title: Site of synthesis of the alpha and beta subunits of the Na,K-ATPase in brine shrimp nauplii.
abstract: Developing nauplii (embryos) of the brine shrimp Artemia salina are an excellent model system for studying the biogenesis of the sodium- and potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase (Na,K-ATPase). The nauplii exhibit a burst of Na,K-ATPase synthesis between 6 and 32 h of development (Peterson, G. L., Churchill, L., Fisher, J. A., and Hokin, L. E. (1982) J. Exp. Zool. 221, 295-308). We have now determined the sites of synthesis of the alpha and beta subunits of the Na,K-ATPase in developing A. salina nauplii. Membrane-bound and free polysomes were isolated from nauplii, and RNA was extracted from the polysomes. The polysomal RNA was translated in vitro in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate, and the translation products were immunoprecipitated by anti-subunit antisera. The immunoprecipitated proteins were resolved by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and visualized by fluorography. Our data show that the alpha subunit precursor is synthesized on membrane-bound polysomes and the beta subunit precursor is synthesized on free polysomes. In addition, the alpha subunit precursor appears as two separate peptides on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, which suggests that the two alpha subunit forms seen in mature brine shrimp Na,K-ATPase are products of two distinct messenger RNAs. The beta subunit precursor appears as a single discrete band, unlike the mature beta subunit, which appears as a diffuse band.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001156:Artemia / Q000201:enzymology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011132:Polyribosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D012263:Ribonucleosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014639:Vanadium / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012263:Ribonucleosides; D014639:Vanadium; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase