Different cation sensitivities and binding site domains of Na+–Ca2+–K+ and Na+–Ca2+ exchangers

We examined inhibitory effects of external multivalent cations Ni(2+), Co(2+), Cd(2+), La(3+), Mg(2+), and Mn(2+) on reverse-mode exchange of the K(+)-dependent Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger NCKX2 and the K(+)-independent exchanger NCX1 expressed in CCL-39 cells by measuring the rate of Ca(2+) uptake with radioisotope tracer and electrophysiological techniques. The apparent affinities for block of Ca(2+) uptake by multivalent cations was higher in NCKX2 than NCX1, and the rank order of inhibitory potencies among these cations was different. Additional experiments also showed that external Li(+) stimulated reverse-mode exchange by NCX1, but not NCKX2 in the presence of 5 mM K(+). Thus, both exchangers exhibited differential sensitivities to not only K(+) but also many other external cations. We attempted to locate the putative binding sites within the alpha motifs for multivalent cations by site-directed mutagenesis experiments. The cation affinities of NCKX2 were altered by mutations of amino acid residues in the alpha-1 motif, but not by mutations in the alpha-2 motif. These results contrast with those for NCX1 where mutations in both alpha-1 and alpha-2 motifs have been shown previously to affect cation affinities. Susceptibility tests with sulfhydryl alkylating agents suggested that the alpha-1 and alpha-2 motifs are situated extracellularly and intracellularly, respectively, in both exchangers. A topological model is proposed in which the extracellular-facing alpha-1 motif forms an external cation binding site that includes key residues N203, G207C, and I209 in NCKX2, while both alpha-1 and alpha-2 motifs together form the binding sites in NCX1.