Presence of an extramitochondrial anion-stimulated ATPase in the rabbit kidney: localization along the nephron and effect of corticosteroids.

To determine whether kidney membrane fractions contain an extramitochondrial anion-stimulated ATPase, we compared the pharmacological and kinetic properties of HCO3-ATPase activities in mitochondrial and microsomal fractions prepared from rabbit kidney cortex and outer medulla. The results indicated that this activity differed markedly in each type of fraction. Microsomal HCO3-ATPase was less sensitive than mitochondrial ATPase to azide, oligomycin, DCCD and thiocyanate, but was more sensitive to filipin and displayed different dependency towards ATP, magnesium and pH. Microsomal ATPase activity was stimulated by sulfite much more strongly than by bicarbonate, whereas mitochondrial activity was stimulated by both these anions to a similar extent. These results demonstrate the presence of an extramitochondrial HCO3-ATPase in kidney membrane fractions. HCO3-ATPase was also measured in single microdissected segments of the rabbit nephron using a radiochemical microassay previously developed for tubular Na, K-ATPase activity. An enzyme with the pharmacological and kinetic properties of the microsomal enzyme was detected in both proximal tubule, distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct, but the thick ascending limb was devoid of any detectable activity. Long-term DOCA administration markedly increased HCO3-ATPase activity in the distal convoluted and collecting tubule. The insensitivity of microsomal HCO3-ATPase to vanadate indicates that it belongs to the F0-F1 class of ATPases, and might therefore be involved in proton transport. This hypothesis is also supported by the localization of tubular HCO3-ATPase activity at the sites of urinary acidification.