UTILIZATION OF AMILORIDE ANALOGS FOR CHARACTERIZATION AND LABELING OF THE PLASMA-MEMBRANE NA+/H+ ANTIPORTER FROM DUNALIELLA-SALINA

The interactions of amiloride analogs with the Na+/H+ antiporter from plasma membrane of the halotolerant alga Dunaliella salina [Katz et al. (1989) Biochem. Biophys. Acta 983, 9-14] have been investigated. Analogs bearing hydrophobic substitutions at the guanidino moiety of amiloride, such as benzamil, are the most effective inhibitors of Naf uptake in plasma membrane vesicles, whereas substituents of the 5-amino group are less effective inhibitors than amiloride. This order of specificity is opposite to that found for most Na+/H+ antiporters. The photoaffinity amiloride analog 2'-methoxy-5'-nitrobenzamil (NMBA), a competitive inhibitor with respect to Na+ with K-i = 10 mu M, photolabels upon illumination two polypeptides of apparent MW 30 and 50 kDa in purified plasma membrane vesicles. Similar labeling is obtained by immunodetection with antiamiloride antibodies and by incorporation of [I-125]NMBA. The specificity of the labeling was ascertained by competition with benzamil. Plasma membrane preparations from high-salt or ammonia-adapted cells, which have higher Na+/H+ antiporter activity [Katz et al. (1992) Plant Physiol. 100, 1224-1229], also show increased incorporation of NMBA into the 30- and 50-kDa polypeptides. It is suggested that: (1) the structure of the Naf binding site of the D. salina Na+/H+ antiporter differs from that of most Na+/H+ antiporters and (2) the 50- and/or 30-kDa polypeptides are subunits of the plasma membrane antiporter of this alga.