Role of negatively charged phospholipids in highly purified (Na+ + K+)-ATPase from rabbit kidney outer medulla studies on (Na+ + K+)-activated ATPase, XXXIX.

1. The requirement for specific polar head groups of phospholipids for activity of purified (Na+ + K+)ATPase from rabbit kidney outer medulla has been investigated. 2. Comparison of content and composition of phospholipids in microsomes and the purified enzyme indicates that purification leads to an increase in the phospholipid/protein ratio and in phosphatidylserine content. 3. The purified preparation contains 267 molecules phospholipid per molecule (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, viz. 95 phosphatidylcholine, 74 phosphatidylethanolamine, 48 spingomyelin, 35 phosphatidylserine and 15 phosphatidylinositol. 4. Complete conversion of phosphatidylserine into phosphatidylethanolamine by the enzyme phosphatidylserine decarboxylase has no effect on the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity of the purified preparation. 5. Complete hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol by a phospholipase C from Staphylococcus aureus, which is specific for this phospholipid, has no effect on the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity. 6. Hydrolysis of 95% of the phosphatidylcholine and 60--70% of the spingomyelin and phosphatidylethanolamine by another phospholipase C (Clostridium welchii) lowers the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity by about 20%. 7. Combination of the phospholipid-converting enzymes has the same effect as can be calculated from the effects of the enzymes separately. Only complete conversion of both phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol results in a loss of 44% of the (NA+ + K+)-ATPase activity and 36% of the potassium 4-nitrophenylphosphatase activity. 8. These experiments indicate that there is no absolute requirement for one of the polar head groups, although in the absence of negative charges the activity is lower than in their presence.