[Phosphatase activity in Amoeba proteus at low pH]

In free-living Amoeba proteus (strain B), three forms of tartrate-sensitive phosphatase were revealed using PAGE of the supernatant of ameba homogenates obtained with 1% Triton X-100 or distilled water and subsequent staining of gels with 2-naphthyl phosphate as substrate (pH 4.0). The form with the highest mobility in the ameba supernatant was sensitive to all tested phosphatase activity modulators. Two other forms with the lower mobilities were completely or significantly inactivated not only by sodium L-(+)-tartrate, but also by L-(+)-tartaric acid, sodium orthovanadate, ammonium molybdate, EDTA, EGTA, o-phospho-L-tyrosine, DL-dithiotreitol, H2O2, 2-mercaptoethanol, and ions of heavy metals - Fe2+, Fe3+, and Cu2+. Based on results of inhibitory analysis, lysosome location in the ameba cell, and wide substrate specificity of these two forms, it has been concluded that they belong to nonspecific acid phosphomonoesterases (AcP, EC 3.1.3.2). This AcP is suggested to have both phosphomonoesterase and phosphotyrosyl-protein phosphatase activitis. Two ecto-phosphatases were revealed in the culture medium, in which amebas were cultivated. One of them was inhibited by the same reagents as the ameba tartrate-sensitive AcP and seems to be the AcP released into the culture medium in the process of exocytosis of the content of food vacuoles. In the culture medium, apart from this AcP, another phosphatase was revealed, which was not inhibited by any tested inhibitors of AcP and alkaline phosphatase. It cannot be ruled out that this phosphatase belong to the ecto-ATPases found in many protists; however, its ability to hydrolyze ATP has not yet been proven.