Intermediate reaction states of the red beet plasma membrane ATPase

The phosphorylation reaction for the plasma membrane ATPase of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) was examined in order to further understand the mechanism of this enzyme. The level of steady-state phosphorylation had a pH optimum of about 6.0 while ATPase activity (32Pi production) measured under identical conditions had a pH optimum of 7.0. Phosphoenzyme decomposition was accelerated as both the pH and temperature were increased. The former effect may account for the observed difference between the pH optimum for phosphorylation and ATPase. Although the kinetics of K+ stimulation of ATP hydrolysis have been observed to be complex, the kinetics of K+ stimulation of phosphoenzyme turnover were observed to be simple Michaelis-Menten. An antagonism was observed between MgATP and K+ for the stimulation of phosphoenzyme turnover. Increased MgATP concentration reduced the degree of K+ stimulation of phosphoenzyme turnover and ATPase activity. These effects could be explained by the observation that two forms of phosphoenzyme occur during ATP hydrolysis. One form is discharged by ADP while the other form is ADP insensitive. Potassium stimulation of phosphoenzyme breakdown occurs primarily because of effects on the ADP-insensitive phosphoenzyme form. These results are consistent with a mechanism of ATP hydrolysis involving interconversions of conformational states.