Effect of external ATP on the plasma membrane permeability and (Na+ +K+)-ATPase activity of mouse neuroblastoma cells.

1. Addition of 3.5 mM ATP to mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2A cells results in a selective enhancement of the plasma membrane permeability for Na+ relative to K+, as measured by cation flux measurements and electro-physiological techniques. 2. Addition of 3.5 mM ATP to Neuro-2A cells results in a 70% stimulation of the rate of active K+ -uptake by these cells, partly because of the enhanced plasma membrane permeability for Na+. Under these conditions the pumping activity of the Neuro-2A (Na+ +K+)-ATPase is optimally stimulated with respect to its various substrate ions. 3. External ATP significantly enhances the affinity of the Neuro-2A (Na+ +K+)-ATPase for ouabain, as measured by direct [3H]ouabain-binding studies and by inhibition studies of active K+ uptake. In the presence of 3.5 mM ATP and the absence of external K+ both techniques indicate an apparent dissociation constant for ouabain of 2 X 10(-6)M. Neuro-2A cells contain (3.5 +/- 0.7) X 10(5) ouabain-binding sites per cell, giving rise to an optimal pumping activity of (1.7 +/- 0.4) X 10(-20) mol K+/min per copy of (Na+ +K+)-ATPase at room temperature.