Final answer:
Vanadate inhibits P type ATPase pumps by preventing the phosphorylation required for their activity mechanism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of ATPase pumps that are sensitive to vanadate, which inhibits phosphorylation of the pump during its activity mechanism, is the P type ATPase. Vanadate is an inhibitor that can mimic the transition state of phosphate during enzyme reactions and thus, can inhibit the function of enzymes like P type ATPases that rely on phosphorylation for their activity. P type ATPases are a class of ATP-driven ion pumps that transiently phosphorylate themselves, changing conformation to move ions across membranes.