A monoclonal antibody against a native conformation of the porcine renal Na+/K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunit protein.

A monoclonal antibody (mAb50c) against the native porcine renal Na+/K(+)-transporting adenosinetriphosphatase (EC 3.6.1.37, ATP phosphohydrolase) (Na+/K(+)-ATPase) was characterized. The antibody could be classified as a conformation-dependent antibody, since it did not bind to Na+/K(+)-ATPase denatured by detergent and its binding was affected by the normal conformational changes of the enzyme induced by ligands. The binding was the greatest in the presence of Na+, ATP or Mg2+ (E1 form), slightly less in the presence of K+ (E2K form) and the least when the enzyme was phosphorylated, especially in the actively hydrolyzing form in the presence of Na+, Mg2+ and ATP. The antibody inhibited both the Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity and the K(+)-dependent p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity by 25%, but it had no effect on Na(+)-dependent ATPase activity. The antibody partially inhibited the fluorescence changes of the enzyme labeled with 5'-isothiocyanatofluorescein after the addition of orthophosphate and Mg2+, and after the addition of ouabain. Proteolytic studies suggest that a part of the epitope is located on the cytoplasmic surface of the N-terminal half of the alpha-subunit.