Activation by lithium ions of the inside sodium sites in (Na+ + K+)-ATPase.

1. Purified pig kidney ATPase was incubated in 30--160 mM Tris-HCl with various monovalent cations. 130 mM LiCl stimulated a ouabain-sensitive ATP hydrolysis (about 5% of the maximal (Na+ + K) activity), whereas 160 mM Tris-HCl did not stimulate hydrolysis. Similar results were obtained with human red blood cell broken membranes. 2. In the absence of Na+ and with 130 mM LiCl, the ATPase activity as a function of KCl concentration showed an initial slight inhibition (50 micrometer KCl) followed by an activation (maximal at 0.2 mM KCl) and a further inhibition, which was total at mM KCl. In the absence of LiCl, the rate of hydrolysis was not affected by any of the KCl concentrations investigated. 3. The lithium-activation curve for ATPase activity in the absence of both Na+ and K+ had sigmoid characteristics. It also showed a marked dependence on the total LiCl + Tris-HCl concentration, being inhibited at high concentrations. This inhibition was more noticeable at low LiCl concentrations. 4. In the absence of Na+, 130 mM Li+ showed promoted phosphorylation of ATPase from 1 to 3 mM ATP in the presence of Mg2+. In enzyme treated with N-ethylmaleimide, the levels of phosphorylation in Li+-containing solutions, amounted to 40% of those in Na+- and up to 7 times of those in K+-containing solutions. 5. The total (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity was markedly inhibited at high buffer concentrations (Tris-HCl, Imidazole-HCl and tetramethylammonium-HEPES gave similar results) in cases when either the concentration of Na+ or K+ (or both) was below saturation. On the other hand, the maximal (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity was not affected (or very slightly) by the buffer concentration. 6. Under standard conditions (Tris-HCl + NaCl = 160 mM) the Na+-activation curve of Na+-ATPase had a steep rise between 0 and 2.5 mM, a fall between 2.5 and 20 mM and a further increase between 20 and 130 mM. With 30 mM Tris-HCl, the curve rose more steeply, inhibition was noticeable at 2.5 mM Na+ and was completed at 5 mM Na+. With Tris-HCl + NaCl = 280 mM, the amount of activation decreased and inhibition at intermediate Na+ concentrations was not detected.