Plasma membrane vesicles prepared from unadhered monocytes: characterization of calcium transport and the calcium ATPase.

We have purified unadhered human monocytes in sufficient quantities to prepare monocyte plasma membrane vesicles and study vesicular calcium transport. Monocytes were isolated from plateletpheresis residues by counterflow centrifugal elutriation. By combining this source and procedure, 7 x 10(8) monocytes of over 90% purity were obtained. The membranes, isolated on a sucrose step gradient, had an 18-fold enrichment in Na,K-ATPase, a 29-fold diminution of succinate dehydrogenase activity and were vesicular on transmission electron micrographs. The membrane vesicles loaded with oxalate accumulated calcium only in the presence of Mg and ATP. Calcium uptake did not occur if ATP was replaced by any of five nucleotide phosphates or if Mg was omitted. Calcium transport had a maximal velocity of 4 pmoles calcium/micrograms vesicle protein/min and a Km for calcium of 0.53 microM. The ionophore A23187 completely inhibited calcium accumulation while 5 mM sodium cyanide and 10 microM ouabain had no effect. A calcium-activated ATPase was present in the same plasma membrane vesicles. The calcium ATPase had a maximal velocity of 18.0 pmoles calcium/micrograms vesicle protein/min and a Km for calcium of 0.60 microM. Calcium-activated ATPase activity was absent if Mg was omitted or if (gamma - 32P) GTP replaced (gamma - 32P) ATP. Monocyte plasma membranes that were stripped of endogenous calmodulin by EGTA treatment showed a reduced level of calcium uptake and calcium ATPase activity. The addition of exogenous calmodulin restored the transport activity to that of unstripped monocyte plasma membranes. Thus, monocyte plasma membrane vesicles contain a highly specific, ATP-dependent calcium transport system and a calcium-ATPase with similar high calcium affinities.