Interaction of fluorescein isothiocyanate with the (H+ + K+)-ATPase

Fluorescein isothiocyanate was used to covalently label the gastric (H+ + K+)-ATPase. FITC treatment of the enzyme inhibited the ATPase activity while largely sparing partial reactions such as the associated p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity. ATP protected against inhibition suggesting the ligand binds at or near an ATP binding site. At 100% inhibition the stoichiometry of binding was 1.5 nmol FITC per mg Lowry protein a value corresponding to maximal phosphoenzyme formation. Binding occurred largely to a peptide of 6.2 isoelectric point, although minor labelling of a peptide of pI 5.6 was also noted. Fluorescence was quenched by K+, Rb+ and Tl+ in a dose-dependent manner, and the K0.5 values of 0.28, 0.83 and 0.025 mM correspond rather well to the values required for dephosphorylation at a luminal site. Vanadate, a known inhibitor of the gastric ATPase produced a slow Mg2+-dependent fluorescent quench. Ca2+ reversed the K+-dependent loss of fluorescence and inhibited it when added prior to K+. This may relate to the slow phosphorylation in the presence of ATP found when Ca2+ was substituted for Mg2+ and the absence of K+-dependent dephosphorylation. The results with FITC-modified gastric ATPase provide evidence for a conformational change with K+ binding to the enzyme.