The stimulation by Mg(2+), Na(+), K(+), NH4 (+), and ATP of (Na(+), K(+))-ATPase activity in a gill microsomal fraction from the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii was examined. Immunofluorescence labeling revealed that the (Na(+), K(+))-ATPase α-subunit is distributed predominantly within the intralamellar septum, while Western blotting revealed a single α-subunit isoform of about 108 kDa M r. Under saturating Mg(2+), Na(+), and K(+) concentrations, the enzyme hydrolyzed ATP, obeying cooperative kinetics with V(M) = 115.0 ± 2.3 U mg(-1), K(0.5) = 0.10 ± 0.01 mmol L(-1). Stimulation by Na(+) (V(M) = 110.0 ± 3.3 U mg(-1), K(0.5) = 1.30 ± 0.03 mmol L(-1)), Mg(2+) (V(M) = 115.0 ± 4.6 U mg(-1), K(0.5) = 0.96 ± 0.03 mmol L(-1)), NH4 (+) (V(M) = 141.0 ± 5.6 U mg(-1), K(0.5) = 1.90 ± 0.04 mmol L(-1)), and K(+) (V(M) = 120.0 ± 2.4 U mg(-1), K(M) = 2.74 ± 0.08 mmol L(-1)) followed single saturation curves and, except for K(+), exhibited site-site interaction kinetics. Ouabain inhibited ATPase activity by around 73% with K(I) = 12.4 ± 1.3 mol L(-1). Complementary inhibition studies suggest the presence of F0F1-, Na(+)-, or K(+)-ATPases, but not V(H(+))- or Ca(2+)-ATPases, in the gill microsomal preparation. K(+) and NH4(+) synergistically stimulated enzyme activity (≈25%), suggesting that these ions bind to different sites on the molecule. We propose a mechanism for the stimulation by both NH4(+), and K(+) of the gill enzyme.

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In the present study, an acidic PLA(2), designated Bl-PLA(2), was isolated from Bothrops leucurus snake venom through two chromatographic steps: ion-exchange on CM-Sepharose and hydrophobic chromatography on Phenyl-Sepharose. Bl-PLA(2) was homogeneous on SDS-PAGE and when submitted to 2D electrophoresis the molecular mass was 15,000Da and pI was 5.4. Its N-terminal sequence revealed a high homology with other Asp49 acidic PLA(2)s from snake venoms. Its specific activity was 159.9U/mg and the indirect hemolytic activity was also higher than that of the crude venom. Bl-PLA(2) induced low myotoxic and edema activities as compared to those of the crude venom. Moreover, the enzyme was able to induce increments in IL-12p40, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 levels and no variation of IL-8 and IL-10 in human PBMC stimulated in vitro, suggesting that Bl-PLA(2) induces proinflammatory cytokine production by human mononuclear cells. Bothrops leucurus venom is still not extensively explored and knowledge of its components will contribute for a better understanding of its action mechanism.

We investigate the synergistic stimulation by K+ plus NH4 + of (Na+, K+)-ATPase activity in microsomal preparations of whole zoea I and decapodid III, and in juvenile and adult river shrimp gills. Modulation of (Na+, K+)-ATPase activity is ontogenetic stage-specific, and particularly distinct between juveniles and adults. Although both gill enzymes exhibit two different sites for K+ and NH4 + binding, in the juvenile enzyme, these two sites are equivalent: binding by both ions results in slightly stimulated activity compared to that of a single ionic species. In the adult enzyme, the sites are not equivalent: when one ion occupies its specific binding site, (Na+, K+)-ATPase activity is stimulated synergistically by ≈50% on binding of the complementary ion. Immunolocalization reveals the enzyme to be distributed predominantly throughout the intralamellar septum in the gill lamellae of juveniles and adults. Western blot analyses demonstrate a single immunoreactive band, suggesting a single (Na+, K+)-ATPase α-subunit isoform that is distributed into different density membrane fractions, independently of ontogenetic stage. We propose a model for the modulation by K+ and NH4 + of gill (Na+, K+)-ATPase activity. These findings suggest that the gill enzyme may be regulated by NH4 + during ontogenetic development in M. amazonicum.

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