Active vanadate-sensitive H+ translocation in corn roots membrane vesicles and proteoliposomes

Abstract A member fraction from corn roots which contains a vanadate-sensitive ATPase activity has been prepared. The specific activity at 38°C is between 3 and mol 12 μmol · min −1 · mg −1 , depending on the age of roots. Addition of ATP promotes a very rapid quenching of the fluorescence of 9-amino-6-chloro-3-methoxy-acridin (ACMA). Proton pumping exhibits a delayed sensitivity to vanadate but is strongly and instantaneously inhibited by the new inhibitor SW 26. Both proton pumping, measured by the initial quenching rate, and ATP hydrolysis show maximum activities at ATP concentrations in the millimolar range, but the apparent K m -value for hydrolysis is higher than that observed for pro…