Expression in Escherichia coli and characterization of the heat-stable inhibitor of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase

Pure heat-stable inhibitor of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKI) has been isolated in high yield by using a bacterial expression vector constructed to synthesize the complete sequence of the rabbit muscle protein kinase inhibitor, plus an amino-terminal initiator methionine and glycine. Bacterially expressed PKI has an inhibitory activity identical to that of the protein isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle and, by gel filtration and gel electrophoresis, has the same physicochemical characteristics as the native physiological form of PKI. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and CD establish that PKI has unusually large amounts of random coil and turn structures, with significantly smaller amounts of alpha-helix and beta structures.     

Isolation and characterization of a dimeric cAMP-dependent protein kinase from the fungus Saccobolus platensis

A cAMP-dependent protein kinase from mycelia of Saccobolus platensis was characterized. The holoenzyme seems to be a dimer (i.e., regulatory subunit--catalytic subunit) of 78,000 Da, slightly activated by cAMP but susceptible to dissociation into its subunits by cAMP, or by kemptide and protamine, the best substrates for Saccobolus protein kinase. The regulatory subunit was purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography. It is highly specific for cAMP and has two types of binding sites but failed to inhibit the phosphotransferase activity of the homologous or the heterologous (bovine heart) catalytic components. The activity of the catalytic subunit was completely abolished by the regulatory component of the bovine heart protein kinase as well as by a synthetic peptide corresponding to the active site of the mammalian protein kinase inhibitor. The data suggest that interaction between the subunits of the S. platensis protein kinase is different than that found in cAMP-dependent protein kinases from other sources. Similarities and differences between the Saccobolus protein kinase and enzymes from low eucaryotes and mammalian tissues are discussed.     

Mechanism of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activation. Covalent modification of the holoenzyme by dimethylsuberimidate

Modification of the holoenzyme of cAMP-dependent protein kinase from porcine brain by dimethylsuberimidate was studied. It was demonstrated that a protein conjugate with a molecular mass of 180,000 Da and a stoichiometric formula of R2C2 evolves as a result of intermolecular cross-link formation in the holoenzyme molecule. The regulatory subunit partly protects the catalytic subunit from the inhibition by dimethylsuberimidate. The cross-linked holoenzyme retains the ability to be activated by cAMP. The experimental data testify to the non-identity of activation and dissociation of protein kinase.     

Characterization of the inhibitor of casein kinases 1 and 2 from rat liver cytosol

The heat-labile inhibitor of casein kinases 1 and 2 from rat liver cytosol (J.F. Bertomeu $\text{et al.}$, FEBS Lett., $\text{124}$, 262–264) has been purified extensively and characterized. Analysis by gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggest that the inhibitor has an Mr of 30,000. It did not contain glycosaminoglycans, oligonucleotides or neutral sugars and was totally inactivated by digestion with trypsin. Besides casein kinases, the inhibitor also inhibited the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase to the same extent. The data suggest that the inhibitor is a monomeric protein that could modulate intracellular protein phosphorylation by both casein kinases and cAMP-dependent protein kinase.     

A natural non-protein low molecular weight cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor from the insect Ceratitis capitata: Isolation and preliminary characterization

Three protein kinase inhibitors have been detected and isolated by gel filtration chromatography from the dipterous Ceratitis capitata. Two of them were proteinaceous; the third one was resistant to proteolytic treatments and its molecular weight ranged from 1000 and 6000. This inhibitor was purified to thin-layer electrophoretic homogeneity and a preliminary analysis carried out to determine its composition showed that it is a complex molecule with a probable peptidyl-purine structure. This new inhibitor acts competitively with ATP on the cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity and has been also found to inhibit the adenylate cyclase system. This metabolite may be important in regulating cAMP mediated responses in the insect.     

Chromatographic behavior of cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase and its subunits from Dictyostelium discoideum

An adenosine cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) dependent protein kinase has recently been shown to exist in Dictyostelium discoideum and to be developmentally regulated. In this report we have followed the chromatographic behavior of both the holoenzyme and its subunits. A cAMP-dependent holoenzyme could be obtained from the 100000 g soluble fraction after passage through DE-52 cellulose (pH 7.5) and Sephacryl S300. Under conditions of low pH the holoenzyme could be further purified by flat-bed electrofocusing (pI = 6.8). Application of the holoenzyme to electrofocusing at high pH resulted in dissociation of the holoenzyme into a cAMP binding component (pI = 6.1) and a cAMP-independent catalytic activity (pI = 7.4). Dissociation of the holoenzyme into subunits also occurred during histone affinity chromatography and gel filtration chromatography (S300) in the presence of a dissociating buffer. Although the subunit structure was clearly evident during chromatography, the holoenzyme could not be dissociated by simple addition of cAMP to the extract. The catalytic subunit could be purified further by CM-Sephadex, DE-52 cellulose (pH 8.5), histone affinity, and hydrophobic chromatography. The regulatory subunit was further purified by DE-52 cellulose (pH 8.5) and cAMP affinity chromatography. Proof that the cAMP binding activity and the cAMP-independent catalytic activity were in fact the regulatory and catalytic subunits was shown by reconstitution of the cAMP-dependent holoenzyme from the purified subunits. By using these separation procedures, one can obtain from extracts of Dictyostelium the subunits that are free of each other as well as free of any endogenous protein substrates.     

Involvement of cAMP and cAMP-dependent protein kinase in the initiation of DNA synthesis by rat liver cells

Addition of calcium to calcium-deprived cultures of T51B rat liver cells caused brief bursts of cAMP production and cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity which were followed almost immediately by a stimulation of DNA synthesis. PKInh, a specific polypeptide inhibitor of the catalytic subunits of cAMP-dependent protein kinases, inhibited the DNA-synthetic response to calcium addition without stopping the preceding cAMP surge. Addition of cAMP to the calciumdeprived cultures increased protein kinase activity and stimulated DNA synthesis, both of which were inhibited by PKInh. DNA synthesis in these cultures was not stimulated by adding type I cAMP-dependent protein kinase holoenzyme to the calcium-deficient medium, but it was stimulated by type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase holoenzyme or the catalytic subunit from either type I or type II holoenzyme. The stimulatory actions of the type II holoenzyme or the catalytic subunits were inhibited by PKInh. Thus, a burst of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity was ultimately responsible for the stimulation of DNA synthesis in calcium-deprived T51B cells by calcium or cAMP and it might also be involved in the events leading to initiation of DNA synthesis in many, if not all, normally cycling cells.     

Phosphorylation of lens membranes with a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase purified from the bovine lens

We report the phosphorylation of lens membranes with a cAMP-dependent protein kinase isolated from bovine lenses. The holoenzyme was eluted from DEAE agarose at less than 100 mM NaCl and from gel filtration columns with a relative molecular weight of 180 000. The regulatory subunit was identified with the affinity label 8-azido-[32P]cAMP. Four focusing variants with relative molecular weights of 49 000 were seen on two-dimensional gels. The catalytic subunit was purified approx. 5000-fold and migrated at 42 000 Mr on SDS gels. Based on these observations, the enzyme is classified as a Type I cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Purified lens plasma membranes were incubated with the holoenzyme or its catalytic subunit in the presence of 32P-labeled ATP. Several membrane proteins, including the major lens membrane polypeptide, MP26, were shown to be substrates for the kinase in this reaction. MP26 appears to be the major component of intercellular junctions in the lens. Studies with protease treatments on labeled membranes appeared to localize the phosphorylation sites to the cytoplasmic side of the membrane.     

Mechanism of activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Covalent modification of the holoenzyme by cupric 1,10-phenanthroline

Modification of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase holoenzyme from porcine brain by cupric-1,10-phenanthroline was studied. The formation of conjugates with Mr of 180,000 and 100,000 Da, whose stoichiometry coincides with that of holoenzymes R2C2 and RC, and of a conjugate with Mr of 85,000 Da corresponding to the catalytic subunit conjugate with the proteolytic fragment of the regulatory subunit (Mr = 39,000 Da) was demonstrated. The modified enzyme was activated by cAMP.     

Coelution of the type II holoenzyme form of cAMP-dependent protein kinase with regulatory subunits of the type I form of cAMP-dependent protein kinase

The types and subunit composition of cAMP-dependent protein kinases in soluble rat ovarian extracts were investigated. Results demonstrated that three peaks of cAMP-dependent kinase activity could be resolved using DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Based on the sedimentation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and regulatory subunits using sucrose density gradient centrifugation, identification of 8-N3[32P]cAMP labeled RI and RII in DEAE-cellulose column and sucrose gradient fractions by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and Scatchard analysis of the cAMP-stimulated activation of the eluted peaks of kinase activity, the following conclusions were drawn regarding the composition of the three peaks of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity: peak 1, eluting with less than or equal to 0.05 M potassium phosphate, consisted of the type I form of cAMP-dependent protein kinase; peak 2, eluting with 0.065-0.11 M potassium phosphate, consisted of free RI and a type II tetrameric holoenzyme; peak 3, eluting with 0.125 M potassium phosphate, consisted of an apparent RIIC trimer, followed by the elution with 0.15 M potassium phosphate of free RII. The regulatory subunits were confirmed as authentic RI and RII based upon their molecular weights and autophosphorylation characteristics. The more basic elution of the type II holoenzyme with free RI was not attributable to the ionic properties of the regulatory subunits, based upon the isoelectric points of photolabeled RI and RII and upon the elution location from DEAE-cellulose of RI and RII on dissociation from their respective holoenzymes by cAMP. This is the first report of a type II holoenzyme eluting in low salt fractions with free RI, and of the presence of an apparent RIIC trimer in a soluble tissue extract.     

Clitocypin, a new type of cysteine proteinase inhibitor from fruit bodies of mushroom clitocybe nebularis

A novel inhibitor of cysteine proteinases has been isolated from fruit bodies of a mushroom Clitocybe nebularis. The inhibitor was purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography and gel filtration, followed by reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography. The active inhibitor has an apparent molecular mass of about 34 kDa by gel filtration and by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis without prior boiling of the sample. Boiling in 2.5% SDS or incubation in 6 m guanidine hydrochloride resulted in a single band of 17 kDa, indicating homodimer composition with no intersubunit disulfide bonds. The inhibitor in nondenaturing buffer is resistant to boiling in water, retaining its activity and dimer composition. The mushroom protein is a tight binding inhibitor of papain (K(i) = 0.59 nm), cathepsin L (K(i) = 0.41 nm), cathepsin B (K(i) = 0.48 micrometer), and bromelain (K(i) = 0.16 micrometer) but is inactive toward cathepsin H, trypsin, and pepsin. Its isoelectric point is 4.4, and sugar analysis indicates the absence of carbohydrate. A single protein sequence of 150 amino acids, containing no cysteine or methionine residues, was obtained by amino acid sequencing. The calculated molecular mass of 16854 Da corresponds well with the value obtained by mass spectrometry. A major part of this sequence was verified by molecular cloning. The monomer sequence is clearly devoid of typical cystatin structure elements and has no similarity to any other known cysteine proteinase inhibitors but bears some similarity to a lectin-like family of proteins from mushrooms. The inhibitor, which is present in at least two other members of the Clitocybe genus, has been named clitocypin (Clitocybe cysteine proteinase inhibitor).     

The concentration of cyclic AMP and the activity of cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase and an inhibitor in the adipose tissue of rats fed lard or glucose diets.

Measurements of tissue cyclic AMP (cAMP) concentration, the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and the level of the enzyme's thermostable, macromolecular inhibitor were made on preparations of rat epididymal fat pad from animals fed high fat or high carbohydrate diets. The cAMP concentration from rats adapted to a high lard diet for 14-15 days was 153 +/- 17.8 pmoles/mg protein as opposed to 76 +/- 6.0 found with high glucose diet. No significant difference in total cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity was observed among rats fed high glucose, high lard or laboratory chow, although the enzyme's activity ratio (-cAMP)(+cAMP) was significantly elevated with lard feeding (0.49 +/- 0.02) as opposed to glucose feeding (0.43 +/- 0.01). Crude preparations from lard and glucose fed animals were equivalent in inhibitory activity when tested with enzyme from chow fed animals. Agarose column chromatography separated holoenzyme and C subunit forms of the protein kinase when 500 mM NaCl was present in the elution buffer. Absence of the salt allowed subunit reassociation to occur. Direct addition of NaCl greater than or equal to 75 mM significantly inhibited protein kinase activity. The results indicate that the adipose tissue of rats fed a high lard diet has a higher concentration of cAMP and an increased protein kinase activity ratio than tissue from rats fed a fat free, high glucose diet. Total cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity and the level of a thermostable macromolecular inhibitor remained unchanged.     

The protein inhibitor of calcium-dependent proteases: purification from bovine heart and possible mechanisms of regulation

A bovine heart protein which specifically inhibits calcium-dependent proteases has been purified to near homogeneity. The purified inhibitor had a Stokes radius of 6.8 nm estimated by gel filtration and a molecular weight of 145,000 estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. There is evidence that it may be a glycoprotein. The inhibitor could be phosphorylated by bovine heart cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, and its inhibitory effect on Peak II (high-calcium-requiring) protease was modestly increased. However, no other phosphorylating or dephosphorylating conditions significantly influenced its activity. The inhibitor was not hydrolyzed by calcium-dependent proteases, but it was very sensitive to proteolytic inactivation by trypsin or proteases present in a lysosomal fraction from rat heart. Thus, proteolysis may represent a mechanism for decreasing the activity of the inhibitor in different physiologic or pathologic conditions.     

Purification and properties of a protein inhibitor that inhibits phosphatase 2A activity when hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase is the substrate

A heat-stable protein inhibitor of the hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase phosphatase 2A activity has been identified and purified to homogeneity, as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The apparent molecular mass was 20,000 Da. The protein lost its inhibitory properties when incubated with trypsin or treated with ethanol. The inhibitor protein does not inhibit type 1 phosphatase when either phosphorylase or hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase is the substrate. In contrast, this protein inhibitor inhibits the rat liver type 2A phosphatase activity when hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase is the substrate but not when phosphorylase a is the substrate. The inhibitor protein is not activated by incubation with ATP and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and it is not phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase-3. These results, together with those of the kinetic experiments, suggest that the reductase phosphatase inhibitor is distinct from protein phosphatase inhibitor-1 and inhibitor-2.     

Tyrosine kinase catalyzed phosphorylation and inactivation of the inhibitor protein of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase

The inhibitor protein of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase is a potential high affinity regulator of cAMP function. We now show that it is phosphorylated in Tyr7 by the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity of epidermal growth factor receptor. The phosphorylated form can be readily separated from the unphosphorylated protein by high pressure liquid chromatography which has permitted the isolation of stoichiometrically phosphorylated protein. Using this method, it has been demonstrated that this phosphorylation, which occurs within the inhibitor protein's active domain, results in a 6 to 9-fold decrease in inhibitory potency. Possibly, a component of growth control could be the coupling of tyrosine kinase activity to cAMP-mediated cellular proliferation via the regulation of the efficacy of the inhibitor protein.     

Purification of the heat-stable inhibitor protein of the Ca2+-activated cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase by affinity chromatography.

The recently discovered heat-stable inhibitor protein of the Ca2+-activated cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (Sharma, R. K., Wirch, E. & Warg, J. H. (1978) J. Biol. Chem., in press) has been purified 238 214-fold from bovine brain extract using an affinity column of the modulator protein--Sepharose 4B conjugate. The purified sample appears to be homogeneous as judged by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gel electrophoresis. The protein band has a mobility corresponding to that of a polypeptide of molecular weight 68 000. Since the heat-stable inhibitor protein has a molecular weight of 70 000 under nondenaturing conditions, it suggests that it is a monomeric protein. The protein has no inhibitory activity toward the cAMP-dependent protein kinase or protein phosphatase. The purified sample has been tested for various enzyme activities which include ATPase, GTPase, cAMP phosphodiesterase, cGMP phosphodiesterase, 5'-nucleotidase, and protein kinase. None of these activities are exhibited by the purified sample.     

Identification of a ternary complex between cAMP and a trimeric form of cAMP-dependent protein kinase

One of the intermediates involved in dissociation and reassociation of the subunits of the type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase has been characterized. This intermediate can be generated when the protein kinase is prepared from the isolated catalytic subunit (C) and the isolated regulatory subunit-[3H]cAMP complex (R2-[3H]cAMP4) by dialysis for 18 h followed by gel filtration. The intermediate, which could be separated from the holoenzyme and the isolated subunits by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, had an apparent molecular weight of 149,000, consistent with an R2C form. Following electrophoresis, measurements of R and bound nucleotide indicated that R2C was half-saturated with [3H]cAMP. The bound [3H]cAMP exhibited biphasic dissociation kinetics indicating that both types of cAMP binding sites were occupied. These findings suggested that the intermediate is R2C-cAMP2. This intermediate was not seen when the dialysis time was increased to 5 days, but could be observed when cAMP was added to the holoenzyme or when holoenzyme was mixed with R2cAMP4 and cAMP. The presence of two occupied cAMP binding sites on this intermediate suggests that there is minimal cooperativity between the two members of the regulatory subunit dimer, i.e. one member of the dimer binds 2 molecules of cAMP while the other binds C.     

Characterization of GSK-M, a glycogen synthase kinase from rat skeletal muscle

A form of glycogen synthase kinase designated GSK-M3 was purified 4000-fold from rat skeletal muscle by phosphocellulose, Affi-Gel blue, Sephacryl S-300 and carboxymethyl-Sephadex column chromatography. Separation of GSK-M from the catalytic subunit of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase was facilitated by converting the catalytic subunit to the holoenzyme form by addition of the regulatory subunit prior to the gel filtration step. GSK-M had an apparent Mr 62,000 (based on gel filtration), an apparent Km of 11 microM for ATP, and an apparent Km of 4 microM for rat skeletal muscle glycogen synthase. The kinase had very little activity with 0.2 mM GTP as the phosphate donor. Kinase activity was not affected by the addition of cyclic nucleotides, EGTA, heparin, glucose 6-P, glycogen, or the heat-stable inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase from rat skeletal muscle by GSK-M reduced the activity ratio (activity in the absence of Glc-6-P/activity in the presence of Glc-6-P X 100) from 90 to 25% when approximately 1.2 mol of phosphate was incorporated per mole of glycogen synthase subunit. Phosphopeptide maps of glycogen synthase obtained after digestion with CNBr or trypsin showed that this kinase phosphorylated glycogen synthase in serine residues found in the peptides containing the sites known as site 2, which is located in the N-terminal CNBr peptide, and site 3, which is located in the C-terminal CNBr peptide of glycogen synthase. In addition to phosphorylating glycogen synthase, GSK-M phosphorylated inhibitor 2 and activated ATP-Mg-dependent protein phosphatase. Activation of the protein phosphatase by GSK-M was dependent on ATP and was virtually absent when ATP was replaced with GTP. GSK-M had minimal activity toward phosphorylase b, casein, phosvitin, and mixed histones. These data indicate that GSK-M, a major form of glycogen synthase kinase from rat skeletal muscle, differs from the known glycogen synthase kinases isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle.