Multiple binding of thallium and rubidium to potassium-activated yeast aldehyde dehydrogenase. Influences on tertiary structure, stability and catalytic activity.

Univalent cation activators of aldehyde dehydrogenase have dual effects, both interpreted as cation-induced or -stabilized conformation changes. These two processes are differentiated by the time scales of their associated changes in activity. Using Tl+ as an activator, under certain conditions, the slower change in activity saturates at a Tl+ concentration which is only 0.1 Ks for the faster change. This, together with evidence for cation-induced rather than cation-stabilized conformation changes, is used to propose separate binding sites for cations responsible for the two activation processes. Equilibrium dialysis indicates 4 binding sites per active site for Rb+ or 6 sites for Tl+. At least one of the additional sites for Tl+ is an inhibitory site which has been differentiated from the activator sites on the basis of steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetic data.