INVESTIGATION OF THE CALCIUM-TRANSPORTING ATPASES AT THE ENDOPLASMIC-RETICULUM AND PLASMA-MEMBRANE OF RED BEET (BETA-VULGARIS)

Calcium-transporting ATPases were compared in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)- and plasma membrane-enriched fractions of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) storage tissue by measuring Ca-45 uptake and calcium-dependent phosphoenzyme formation. The plasma membrane fraction was prepared by aqueous two-phase partitioning of a microsomal fraction and collecting the upper phase. The ER-enriched fraction was obtained by submitting a sucrose-gradient ER-enriched fraction to aqueous two-phase partitioning and collecting the lower phase; this reduced contaminating plasma membrane, which partitioned into the upper phase. The ATP-dependent calcium uptake observed in both fractions was released by the calcium ionophore A23187. Calcium uptake showed saturation kinetics for calcium with K(m) values of 0.92 mmol m-3 for the ER fraction and 1.24 mmol m-3 for the plasma membrane fraction. Uptake into both fractions was inhibited by vanadate and erythrosin 8, although the plasma membrane system was slightly more sensitive to both inhibitors. Cyclopiazonic acid and thapsigargin, at low concentrations, had no marked effect on uptake. The plasma membrane system was less substrate-specific for ATP than the ER system, since it was able to use GTP and ITP to drive calcium transport at up to 50% of the level obtained with ATP. Following phosphorylation with 1gamma-P-32]ATP, two high molecular mass, calcium-dependent phosphoproteins (119 and 124 kD) and a low molecular mass, calcium-independent phosphoprotein (17 kD) were observed in the plasma membrane fraction. The ER fraction showed one high molecular mass phosphoprotein (1 19 kD) in the presence of calcium and two low molecular mass phosphoproteins (17 and 20 kD) that showed no calcium dependence. The low molecular mass phosphoproteins were insensitive to hydroxylamine, but they did show turnover. The identity of these proteins is unknown, but they do not have the properties of phosphorylated intermediates of calcium-ATPases. In contrast, the high molecular mass phosphoproteins displayed properties consistent with their representing phosphorylated intermediates of E1E2-type ATPases; they were hydroxylamine-sensitive, showed rapid turnover, and were inhibited by vanadate. Because they showed calcium-dependent phosphorylation and were sensitive to erythrosin B, the 119- and 124-kD phosphoproteins may be phosphorylated intermediates of the ER and plasma membrane calcium ATPases. These phosphoproteins were characterized further with respect to inhibitor sensitivity, responses to ions, and substrate specificity.