Positive inotropic effects of the endogenous Na+/K(+)-transporting ATPase inhibitor from the hypothalamus.

Bovine hypothalamus contains a nonpeptidic substance that inhibits purified Na+/K(+)-transporting ATPase [ATP phosphohydrolase (Na+/K(+)-transporting), EC 3.6.1.37] reversibly with high affinity by a mechanism similar to, but not identical to, that of the cardiac glycosides. It possesses some of the characteristics ascribed to a putative endogenous "digitalis-like" compound that has been implicated in the control of renal sodium excretion and the pathogenesis of essential hypertension in man. To determine whether this hypothalamic Na+/K(+)-transporting ATPase inhibitor might have physiologic properties in cardiac tissues, its effects on Na+ pump inhibition, accumulation of cytosolic free calcium, and contractile response were studied in cultured, spontaneously contracting neonatal rat cardiocytes. The hypothalamic factor potently inhibited the Na+ pump in these cells, increased myoplasmic free calcium in a dose-dependent manner, and reversibly enhanced myocyte contractility by up to 40%, comparable in degree to maximal positive inotropic effects caused by the cardiac glycoside ouabain. Comparative studies further indicate that cardiotoxic effects of ouabain in the myocytes may be more complex than simple progressive elevation of intracellular free calcium concentration because at a free calcium concentration in excess of that produced by a toxic dose of ouabain, no toxicity with the hypothalamic Na+/K(+)-transporting ATPase inhibitor occurred.     

Systematic expression profiling of the gastric H+/K+ ATPase in human tissue

OBJECTIVE: The potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs), comprise a new, innovative group of competitive and reversible inhibitors of the gastric H+/K+ ATPase. Our aim was to identify sites of expression of the H+/K+ ATPase that are potential targets of these compounds by examining the expression profile of the gastric H+/K+ ATPase in the human body from a broad range of tissues. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Expression profiling was done by quantitative mRNA analysis (TaqMan PCR). Tissues that were mRNA-positive for the alpha subunit were investigated further by Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for the presence of gastric H+/K+ ATPase protein. RESULTS: In addition to the very high expression levels in the stomach, the adrenal gland, cerebellum and pancreas gave unexpectedly positive mRNA signals for the alpha subunit of gastric H +/K+ ATPase. However, they were negative for mRNA of the beta subunit, and Western blot and IHC were negative for alpha and beta subunit protein. Another group of tissues with low alpha subunit mRNA expression including the frontal cortex, cortex grey matter, testis, thymus and larynx submucosa were also found negative for both alpha and beta subunit protein. In contrast to mouse kidney, no gastric H+/K+ ATPase could be detected in human kidney. CONCLUSIONS: We therefore conclude that the only organ in humans expressing significant levels of the P-CAB target gastric H+/K+ ATPase is the stomach.     

High-affinity ouabain binding by yeast cells expressing Na+, K(+)-ATPase alpha subunits and the gastric H+, K(+)-ATPase beta subunit.

Recently, a beta subunit for the rat gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase (HK beta), which is structurally similar to the beta subunit of Na+, K(+)-ATPase, has been cloned and characterized. Using heterologous expression in yeast, we have tested the specificity of beta subunit assembly with different isoforms of the alpha subunit of Na+, K(+)-ATPase. Coexpression in yeast cells of the HK beta with both the sheep alpha 1 subunit and the rat alpha 3 subunit isoforms of Na+, K(+)-ATPase (alpha 1 and alpha 3, respectively) leads to the appearance of high-affinity ouabain-binding sites in yeast membranes. These ouabain-binding sites (alpha 1 plus HK beta, alpha 3 plus HK beta) have a high affinity for ouabain (Kd, 5-10 nM) and are expressed at levels similar to those formed with the rat beta 1 subunit of Na+, K(+)-ATPase (beta 1) (alpha 1 plus beta 1 or alpha 3 plus beta 1). Potassium acts as a specific antagonist of ouabain binding by alpha 1 plus HK beta and alpha 3 plus HK beta just like sodium pumps formed with beta 1. Sodium pumps formed with the HK beta, however, show quantitative differences in their affinity for ouabain and in the antagonism of K+ for ouabain binding. These data suggest that the structure of the beta subunit may play a role in sodium pump function.     

The 60- to 90-kDa parietal cell autoantigen associated with autoimmune gastritis is a beta subunit of the gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase (proton pump).

Autoantibodies in the sera of patients with pernicious anemia recognize, in addition to the alpha subunit of the gastric H+/(+)-ATPase, an abundant gastric microsomal glycoprotein of apparent Mr 60,000-90,000. Herein we have colocalized the glycoprotein and the alpha subunit of the gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase to the tubulovesicular membranes of the parietal cell by immunogold electron microscopy. Moreover, the glycoprotein and the alpha subunit were coimmunoprecipitated, and copurified by immunoaffinity chromatography, with an anti-glycoprotein monoclonal antibody. The pig glycoprotein was purified by chromatography on tomato lectin-Sepharose, and five tryptic peptides from the purified glycoprotein were partially sequenced. The complete amino acid sequence, deduced from the nucleotide sequence of overlapping cDNA clones, showed 33% similarity to the sequence of the beta subunit of the pig kidney Na+/K(+)-ATPase. We therefore propose that the 60- to 90-kDa glycoprotein autoantigen is the beta subunit of the gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase and that the alpha and beta subunits of the proton pump are major targets for autoimmunization in autoimmune gastritis.     

Interaction of Helicobacter pylori and its fatty acids with parietal cells and gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase.

Helicobacter pylori and the fatty acids produced by this organism were compared for their acid inhibitory activity in isolated parietal cells and their interaction with gastric H+/K(+)-ATPase. H pylori (intact organisms, sonicates, methanolic extracts, and extracts from culture medium) and the fatty acids cis 9,10-methyleneoctadecanoic acid and tetradecanoic acid inhibited at fairly high concentrations histamine- and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate stimulated acid production in isolated parietal cells, dissipated (with a slow onset) the H+/K(+)-ATPase created H+ gradient in gastric membrane vesicles, and inhibited H+/K(+)-ATPase activity in a concentration dependent manner. The inhibitory potency of H pylori and the fatty acids in relation to H+/K(+)-ATPase depended on the amount of membrane protein. Bovine serum albumin prevented enzyme inhibition and proton dissipation from gastric vesicles. The data indicate that H pylori establishes its antisecretory action in parietal cells by blocking H+/K(+)-ATPase activity and also by a detergent action at the apical parietal cell membrane. The fatty acids cis 9,10-methyleneoctadecanoic acid and tetradecanoic acid are probably the acid inhibitory factors secreted by H pylori.     

Characterization of a voltage-gated K+ channel beta subunit expressed in human heart.

Voltage-gated K+ channels are important modulators of the cardiac action potential. However, the correlation of endogenous myocyte currents with K+ channels cloned from human heart is complicated by the possibility that heterotetrameric alpha-subunit combinations and function-altering beta subunits exist in native tissue. Therefore, a variety of subunit interactions may generate cardiac K+ channel diversity. We report here the cloning of a voltage-gated K+ channel beta subunit, hKv beta 3, from adult human left ventricle that shows 84% and 74% amino acid sequence identity with the previously cloned rat Kv beta 1 and Kv beta 2 subunits, respectively. Together these three Kv beta subunits share > 82% identity in the carboxyl-terminal 329 aa and show low identity in the amino-terminal 79 aa. RNA analysis indicated that hKv beta 3 message is 2-fold more abundant in human ventricle than in atrium and is expressed in both healthy and diseased human hearts. Coinjection of hKv beta 3 with a human cardiac delayed rectifier, hKv1.5, in Xenopus oocytes increased inactivation, induced an 18-mV hyperpolarizing shift in the activation curve, and slowed deactivation (tau = 8.0 msec vs. 35.4 msec at -50 mV). hKv beta 3 was localized to human chromosome 3 by using a human/rodent cell hybrid mapping panel. These data confirm the presence of functionally important K+ channel beta subunits in human heart and indicate that beta-subunit composition must be accounted for when comparing cloned channels with endogenous cardiac currents.     

The presence of H+,K(+)-ATPase in the crypt of rabbit distal colon demonstrated with monoclonal antibodies against gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase

Indirect evidence indicates the presence of an active H+/K+ antiporter for the secretion of acid in the distal colon. It was examined whether the H+/K+ antiporter in the rabbit distal colon was hydrogen-potassium-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase (H+,K(+)-ATPase), which acts as a proton pump in the gastric mucosa. For this purpose, four monoclonal antibodies against hog gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase were raised. Three monoclonal antibodies dose-dependently inhibited the ouabain-insensitive gastric ATP-ase activity. Antibody HK4001 completely inhibited the ATPase activity. In indirect immunofluorescence studies, all four monoclonal antibodies stained H+,K(+)-ATPase in gastric mucosae of various animal species. Two monoclonal antibodies including antibody HK4001 cross-reacted with H+,K(+)-ATPase located in crypts of the transverse and descending colon and rectum of rabbits. Because the other two antibodies did not cross-react with the H+,K(+)-ATPase in the colon, this colonic enzyme is similar but not identical to gastric H+,K(+)-ATPase. On the other hand, HK4001 and SCH 28080 did not inhibit ouabain-sensitive K(+)-dependent ATPase activity in the guinea pig distal colon, and the antibodies did not stain the enzyme in the tissue. Therefore, ouabain-sensitive H+/K+ antiporter in the guinea pig is not similar to ouabain-insensitive rabbit colonic H+,K(+)-ATPase.     

Inhibition of H+-transporting ATPase by formation of a tight nucleoside diphosphate-fluoroaluminate complex at the catalytic site.

Inhibition of the mitochondrial and bacterial F1-type ATPases [of ATP phosphohydrolase (H+-transporting), EC 3.6.1.34] by fluoride was found to depend on the presence of aluminum and ADP at the catalytic site(s) of F1-type ATPase. AIF-4 was demonstrated to be the active fluoroaluminate species. The identical pattern of inhibition of F1-type ATPase activity obtained in the presence of ADP and NaF with beryllium, a metal that forms fluoride complexes strictly tetracoordinated, suggests that aluminum acts through a tetrahedral complex. Inhibition of isolated F1-type ATPase by AIF-4 in the presence of ADP cannot be reversed by ADP, ATP, or chelators of aluminum. However, the inhibition of the ATPase activity of the F1 sector in submitochondrial particles caused by AIF-4 and ADP was reversed upon addition of an oxidizable substrate. Uncouplers prevented the reversal of inhibition, suggesting that the protonmotive force generated by respiration was responsible for the relief of inhibition. Because of structural similarities between AIF4- and , AIF4- is postulated to mimic the phosphate group of ATP and form an abortive complex with ADP at the active site(s) of F1-type ATPase.     

Ontogeny of gastrin, somatostatin, and the H+/K(+)-ATPase in the ovine fetus.

In the term human and ovine fetus, plasma gastrin is elevated, but gastric acid secretion is below adult levels, suggesting a developmentally related immaturity in gastrin and gastric acid regulation. This study investigated a number of elements of the gastric acid regulatory system: gastrin and its glycine-extended precursor, somatostatin, and the H+/K(+)-ATPase. Measurements were made in blood, antrum, and fundus of the ovine fetus during the last half of gestation, of 15-day-old lambs, and of adult sheep at the level of mRNA synthesis, tissue storage, and secretion. Plasma amidated gastrin (gastrin-amide) was elevated at or above adult values from 125 days (term is 145 days) and steadily increased with development, peaking in the lamb. Similar changes occurred with plasma glycine-extended gastrin (gastrin-gly). The peak concentration of antral gastrin-amide was present in the lamb, while the maximum antral gastrin-gly level occurred 1 week before birth. Gastrin mRNA paralleled the changes in antral gastrin-gly. The proportion of higher mol wt species of gastrin decreased during gestation in both plasma and antrum. Low amounts of mRNA for the H+/K(+)-ATPase was present from at least 120 days of gestation and antedated gastric acid secretion. However, there was a 3-fold increase in H+/K(+)-ATPase mRNA from the 140-day-old fetus to the lamb, the period when the greatest reduction in gastric pH occurred (pH 5 to 2). Antral and fundic somatostatin increased rapidly in the fetus at 120 days gestation and were above adult values at term and in the lamb. Somatostatin mRNA changed in parallel to somatostatin peptide. Somatostatin-14 was the major species in antrum and fundus throughout development. The increase in circulating and antral gastrin-amide after birth may be the result of increased amidation of gastrin-gly as well as increased expression of gastrin mRNA. Amidation of gastrin may be a regulatory step in the production of biologically active gastrin during development. The major increase in gastrin and the H+/K(+)-ATPase that occurs in the week before and after gestation correlated with the onset of increased gastric acidity.     

H(+)-dependent ATPase and K+ channel activities in the rat thyroid cell strain FRTL-5.

Using the fluorescent indicators 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5'-(6')-carboxyfluorescein and Oxonol V to monitor intracellular pH (pHi) and cell membrane potential respectively, we have investigated the involvement of H(+)-dependent ATPase and H(+)-dependent K+ channels in the recovery of the rat thyroid cell strain FRTL-5 from experimentally induced cytosolic acidification and membrane hyperpolarization events. Following exposure of cells to the weak acid sodium butyrate (24 mmol/l) under bicarbonate-free incubation conditions, cytoplasmic acidification was maximal after 3 min, attaining a pHi of 6.42. The subsequent recovery of pHi was unimpaired by the absence of extracellular K+, but was reduced in the presence of the Na+ antagonist amiloride (1 mmol/l), recovering by 0.11 +/- 0.003 units, compared with 0.27 +/- 0.02 units under amiloride-free conditions. In the presence of the H(+)-dependent ATPase antagonist N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), the pHi recovery observed in amiloride-containing, K(+)-free buffer was abolished. The recovery of pHi in Na(+)- and K(+)-containing buffer was accompanied by hyperpolarization of the cell membrane, the later stage of which was reduced after blockade of K+ channels with BaCl2, implying a major contribution of transmembrane K+ movement to such events. In contrast to its attenuating effect on pHi recovery, DCC was ineffective in reducing butyrate-dependent membrane hyperpolarization, suggesting that H(+)-dependent ATPase may not be a major contributory factor to this event. However, when K+ channels were blocked by addition of BaCl2, addition of DCC abolished the butyrate-induced membrane depolarization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Gastric H(+),K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase beta subunit is required for normal function, development, and membrane structure of mouse parietal cells.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Parietal cells of the gastric mucosa contain a complex and extensive secretory membrane system that harbors gastric H(+),K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), the enzyme primarily responsible for acidification of the gastric lumen. We have produced mice deficient in the H(+),K(+)-ATPase beta subunit to determine the role of the protein in the biosynthesis of this membrane system and the biology of gastric mucosa. METHODS: Mice deficient in the H(+), K(+)-ATPase beta subunit were produced by gene targeting. RESULTS: The stomachs of H(+),K(+)-ATPase beta subunit-deficient mice were achlorhydric. Histological and immunocytochemical analyses with antibodies to the H(+),K(+)-ATPase alpha subunit revealed that parietal cell development during ontogeny was retarded in H(+), K(+)-ATPase beta subunit-deficient mice. In 15-day-old mice, cells with secretory canaliculi were observed in wild-type but not in H(+), K(+)-ATPase beta subunit-deficient mice. Parietal cells of H(+), K(+)-ATPase beta subunit-deficient mice 17 days and older contained an abnormal canaliculus that was dilated and contained fewer and shorter microvilli than normal. In older parietal cells, the abnormal canaliculus was massive (25 micrometer in diameter) and contained few microvilli. We did not observe typical tubulovesicular membranes in any parietal cell from H(+),K(+)-ATPase beta subunit-deficient mice. Histopathologic alterations were only observed in the stomach. CONCLUSIONS: The H(+),K(+)-ATPase beta subunit is required for acid-secretory activity of parietal cells in vivo, normal development and cellular homeostasis of the gastric mucosa, and attainment of the normal structure of the secretory membranes.     

Targeted expression of a dominant-negative K(v)4.2 K(+) channel subunit in the mouse heart

Action potential duration is prolonged in many forms of heart disease, often as a result of reductions in Ca(2+)-independent transient outward K(+) currents (ie, I(to)). To examine the effects of a primary reduction in I(to) current in the heart, transgenic mice were generated that express a dominant-negative N-terminal fragment of the K(v)4.2 pore-forming potassium channel subunit under the control of the mouse alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter. Two of 6 founders died suddenly, and only 1 mouse successfully transmitted the transgene in mendelian fashion. Electrophysiological analysis at 2 to 4 weeks of age demonstrated that I(to) density was specifically reduced and action potential durations were prolonged in a subset of transgenic myocytes. The heterogeneous reduction in I(to) was accompanied by significant prolongation of monophasic action potentials. In vivo hemodynamic studies at this age revealed significant elevations in the mean arterial pressure, peak systolic ventricular pressures, and +/-dP/dt, indicative of enhanced contractility. Surprisingly, by 10 to 12 weeks of age, transgenic mice developed clinical and hemodynamic evidence of congestive heart failure. Failing transgenic hearts displayed molecular and cellular remodeling, with evidence of hypertrophy, chamber dilatation, and interstitial fibrosis, and individual myocytes showed sharp reductions in I(to) and I(K1) densities, action potential duration prolongation, and increased cell capacitance. Our results confirm that K(v)4.2 subunits contribute to I(to) in the mouse and demonstrate that manipulation of cardiac excitability may secondarily influence contractile performance.     

The active site structure of Na+/K+-transporting ATPase: location of the 5''-(p-fluorosulfonyl)benzoyladenosine binding site and soluble peptides released by trypsin.

When the dog kidney Na+/K+-transporting ATPase (EC 3.6.1.37, formerly EC 3.6.1.3) was labeled with an ATP analogue, 5'-(p-fluorosulfonyl)benzoyladenosine (FSBA), there was a concomitant loss of ATPase activity. The presence of ATP protected the enzyme from both labeling and inactivation. The ATP-sensitive incorporation of FSBA is associated only with modification of the alpha subunit from which two labeled tryptic peptides were purified and sequenced. To establish any regions of the enzyme protruding from the membrane, the native Na+/K+-transporting ATPase from the electric ray, Torpedo californica, was treated with trypsin; and four peptides, which were released into the water phase, were purified and sequenced. A comparison of the peptide sequences with the deduced amino acid sequences of the DNA coding for the alpha subunit of T. californica and sheep kidney reveal the following. (i) FSBA-labeled peptides from the dog kidney enzyme are located in the central hydrophilic domain and show almost complete sequence homology with the same region in the alpha subunit from the electric ray and sheep kidney. Furthermore, the sequence homology of one of the two labeled peptides can be extended to the sarcoplasmic Ca2+-transporting ATPase and B subunit of Escherichia coli K+-transporting ATPase. (ii) Three trypsin-exposed peptides are found in the central hydrophilic domain, and one peptide is in the hydrophilic segment near the C terminus of the alpha subunit. (iii) The active center of Na+/K+-transporting ATPase is likely to be constructed from at least four different stretches in the primary sequence and, irrespective of the different specificity of cations, the various cation transport ATPases that form phosphorylated enzyme appear to have a common structure at the catalytic site for ATP hydrolysis.     

Control of gastric acid secretion. Histamine H2-receptor antagonists and H+K(+)-ATPase inhibitors.

Gastric acid secretion is regulated by an intricate interplay of neural (acetylcholine), hormonal (gastrin), and paracrine (histamine, somatostatin) mechanisms. Receptors for each of these agents and the signal transduction pathways to which these receptors are coupled have been identified on the parietal cell. The stimulatory effect of acetylcholine and gastrin is mediated by an increase in cytosolic calcium, whereas that of histamine is mediated by activation of adenylate cyclase and generation of cAMP. Strong potentiation between histamine and either gastrin or acetylcholine reflects postreceptor interaction between the distinct pathways as well as the ability of acetylcholine and gastrin to release histamine from mucosal ECL cells. The inhibitory effects of somatostatin on acid secretion are mediated by receptors coupled by guanine nucleotide-binding proteins to inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity. All the pathways converge on and modulate the activity of the luminal enzyme, H+K(+)-ATPase, the proton pump of the parietal cell. Precise information on the mechanisms involved in gastric acid secretion has led to the development of potent drugs capable of inhibiting acid secretion. These include competitive antagonists that interact with stimulatory receptors (e.g., histamine H2-receptor antagonists) as well as noncompetitive inhibitors of H+K(+)-ATPase (e.g., omeprazole). The histamine H2-receptor antagonists (cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine, and nizatidine) continue as first-line therapy for peptic ulcer disease and are effective in preventing relapse. Although they are generally well tolerated, histamine H2-receptor antagonists may cause untoward CNS, cardiac, and endocrine effects as well as interference with the absorption, metabolism, and elimination of various drugs. Omeprazole is a weak base that reaches the parietal cell through the bloodstream, diffuses through the cytoplasm, and becomes activated and trapped as a sulfenamide in the acidic canaliculus of the parietal cell. It covalently binds to H+K(+)-ATPase, thereby irreversibly blocking acid secretion in response to all modes of stimulation. The main drawback to its use is its extreme potency, which leads to virtual anacidity, gastrin and ECL cell hyperplasia, hypergastrinemia, and, in rats, to the development of carcinoid tumors.     

Mutation of the gastric hydrogen-potassium ATPase alpha subunit causes iron-deficiency anemia in mice

Iron is an essential component of heme and hemoglobin, and therefore restriction of iron availability directly limits erythropoiesis. In the present study, we report a defect in iron absorption that results in iron-deficiency anemia, as revealed by an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced mouse phenotype called sublytic. Homozygous sublytic mice develop hypochromic microcytic anemia with reduced osmotic fragility of RBCs. The sublytic phenotype stems from impaired gastrointestinal iron absorption caused by a point mutation of the gastric hydrogen-potassium ATPase α subunit encoded by Atp4a, which results in achlorhydria. The anemia of sublytic homozygotes can be corrected by feeding with a high-iron diet or by parenteral injection of iron dextran; rescue can also be achieved by providing acidified drinking water to sublytic homozygotes. These findings establish the necessity of the gastric proton pump for iron absorption and effective erythropoiesis.     

Angiotensin II modulates the activity of the Na+/K+ATPase in eel kidney

We have previously shown that angiotensin II (Ang II) has a role at the level of the eel gill chloride cell regulating sodium balance, and therefore osmoregulation; the purpose of the present study was to extend these findings to another important osmoregulatory organ, the kidney. By catalytic histochemistry Na(+)/K(+)ATPase activity was found in both sea water (SW)- and freshwater (FW)-adapted eel kidney, particularly at the level of both proximal and distal tubules. Quantitation of tubular cell Na(+)/K(+)ATPase activity, by imaging, gave values in SW-adapted eels which were double those found in FW-adapted eels (Student's t-test: P<0.0001). This was due to a reduced number of positive tubules present in FW-adapted eels compared with SW-adapted eels. By conventional enzymatic assay, the Na(+)/K(+)ATPase activity in isolated tubular cells from SW-adapted eels showed values 1.85-fold higher those found in FW-adapted eels (Student's ttest: P<0.0001). Perfusion of kidney for 20 min with 100 nM Ang II provoked a significant increase (1.8-fold) in Na(+)/K(+)ATPase activity in FW, due to up-regulation of Na(+)/K(+)ATPase activity in a significantly larger number of tubules (Student's t-test: P<0.0001). The effect of 100 nM Ang II in SW-adapted kidneys was not significant. Stimulation with increasing Ang II concentrations was performed on isolated kidney tubule cells: Ang II provoked a dose-dependent stimulation of the Na(+)/K(+)ATPase activity in FW-adapted eels, reaching a maximum at 100 nM (1.82-fold stimulation), but no significant effect was found in SW-adapted eels (ANOVA: P<0.001 and P>0.05 respectively). Isolated tubule cells stimulated with 100 nM Ang II showed a significant generation of inositol trisphosphate (InsP(3)) and an increment in calcium release from intracellular stores. In conclusion, our results suggest that tubular Na(+)/K(+)ATPase is modulated by environmental salinity, and that Ang II has a role in regulating its activity in FW-adapted eels, probably through an InsP(3)-dependent mechanism.     

A nervous system-specific isotype of the beta subunit of Na+,K(+)-ATPase expressed during early development of Xenopus laevis.

We have previously described the isolation of several genes expressed exclusively in the nervous system of adult Xenopus laevis and activated in the embryo shortly after neural induction. The sequence of one of these cDNAs, 24-15, identifies the corresponding protein as an isotype of the beta subunit of Na+,K(+)-ATPase [ATP phosphohydrolase (Na+/K(+)-transporting); EC 3.6.1.37]. This form is distinct from the previously described beta 1 subunit of Xenopus, and the protein sequence comparison suggests that it is not the frog homolog of the mammalian beta 2 subunit; therefore, we refer to the 24-15 protein as the beta 3 subunit of Na+,K(+)-ATPase of Xenopus. Antisera directed against beta 3-subunit fusion protein detected a protein in adult brain extracts with the size and properties expected for a Na+,K(+)-ATPase beta subunit. In Xenopus the beta 1 and beta 3 subunits are expressed as maternal mRNAs at similar levels; during embryogenesis rapid accumulation of beta 3 mRNA begins at stage 14 (early neurula), and the rapid accumulation of beta 1 mRNA begins at stage 23/24. In situ hybridization of antisense RNA probes to tadpole brain sections indicates that beta 3 subunit is expressed throughout the developing brain. We suggest that beta 3 is a major Na+,K(+)-ATPase beta subunit present during early nervous system development in the frog.