated subsequently with CrATP. This MgATP complex analogue forms a stable complex at the high-affinity ATP-binding site. CrATP thus abolishes eosin binding.
It is concluded, that Co(NH3)4ATP interacts with Na+/K+-transporting ATPase in the Ez conformationand arrests it there. This affects eosin binding to the high-affinity ATP-binding site, since the K f sensitivity is lost. A possible interpretation of these differing effects of C O ( N H~)~A T P on partial reactions of N a + / K + -transporting ATPase is that the sodium pump works as an diprotomer. It is likely that the arrest of one ct,P protomer in the E2 conformational state by occupancy of the low-affinity ATP-binding site with C O ( N H~)~A T P induces the Na' form (El form) in the corresponding a,p protomer, as is indicated by the unaffected ADP/ATP exchange and the response of the eosin fluorescence on Na' and K f .It is unclear so far, whether the active transport of Na+ and K + through animal cell membranes is catalyzed by the sodium pump [I, 21 in its M,P protomeric or in its (~( , j j )~ diprotomeric form. Reports on the interaction of N a + / K + -transporting ATPase (Na+/K+-ATPase) with 2',3'-0-(2,4,6-trinitrocyclohexadienylidene) adenosine 5'-triphosphate [3, 41, vanadate [5] as well as the recent report on the incorporation of "Na+ and *'Rb+ into the CrATP-inactivated enzyme and its occlusion in the solubilized form [6] favour the concept that the cr,p protomer might fulfil the minimal requirements of the sodium pump as it is described by the socalled Albers-Post model. There are, however, a number of reports which are not consistent with this assumption (for recent reviews see [7 -91). This sometimes rather indirect data supports the concept of a cooperation of a$ protomers and raises the question how the catalytic c( subunits interact [7 -191. We recently showed that the MgATP complex analogue C O ( N H~)~A T P binds to the low-affinity ATP-binding site, which is found in the Ez conformational state [20, 211. In contrast to...