Properties of a Reconstituted Calcium Pump

1. The translocation of 45Ca2+ in vesicles reconstituted with purified Ca2+ ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum and phospholipids was dependent on ATP and varied greatly with the composition of the phospholipids. 2. In contrast to sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments, the reconstituted vesicles were impermeable to 14C-labeled oxalate, 3H- or 32P-labeled ATP, or 32P-i. There was no translocation of phosphate from gamma-labeled ATP during Ca2+ uptake. These results are inconsistent with some current formulations of the mechanism of pump action. 3. Reversal of the Ca2+ pump and generation of ATP and ADP and P-i was observed when vesicles loaded with Ca2+ were exposed to ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid. 4. Experiments on the formation of phosphoenzyme with 32P-labeled ATP showed that most if not all functional ATPase molecules in the reconstituted vesicles were oriented in the same direction, as in the case of sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments.