Solubilization and purification of Na, K-ATPase from the outer medulla of rabbit kidney

There is great interest in the histologic localization of the Na, K-pump in various tissues: histochemical methods in this case work poorly, so a specific antibody against a purified soluble Na, K-ATPase is necessary. We approached this problem with a two-step ionic detergent treatment; the separation of the solubilized enzyme was attempted by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The gel filtration purified form was active and nearly pure, while the ion-exchange on was purer but inactive. PAGE analyses of the various enzyme forms are presented.