Ca2+-Ca2+ exchange catalyzed by the membrane-bound Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles.

Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were preloaded with either 45Ca2+ or unlabeled Ca2+ X 45Ca2+ efflux and influx, together with phosphorylation of the membrane-bound Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase, were determined in the presence of either ATP and ADP or acetyl phosphate. ATP induced 45Ca2+ efflux. This ATP-induced 45Ca2+ efflux depended on ADP, external Ca2+, and Mg2+. The Ca2+ concentration dependence of the efflux was quite similar to the Ca2+ concentration dependence of the ATP-induced 45Ca2+ influx and the enzyme phosphorylation. The rate of the efflux was proportional to the steady level of the phosphoenzyme. The affinity for free ADP in this efflux was extremely high, being in good agreement with the affinity for free ADP in the transphosphorylation from the phosphoenzyme to ADP. These results show that the ATP-induced 45Ca2+ efflux represents the Ca2+-Ca2+ exchange (between the external medium and the internal medium) mediated by the phosphoenzyme. In this exchange, Mg2+ was essential for the exposure of the bound Ca2+ of the phosphoenzyme to the internal medium. 45Ca2+ efflux and influx were also activated by acetyl phosphate. This acetyl phosphate-induced efflux required the external Ca2+. The Ca2+ concentration dependence of the efflux agreed closely with that of the enzyme phosphorylation by acetyl phosphate. Furthermore, the rate of the efflux was proportional to the steady level of the phosphoenzyme. These and other findings show that the acetyl phosphate-induced 45Ca2+ efflux represents the Ca2+-Ca2+ exchange mediated by the phosphoenzyme and further demonstrate the direct dissociation of Ca2+ from the Ca2+-bound phosphoenzyme to the external medium in this Ca2+-Ca2+ exchange. The rate of the acetyl phosphate-induced, phosphoenzyme-mediated Ca2+ efflux was much slower than that of the ATP-, ADP-induced, phosphoenzyme-mediated Ca2+ efflux. This is consistent with our previous conclusion that the Ca2+ binding site is partially occluded upon the phosphorylation of the enzyme.