The reversible delipidation of a solubilized sodium-plus-potassium ion-dependent adenosine triphosphatase from the salt gland of the spiny dogfish.

A microsomal fraction rich in Na+, K+-ATPase (sodium-plus-potassium ion-dependent adenosine triphosphatase) and the corresponding K+-dependent p-nitrophenyl phosphatase from the rectal salt gland of the spiny dogfish was solubilized by treatment with deoxycholate at high ionic strength. On gel filtration through Sepharose 6B, the ATPase apoenzyme could be separated, in apparently soluble form, from the tissue-fraction phospholipids and was almost free of enzymic activity (2% of the p-nitrophenyl phosphatase activity and 0.2% of the ATPase activity being recovered). On mixing the apoenzyme with an activator consisting of cooked ox brain, a large proportion of the original enzymic activity was obtained. Specific activities of the re-activated enzyme were somewhat higher than in the material before gel filtration: values of 1300-1450 mumol and 250-290 mumol/h per mg of protein were obtained for the hydrolysis of ATP and of p-nitrophenyl phosphate respectively. The activity was inhibitible by ouabain.