Changes in Ouabain-Sensitive Adenosine Triphosphatase Activity in Gills of Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) During Parr–Smolt Transformation

The effects of incubation temperature, pH, sodium, potassium, and ATP concentration, and ouabain on the activity of Na+–K+-activated ATPase of the gills of seawater-adapted juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were determined. The temperature and pH optima were 40 C and 7.4, respectively. The apparent Km for ATP at equimolar Mg++ concentration was 0.2 mM at Na+ and K+ concentrations of 100 and 20 mM, respectively. Maximal enzyme activity for Na+ concentration of 10.50 and 100 mM occurred at K+ concentrations of 12.5, 15.0, and 20.0 mM, respectively. The Ki for ouabain was 2 × 10−6 M and 7 × 10−6 for K+ concentrations of 10 and 20 mM, respectively.A large portion (up to 60%) of the ouabain-sensitive ATPase activity in freshwater fish was activated by sodium ions in the absence of potassium ions (Na+-activation). Exposure to sea water resulted in a large increase in total ouabain-sensitive activity and a sharp decrease in the proportion of sodium activation. These changes occurred within 14 days after transfer to full strength sea water.On a seasonal basis, total ouabain-sensitive enzyme activity in juvenile freshwater coho was low (less than 5 μmol Pi/mg N per h) to the end of November, increased to a peak (over 125 μmol Pi/mg N per h) in mid-January, and subsequently declined by late February. A slow, steady rise in activity occurred during the smoking period of March and April and the relative contribution of sodium ions to the total activity declined in this period.