The chromium complex of adenosine 5′‐[β,γ‐methylene]triphosphate, Cr(H2O)4AdoPP[CH2]P, inactivates Na+/K+‐ATPase from pig kidney at 37°C with an inactivation velocity constant of 7.1X10‐3min‐1 by binding to the high‐affinity ATP site (E1ATP site). The dissociation constant (Kd) of the analogue at this site is 26 μM, and of ATP 0.8 μM. Inactivation of the overall reaction of Na+/K+‐ATPase by Cr(H2O)4AdoPP[CH2]P did not alter the activities of the E2 conformational state such as K+‐activated p‐nitrophenylphosphatase, 86Rb+ occlusion and [3H]ouabain binding by the ‘backdoor’ phosphorylation. However, [3H]ouabain binding via the forwards reaction from E1ATP in the presence of Na++ Mg2+ is inhibited.
K+‐activated p‐nitrophenylphosphatase activity of the Cr(H2O)4AdoPP[CH2]P‐inactivated enzyme decreases when an MgATP analogue, the tetraammine cobalt complex of ATP, Co(NH3)4ATP, is used additionally to inactivate the E2ATP site. The enzyme activity of K+‐activated phosphatase is also lost if the β,γ‐bidentate chromium(III) complex of ATP, Cr(H2O)4ATP, which may form a stable E1‐chromo‐phosphointermediate, is used for the inactivation of Na+/K+‐ATPase.
We conclude that the phenomenon of a blockade of the overall reaction of Na+/K+‐ATPase by the formation of a stable E1· CrAdoPP[CH2]P complex, leading thereby to a loss of the partial activities of the E1 conformation, but not of the E2 conformation, is consistent with the postulate of an (αβ)2 diprotomeric nature of the sodium pump. The observation, moreover, that treatment of the sodium pump with Cr(H2O)4ATP but not with Cr(H2O)4AdoPP[CH2]P leads to an inactivation of K+‐activated phosphatase seems to indicate that the formation of a E1‐phosphointermediate affects the E2ATP site.