Adenosine triphosphatase activity in the neural lobe of the bovine pituitary gland.

1. Homogenates of neural lobes of bovine pituitary glands were fractionated by differential and density-gradient ultracentrifugation and the distribution of adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity was studied. It was shown that all the activity was membrane-bound. 2. On the basis of ionic requirements the ATPase activity was grouped into three categories: (a) Mg(2+)-dependent, (b) Ca(2+)-dependent and (c) Mg(2+)+Na(+)+K(+)-dependent (ouabain-sensitive) ATPases. The activity in the absence of bivalent cations was negligible. The ratio between the activities of the three ATPases varied between the different subcellular fractions. 3. Preincubation of the subcellular fractions with deoxycholate increased the activity of the Mg(2+)+Na(+)+K(+)-dependent enzyme, whereas the Mg(2+)- and Ca(2+)-activated ATPases were either unaffected or slightly inhibited. Triton X-100 solubilized the Mg(2+)- and Ca(2+)-ATPases; however, the activity of the Mg(2+)+Na(+)+K(+)-ATPase was abolished by the concentration of Triton X-100 used. 4. All the subfractions displayed unspecific nucleotide triphosphatase activity towards GTP, ITP and UTP. These substrates inhibited the hydrolysis of ATP by all three ATPases. ADP also inhibited the ATPases. 5. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of extracts containing the Mg(2+)- and Ca(2+)-dependent ATPase activity solubilized by Triton X-100 revealed the presence of two enzymes; one activated by either Mg(2+) or Ca(2+) and the other activated only by Ca(2+). 6. In sucrose density gradients the distribution of vasopressin was different from that of all three types of ATPases. It is therefore suggested that the neurosecretory granules do not possess ATPase activity.