The effect of a cross-bridging thiol reagent on the catecholamine fluxes of adrenal medulla vesicles

The thiol groups of the vesicular protein of bovine adrenal medulla were allowed to react with the bifunctional thiol reagent bis-(N-maleimidomethyl) ether and with the monofunctional thiol reagent N-ethylmaleimide, and the ATP-dependent and -independent catecholamine fluxes of the modified preparations were studied. 1. During the initial phase of the reaction bis-(N-maleimidomethyl) ether blocks twice as many thiol groups as does N-ethylmaleimide at equimolar concentrations. 2. Labelling of the bis-(N-maleimidomethyl) ether–protein compound with [¹⁴C]-cysteine shows that 70–80% of the blocked thiol groups are interconnected by the bifunctional thiol reagent. 3. At a low extent of reaction (1.5mol of thiol groups/10⁶g of protein) the catecholamine efflux is diminished. If more than 2mol of thiol groups/10⁶g of protein are blocked, the efflux is enhanced whichever thiol reagent is applied. 4. If 2–4mol of thiol groups/10⁶g of protein are blocked the inhibition of the catecholamine influx increases linearly with the proportion of the thiol groups blocked. 5. ATP protects the catecholamine influx and the adenosine triphosphatase activity against bis-(N-maleimidomethyl) ether poisoning somewhat less effectively than against N-ethylmaleimide poisoning.