J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 261, Issue 17, 7797-7806, Jun, 1986
Coupling between the sodium and proton gradients in respiring Escherichia coli cells measured by 23Na and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance
AM Castle, RM Macnab and RG Shulman
The relationship between the steady-state sodium gradient (delta pNa) and
the protonmotive force developed by endogenously respiring Escherichia coli
cells has been studied quantitatively, using 23Na NMR for measurement of
intracellular and extracellular sodium concentrations, 31P NMR for
measurement of intracellular and extracellular pH, and
tetraphenylphosphonium distribution for measurement of membrane potential.
At constant protonmotive force, the sodium concentration gradient was
independent of extracellular concentrations over the measured range of
4-285 mM, indicating that intracellular sodium concentration is not
regulated. The magnitude of delta pNa was measured as a function of the
composition and magnitude of the protonmotive force. At external pH values
below 7.2, delta pNa was parallel to delta pH but showed no simple
relationship to the membrane potential; above pH 7.2 the parallel
relationship began to diverge, with delta pH continuing to decrease but
delta pNa starting to level off or increase. Although plots of delta pNa
versus delta pH had slopes of close to 1, the value of delta pNa
consistently exceeded that of delta pH by approximately 0.4 units,
indicating a partially electrogenic character to the putative H+/Na+
antiport. The apparent stoichiometry was 1.13 +/- 0.01 at external pH below
7.2. The possible significance of this nonintegral stoichiometry is
discussed according to a model in which two distinct integral
stoichiometries (possibly 1H+/1Na+ and 2H+/1Na+) are available with some
relative probability; the model predicts futile cycling of sodium ions and
a dissipative proton current. In the course of this study, we discovered
that the magnitude of the pH gradient developed by the cells was
osmolarity- dependent, yielding steady-state intracellular pH values that
varied from 7.1 at 100 mosm to 7.7 at 800 mosm.