Thermal inactivation studies performed with several membrane-bound enzymes
such as chitin synthase, cytochrome c oxidase, nucleotidase, as well as bacterial, mitochondrial
and plasma membrane ATPases from yeast in H(2)0 and ^2 H(2)0 indicated that most of
these enzymes could not be protected by ^2 H(2)0 against thermal inactivation. Only the Escherichia
coli ATPase, which is located at the surface of the membrane, and the cytochrome c
oxidase were stabilized by heavy water.