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Plasma membrane K+/H(+)-ATPase from Leishmania donovani
S Jiang1, S A Anderson, G D Winget
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Ohio 45221.
Abstract:
Leishmania donovani has an active K+/H+ exchange system on the surface membrane. Modulation of external K+ concentration resulted in a corresponding change in internal pH (pHi) suggesting a link between proton and potassium transport. Although a Na+/H+ antiporter is present on the plasma membrane, its sensitivity to amiloride suggests that it operates independent of K+/H+ exchange. Reduction of cellular ATP with NaN3 and KCN inhibits K+/H+ exchange showing thereby that the process is energy dependent. The K+/H+ exchange is sensitive to inhibitors of the gastric K+/H(+)-ATPase. It is concluded that the H(+)-ATPase previously reported on the plasma membrane of L. donovani is in fact a K+/H(+)-ATPase.