Plasma membrane ATPase of sugarbeet

A membrane fraction enriched with magnesium-dependent ATPase activity was isolated from sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) taproot by a combination of differential centrifugation, extraction with KI and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. This activity was inhibited by vanadate, N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and diethylstilbestrol, but was insensitive to molybdate, azide, oligomycin, ouabain, and nitrate, suggesting enrichment in plasma membrane ATPase. The enzyme was substrate specific for ATP, had a pH optimum of 7.0, but showed little stimulation by 50 mM KCl. The sugarbeet ATPase preparation contained endogenous protein kinase activity which could be reduced by extraction of the membranes with 0.1% (w/v) sodium deoxycholate. Reduction of protein kinase activity allowed the demonstration of a rapidly turning over phosphorylated intermediate on a M_r 105000 polypeptide, most likely representing the catalytic subunit of the ATPase. Phosphorylation was magnesium dependent, sensitive to diethylstilbestrol and vanadate but insensitive to oligomycin and azide. Neither the ATPase activity nor phosphoenzyme level were affected by combinations of sodium and potassium in the assay. These results argue against the presence of a synergistically stimulated NaK-ATPase at the plasma membrane of sugarbeet.