Potent Inhibition of Dynein Adenosinetriphosphatase and of the Motility of Cilia and Sperm Flagella by Vanadate

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1978-05, Vol.75 (5), p.2220-2224
• Main Authors: Gibbons, I. R., Cosson, Marie Paule, Evans, John A., Gibbons, Barbara H., Houck, Becky, Martinson, Karl H., Sale, Winfield S., Tang, Wen-Jing Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actomyosin - metabolism; Adenosine triphosphatases; Adenosine Triphosphatases - antagonists & inhibitors; Animals; Beat frequencies; Catechols; Catechols - pharmacology; Cilia; Cilia - drug effects; Dyneins - antagonists & inhibitors; Enzymes; Flagella; Flagella - drug effects; Male; Myosins - metabolism; Potassium - metabolism; Sea Urchins; Sodium - metabolism; Sperm Motility - drug effects; Spermatozoa; Vanadates; Vanadium; Vanadium - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.75.5.2220

The motility of demembranated sea urchin sperm flagella and that of embryo cilia reactivated with 0.1 mM ATP are completely inhibited by 4 μ M and 0.5 μ M vanadium(V) [V(V), in vanadate], respectively. The Mg2+-activated ATPase activity (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) of the latent form of dynein 1 is inhibited 50% by 0.5-1 μ M V(V), while the Ca2+-activated ATPase activity is much less sensitive. The inhibition of flagellar beat frequency and of dynein 1 ATPase activity by V(V) appears not to be competitive with ATP. In agreement with other reports, the inhibition of (Na,K)-ATPase by V(V) shows a slow onset in the presence of ATP and is relatively rapid in its absence. With dynein, however, the inhibition occurs at a rapid rate whether or not ATP is present. Catechol at a concentration of 1 mM reverses the V(V) inhibition of reactivated sperm motility, dynein ATPase, and (Na,K)-ATPase. Myosin and actomyosin ATPases show no inhibition by concentrations of V(V) up to 500 μ M. The inhibition by V(V) provides a possible technique for distinguishing between the actions of dynein and myosin in different forms of cell motility.