Spin-echo EPR of Na,K-ATPase unfolding by urea.

Denaturant-perturbation and pulsed EPR spectroscopy are combined to probe the folding of the membrane-bound Na,K-ATPase active transport system. The Na,K-ATPase enzymes from shark salt gland and pig kidney are covalently spin labelled on cysteine residues that either do not perturb or are essential to hydrolytic activity (Class I and Class II -SH groups, respectively). Urea increases the accessibility of water to the spin-labelled groups and increases their mutual separations, as recorded by D2O interactions from ESEEM spectroscopy and instantaneous spin diffusion from echo-detected EPR spectra, respectively.

Urea-induced unfolding of Na,K-ATPase as evaluated by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Urea-induced unfolding of Na,K-ATPase from pig kidney and from shark salt gland was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of a nitroxyl derivative of maleimide covalently attached to sulfhydryl groups which are essential for activity. Urea-induced structural changes lead to the inhibition of Na,K-ATPase activity. Structural changes detected by EPR are reversible over the whole range of urea concentrations (0-8 M), although activity loss is always irreversible.