Sodium and potassium ion-dependent adenosine triphosphatase of mammalian brain. Interactions of magnesium ions with the phosphatase site.

Kinetic parameters are reported for Mg2+, Na+ and K+ as activators of the p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity associated with (Na+ + K+)-ATPase (ATP-phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) of beef brain. In each case the phosphatase reaction is activated at low concentrations of the cation and inhibited by higher concentrations. The concentrations of cation that produced half-maximal activation and half-maximal inhibition are increased as the concentration of either of the other two cations is increased. These second ligand effects are all saturable functions. The apparent binding constant that characterizes the effect on activation is closely similar to that acting upon the inhibitory phase in each case.