Graded amplification of the Na,K-ATPase across a subclonal series: effects on membrane physiology

We have generated a series of clonally related cell lines which differ in the level of amplified expression of the Na,K-ATPase. These lines, originally derived from the ouabain resistant HeLa variant C+, expressed different numbers of binding sites for the Na,K-ATPase inhibitor ouabain, ranging from 2.9 X 10(6)/cell to 11.8 X 10(6)/cell. Amplification of the genes for both subunits of the enzyme was also seen but was not strictly correlated with level of expression. The influxes of histidine and tetraphenylphosphonium were measured across a series, including HeLa S3 and revertants, expressing from 0.74 X 10(6) to 10.5 X 10(6) ouabain-binding sites per cell. Tetraphenylphosphonium influx rate, presumed to be a function of membrane potential, varied linearly with ouabain binding site number, while histidine influx varied with the log of ouabain binding site number. Our results suggest that membrane potential increases in a simple fashion across our series of amplified lines. However, histidine influx was unaffected by treatments which cause membrane depolarization and a decrease in tetraphenylphosphonium influx rate. We propose that increasing histidine influx rates across our amplified series reflects exchange acceleration of L system transport due to increased intracellular pools of L system reactive amino acids. The Na,K-ATPase is ultimately responsible for most active transport across the plasma membrane. The consistent, graded physiological alterations seen across this series of closely related lines, chosen for graded enzyme expression, demonstrate the value of this novel genetic approach to the study of the energization of membrane transport.