The effects of univalent anions on catecholamine fluxes and adenosine triphosphatase activity in storage vesicles from the adrenal medulla

1. Influx and efflux of catecholamine and adenosine triphosphatase activity were studied in storage vesicles of bovine adrenal medulla. 2. In the absence of ATP the influx of catecholamine was slow and was not influenced by various anions, whereas the efflux increased in the sequence of anions given by the lyotrophic series. 3. In the presence of ATP the efflux was enhanced compared with that in the absence of ATP; the anion-dependent sequence, however, in which the efflux increased was the same as in the absence of ATP. 4. The ATP-dependent catecholamine influx and the adenosine triphosphatase activity are correlated. The sequence in which anions affect adenosine triphosphatase activity and catecholamine influx, however, is completely different from the lyotrophic anion series. 5. No correlation was found between adenosine triphosphatase activity and the efflux of catecholamine.

The effect of salts on catecholamine fluxes and adenosine triphosphatase activity in storage vesicles from the adrenal medulla

1. Influx and efflux of catecholamine and adenosine triphosphatase activity in storage vesicles from the adrenal medulla were studied with dl-[14C]adrenaline in different media. 2. The lowest values for flux and adenosine triphosphatase activity were observed in sucrose media in which an ATP-dependent influx of catecholamine compensated for an efflux of the same magnitude. Efflux in the presence or absence of ATP was similar. 3. In media containing sodium succinate or glutarate adenosine triphosphatase activity was higher and the ATP-dependent influx of catecholamine was about twice that observed in iso-osmotic sucrose medium. In the presence of ATP influx and efflux of catecholamine were balanced; in its absence there was a net release of catecholamine, since efflux was more than twice the influx. Efflux in the presence or absence of ATP was similar. 4. In media containing sodium or potassium chloride and in the presence of ATP influx and adenosine triphosphatase activity were further enhanced, but in the absence of ATP there was no further increase in influx, since catecholamine was released with or without ATP at the same rate. Efflux was therefore twice as high in the presence of ATP as in its absence. 5. Sodium nitrate suppressed the ATP-dependent influx nearly completely, but caused a greatly enhanced efflux, which was twice as high in the presence of ATP as in its absence. 6. The extinction of vesicular suspensions remained unchanged in the presence of ATP under conditions where the catecholamine efflux was balanced by the influx. Under conditions where the efflux was not compensated by influx, the extinction of the suspensions decreased in the presence of ATP more than in its absence.

The effect of a cross-bridging thiol reagent on the catecholamine fluxes of adrenal medulla vesicles

The thiol groups of the vesicular protein of bovine adrenal medulla were allowed to react with the bifunctional thiol reagent bis-(N-maleimidomethyl) ether and with the monofunctional thiol reagent N-ethylmaleimide, and the ATP-dependent and -independent catecholamine fluxes of the modified preparations were studied. 1. During the initial phase of the reaction bis-(N-maleimidomethyl) ether blocks twice as many thiol groups as does N-ethylmaleimide at equimolar concentrations. 2. Labelling of the bis-(N-maleimidomethyl) ether–protein compound with [14C]-cysteine shows that 70–80% of the blocked thiol groups are interconnected by the bifunctional thiol reagent. 3. At a low extent of reaction (1.5mol of thiol groups/106g of protein) the catecholamine efflux is diminished. If more than 2mol of thiol groups/106g of protein are blocked, the efflux is enhanced whichever thiol reagent is applied. 4. If 2–4mol of thiol groups/106g of protein are blocked the inhibition of the catecholamine influx increases linearly with the proportion of the thiol groups blocked. 5. ATP protects the catecholamine influx and the adenosine triphosphatase activity against bis-(N-maleimidomethyl) ether poisoning somewhat less effectively than against N-ethylmaleimide poisoning.