On the subunit composition of the Neurospora plasma membrane H+-ATPase

The resolution-reconstitution approach has been employed in order to gain information as to the subunit composition of the Neurospora plasma membrane H+-ATPase. Proteoliposomes prepared from sonicated asolectin and a highly purified, radiolabeled preparation of the 105,000-dalton hydrolytic moiety of the H+-ATPase by a freeze-thaw procedure catalyze ATP hydrolysis-dependent proton translocation as indicated by the extensive 9-amino-6-chloro-2-methoxyacridine fluorescence quenching that occurs upon the addition of MgATP to the proteoliposomes, and the reversal of this quenching induced by the H+-ATPase inhibitor, vanadate, and the proton conductors, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and nigericin plus K+. ATP hydrolysis is tightly coupled to proton translocation into the liposomes as indicated by the marked stimulation of ATP hydrolysis by carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and nigericin plus K+. The maximum stimulation of ATPase activity by proton conductors is about 3-fold, which indicates that at least two-thirds of the hydrolytically active ATPase molecules present in the reconstituted preparation are capable of translocating protons into the liposomes. Furthermore, as estimated by the extent of protection of the reconstituted 105,000-dalton hydrolytic moiety against tryptic degradation by vanadate in the presence of Mg2+ and ATP, the fraction of the total population of ATPase molecules that are hydrolytically active is at least 91%. Taken together, these data indicate that at least 61% of the ATPase molecules present in the reconstituted preparation are able to catalyze proton translocation. This information allows an estimation of the amount of any polypeptide in the preparation that must be present in order for that polypeptide to qualify as a subunit that is required for proton translocation in addition to the 105,000-dalton hydrolytic moiety, and an analysis of the radiolabeled ATPase preparation by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and urea rules out the involvement of any such polypeptides larger than 2,500 daltons. This indicates that the Neurospora plasma membrane H+-ATPase has no subunits even vaguely resembling any that have been found to be associated with other transport ATPases and that if this enzyme has any subunits at all other than the 105,000-dalton hydrolytic moiety, they must be very small.