The purpose of the present study was to elucidate the separate roles of lipid, detergent and protein-protein interaction for stability and catalytic properties of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase solubilized in the non-ionic detergent octa(ethy1ene glycol) monododecyl ether (Cl 2E8). The use of large-zone high-performance liquid chromatography permitted us to define the self-association state of Ca-ATPase peptide at various detergent, phospholipid and protein concentrations, and also during enzymatic turnover with ATP. Conditions were established for monomerization of Ca-ATPase in the presence of a high concentration of phospholipid relative to detergent. The lipid-saturated monomeric preparation was relatively resistant to inactivation in the absence of Ca", whereas delipidated enzyme in monomeric or in oligomeric form was prone to inactivation.Kinetics of phosphoenzyme turnover were examined in the presence and absence of Mg2 + . Dephosphorylation rates were sensitive to Mg2', irrespective of whether the peptide was present in soluble monomeric form or was membrane-bound. C1 2E8-solubilized monomer without added phospholipid was, however, characterized by a fast initial phase of dephosphorylation in the absence of Mg2+. This was not observed with monomer saturated with phospholipid or with monomer solubilized in myristoylglycerophosphocholine or deoxycholate. The mechanism underlying this difference was shown to be a C1 2E8-induced acceleration of conversion of ADP-sensitive phosphoenzyme (Ell') to ADP-insensitive phosphoenzyme (EzP).The phosphoenzyme isomerization rate was also found to be enhanced by low-affinity binding of ATP, This was demonstrated both in membrane-bound and in soluble monomeric Ca-ATPase.Our results indicate that a single peptide chain constitutes the target for modulation of phosphoenzyme turnover by Mg2+ and ATP, and that detergent effects, distinct from those arising from disruption of proteinprotein contacts, are the major determinants of kinetic differences between C1 2E8-solubilized and membranebound enzyme preparations.