Interactions of divalent cations and nucleotides with solubilized cardiac guanylate cyclase.

Some properties of guanylate cyclase, which was solubilized from the rabbit heart washed particles by the treatment with Triton X-100, were investigated. The solubilized enzyme activity was stimulated by Mg2+ in the presence of low (subsaturating) Mn2+ (GTP is greater than Mn2+); under these conditions, Ga2+ was inhibitory. At subsaturating MnGTP and free Mn2+, the solubilized enzyme was markedly stimulated by MnGDP and MnATP; CaGTP on the other hand, was inhibitory. These results are consistent with the view that the particulate guanylate cyclase may exist in the cell as a metalloenzyme with tightly bound Mn2+ and that Mg2+ supports its catalysis while Ca2+ as well as nucleotides may exert regulatory effects on its activity.