Ca2+-dependent ATP hydrolysis of the porcine intestinal brush-border membranes

The brush-border membrane from the porcine small intestine possesses Ca2+-dependent ATPase activity. The Ca2+ stimulation of ATP hydrolysis by the membranes is biphasic with a high affinity (Km = 0.38 microM) and a low affinity (Km = 98.3 microM). Treatment of the membrane vesicles with n-heptylthioglucoside did not cause further increase of the Ca2+-ATPase activity. Mg2+ also stimulates the ATP hydrolysis in the absence of Ca2+ but decreases the Ca2+-ATPase activities at 0.59 and 200 microM free Ca2+. The Ca2+-ATPase activities are not inhibited by addition of vanadate, ouabain, sodium azide and alkaline phosphatase inhibitors (theophylline and L-phenylalanine), irrespective of the Ca2+ concentrations in medium. A specific calmodulin-inhibitor W-7 (up to 30 microM) also did not influence on the Ca2+-ATPase activities at 0.59 and 200 microM free Ca2+. The Ca2+-ATPase activities at 0.59 and 200 microM free Ca2+ show no specificity for ATP. ADP, GTP and CTP could also be used as substrates. From these results, it is suggested that the porcine intestinal brush-border membrane possesses Mg2+-independent Ca2+-ATPase activity and that the Ca2+-ATPase activities with biphasic responses for Ca2+ stimulation observed in the present study reside on the same protein. The physiological functions of the Ca2+-ATPase in the membranes, however, remain unknown at present.