Kinetic properties of a magnesium ion- and calcium ion-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase from the outer-membrane fraction of rat spleen mitochondria.

1. Isolated outer membranes from rat spleen mitochondria can be stored in liquid N(2) for several weeks without significant loss of ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase) activity. 2. The ATPase reaction has a broad pH optimum centering on neutral pH, with little significant activity above pH9.0 or below pH5.5. 3. A sigmoidal response of the ATPase activity to temperature is observed between 0 and 55 degrees C, with complete inactivation at 60 degrees C. The Arrhenius plot shows that the activation energy above the transition temperature (22 degrees C) (E(a)=144kJ/mol) is one-third of that calculated for below the transition temperature (E'(a)=408kJ/mol). 4. The outer-membrane ATPase (K(m) for MgATP=50mum) is inactive unless Mg(2+) is added, whereas the inner-membrane ATPase (K(m) for ATP=11mum) is active without added Mg(2+) unless the mitochondria have been depleted of all endogenous Mg(2+) (by using ionophore A23187). 5. The substrate for the outer-membrane ATPase is a bivalent metal ion-nucleoside triphosphate complex in which Mg(2+) (K(m)=50mum) can be replaced effectively by Ca(2+) (K(m)=6.7mum) or Mn(2+), and ATP by ITP. Cu(2+), Co(2+), Sr(2+), Ba(2+), Ni(2+), Cd(2+) and Zn(2+) support very little ATP hydrolysis. 6. Univalent metal ions (Na(+), K(+), Rb(+), Cs(+) and NH(4) (+), but not Li(+)) stimulate the MgATPase activity (<10%) at low concentrations (50mm), but, except for K(+), are slightly inhibitory (20-30%) at higher concentrations (500mm). 7. The Mg(2+)-stimulated ATPase activity is significantly inhibited by Cu(2+) (K(i)=90mum), Ni(2+) (K(i)=510mum), Zn(2+) (K(i)=680mum) and Co(2+) (K(i)=1020mum), but not by Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Ba(2+) or Sr(2+). 8. The outer-membrane ATPase is insensitive to the inhibitors oligomycin, NN'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, NaN(3), ouabain and thiol-specific reagents. A significant inhibition is observed at high concentrations of AgNO(3) (0.5mm) and NaF (10mm). 9. The activity towards MgATP is competitively inhibited by the product MgADP (K(i)=0.7mm) but not by the second product P(i) or by 5'-AMP.