Separate effects of mercurial compounds on the ionophoric and hydrolytic functions of the (Ca++ +Mg++)-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum.

We have shown that a Ca++-ionophore activity is present in the (Ca++ +Mg++)-ATPase of rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (A. E. Shamoo & D. H. MacLennan, 1974. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 71:3522). Methylmercuric chloride inhibited the (Ca++ +Mg++)-ATPase and Ca++ transport, but had no effect on the activity of the Ca++ ionophore. Mercuric chloride inhibited ATPase, transport and ionophore activity. The ATPase and transport functions were more sensitive to methylmercuric chloride than to mercuric chloride. The two functions were inhibited concomitantly by methylmercuric chloride but slightly lower concentrations of mercuric chloride were required to inhibit Ca++ transport than were required to inhibit ATPase. Methylmercuric chloride and mercuric chloride probably inhibited ATPase and Ca++ transport by blocking essential -SH groups. However, it appears that there are no essential -SH groups in the Ca++ ionophore and that mercuric chloride inhibited the Ca++ ionophore activity by competition with Ca++ for the ionophoric site. Blockage of Ca++ transport by mercuric chloride probably occurs both at sites of essential -SH groups and at sites of ionophoric activity. These data suggest the separate identity of the sites of ATP hydrolysis and of Ca++ ionophoric activity.