Characteristics of lead ion-stimulated phosphorylation of Electrophorus electricus electroplax (Na+ + K+)-adenosine triphosphatase and inhibition of ATP-ADP exchange.

Pb2+-stimulated phosphorylation of Electrophorus electricus electroplax (Na+ + K+)-adenosine triphosphatase is prevented by stoichiometric quantities of 2,3-dimercaptopropanol. The chelator in the same low concentrations does not block Na+-dependent phosphorylation. Both Pb2+-and Na+-dependent phosphorylation reactions show the same dependence on MgCl2. Phosphorylation in the presence of both Na+ and Pb2+ is cumulative suggesting that Pb2+ and Na+ bind at separate, independent sites. The enthalpy change due to binding of Pb2+ is about -1.76 kcal/mol. 32P-phosphopeptides obtained from pronase or pepsin digests of Pb2+-and Na+-dependent phosphoproteins are electrophoretically identical. Pb2+ does not stimulate but does inhibit ATP-ADP exchange activity under the conditions in which this activity is stimulated by Na+. Since the phosphorylation sites are identical, it is concluded that the differences in reactivity of the Na+- and Pb2+-phosphoenzymes are due to different conformational changes produced by binding of Na+ and Pb2+. The Pb2+-sensitive conformation is critical for Na+ specificity of phosphorylation, reversibility of phosphorylation, and for phosphatase activity but not for acceptor site phosphorylation by ATP. These findings have implications for enzyme reaction models.