Mutants Gly330
Ala, Leu332
Ala, Leu332
Pro, andPro780
Ala of the
1-isoform ofrat kidney Na
+,K
+-ATPase were expressed inCOS-1 cells to active site concentrations between 20 and70 pmol per mg of membrane protein. The functional properties ofthe mutants were characterized bytitrations of Na
+-, K
+-, andATP-dependencies of Na
+,K
+-ATPase activityas well as by a series of assaysmeasuring the K
+-dependence of the steady-statephosphoenzyme level, the kinetics of dephosphorylationunder a variety of conditions, and the ADP-ATP exchange activity.In mutants Gly330
Ala,Leu332
Ala, and Leu332
Pro, the molecular turnover number wasreduced relative to that of the wild-type Na
+,K
+-ATPase, and the steady-statephosphoenzyme level was high even in the presence ofseveralmillimolar K
+. At a low Na
+concentration in the absence of K
+, mutants Leu332
Proand Gly330
Aladisplayed high ADP-ATP exchange activity and formed a high level ofthe ADP-sensitive phosphoenzyme(E1P). The phosphoenzyme decayed slowly following a jump in saltconcentration and
chase with ATPand K
+. Hence, the conversion of E1P to theK
+-sensitive phosphoenzyme (E2P) was inhibited inmutantsLeu332
Pro and Gly330
Ala. In the Leu332
Ala mutant, a highlevel of E2P was accumulated in theabsence of K
+, and the ADP-ATP exchange activity waslow at low Na
+ concentration in the absenceof K
+, but
rose sharply on addition of K
+.Dephosphorylation experiments indicated that in theLeu332
Ala mutant K
+ induced reversal of thephosphoenzyme interconversion, forming E1P from E2P.Leu332 is therefore a pivotal residue in the conformationalchange. Mutants Gly330
Ala and Pro780
Aladisplayed reduced K
+ affinities relative to the wildtype, determined in three independent assays.