Phosphorylation of troponin and myosin light chain by cAMP-independent casein kinase-2 from rabbit skeletal muscle

Casein kinase-2 from rabbit skeletal muscle was found to phosphorylate, in addition to glycogen synthase, troponin from skeletal muscle, and myosin light chain from smooth muscle. Troponin T and the 20,000 M_r myosin light chain are phosphorylated by casein kinase-2 at much greater rates than glycogen synthase. The V values for the phosphorylation of troponin and myosin light chain are nearly an order of magnitude greater than that of glycogen synthase; however, the K_m values for these two substrates are greater than that for glycogen synthase. The kinase activities with the various protein substrates are stimulated approximately three- and fivefold by 5 mm spermidine and 3 mm spermine, respectively. Heparin is a potent inhibitor of the kinase when casein, glycogen synthase, or myosin light chain is the substrate. However, with troponin as substrate the kinase is relatively insensitive to inhibition by heparin. The amount of heparin required for 50% inhibition with troponin as substrate is at least 10 times greater than with casein as substrate. The phosphorylation of troponin by casein kinase-2 results in the incorporation of phosphate into two major tryptic peptides, which are different from those phosphorylated by casein kinase-1. The site in myosin light chain phosphorylated by casein kinase-2 is different from that phosphorylated by myosin light chain kinase.     

Casein kinase II is a major protein phosphorylating activity in the nuclei of Xenopus laevis oocytes

The nuclei of Xenopus laevis oocytes contain kinases capable of phosphorylating endogenous and exogenous proteins using either ATP or GTP as phosphoryl donors. These enzymes are much more active with casein and phosvitin as substrates than with histones or protamines. The protein phosphorylating activity of oocyte nuclear extracts is not regulated by cyclic nucleotides, phorbol esters, calmodulin and calcium, or phospholipids. However, the casein phosphorylating activity can be greatly enhanced by the polyamines spermine or spermidine and drastically inhibited by heparin. Fractionation of the nuclear casein kinase activities by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography and glycerol gradient centrifugation indicate that the nuclei contain enzymes with the properties of casein kinases I and II as characterized in other species. Oocyte casein kinase I (Mr 37,000) is specific for ATP as phosphoryl donor, is only slightly inhibited by 10 micrograms/ml heparin, and is not significantly stimulated by polyamines. Casein kinase II (Mr 135,000) can use both ATP and GTP as substrates, and is very sensitive to heparin inhibition and polyamine stimulation. The fact that low concentrations of heparin (10 micrograms/ml) can inhibit a large percentage of the endogenous phosphorylation of nuclear extracts or of whole nuclei indicates that casein kinase II is probably the major protein phosphorylating activity of these oocyte organelles.     

Purification and characterization of a casein-kinase-II-type enzyme from Xenopus laevis ovary. Biological effects on the meiotic cell division of full-grown oocyte

A casein kinase of type II has been highly purified from Xenopus laevis ovary. A new experimental protocol has been developed for the purification, consisting in four chromatographic steps: hydrophobic on tyrosine-agarose, ion exchange on DEAE-Sepharose, affinity on heparin-Sepharose and fast protein liquid on Mono Q. The purification was greater than 20,000, taking into account an inhibitor present in the starting material which masked the activity in the crude fraction. The overall yield was greater than 20%. Full-grown Xenopus oocytes contain 64 milliunits per oocyte corresponding to an intracellular concentration in the nanomolar range. The enzyme shares the following features with the mammalian casein kinase II: (a) comparable subunit composition (42-kDa doublet, 38 kDa and 26 kDa), (b) autophosphorylation of the 26-kDa subunit, (c) ability to use GTP as well as ATP as phosphate donor, (d) inability to use Mn2+ instead of Mg2+ to support the activity, (e) phosphorylation of both threonine and serine residues of casein, (f) inhibition by low doses of heparin. Biological effects of the highly purified enzyme have been investigated upon microinjection into Xenopus full-grown oocytes. At nanomolar concentrations (approximately 3 nM) the enzyme inhibited progesterone induction of meiotic cell division whereas it facilitates meiotic maturation at the level of maturation-promoting factor. These results suggest a role for the kinase in the phosphorylation cascade involved during the prophase/metaphase transition of meiotic cell division, both in the mechanism of the meiotic prophase arrest and in the activity of the cytoplasmic factor maturation-promoting factor. When microinjected into oocytes above 45 nM, the kinase provoked complex changes in the profile of the in ovo 32P-labelled proteins indicating that its targets could be other kinase/phosphatase regulatory proteins.     

Casein kinase II activity and polyamine-stimulated protein phosphorylation of cytosolic and plasma membrane proteins in bovine sperm

A highly purified preparation of sperm cytosolic protein kinase was obtained by repeated chromatography with phosphocellulose. The preferred substrate of the enzyme was casein and the activity was not stimulated by added Ca2+, calmodulin, or cAMP. With casein as substrate, both ATP and GTP served as phosphate donors and the activity was inhibited by low micromolar heparin and stimulated by low millimolar spermine and spermidine. These properties are characteristic of casein kinase II from other cells. Endogenous protein substrates of the enzyme in sperm cytosolic fractions and in plasma membranes were demonstrated by incubating the preparations with [gamma-32P]GTP, under conditions unfavorable to other protein kinases, and analyzing the products by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Spermine greatly enhanced the phosphorylation of three (55, 92, and 106 kDa) proteins in both cytosolic and plasma membrane preparations. Our results indicate that polyamines play a role in modulating the phosphorylation state of proteins in sperm and may further regulate sperm function through this mechanism.     

Polyamine-like effects of aminoglycosides on various messenger-independent protein kinase reactions

Gentamicin and several other aminoglycoside antibiotics in millimolar concentrations directly stimulate the phosphorylation of casein by purified preparations of cAMP- and Ca2+-independent protein kinases PK-C2 (equivalent to cytosolic casein kinase II) and its nuclear counterpart PK-N2 from rat liver and ventral prostate. These stimulatory effects of aminoglycoside antibiotics were similar to those exerted by the aliphatic polyamine spermine. Phosphorylation of casein by purified preparations of messenger-independent protein kinases PK-C1 (equivalent to cytosolic casein kinase I) and its nuclear counterpart PK-N1 was much less enhanced by spermine and the aminoglycoside antibiotics tested. Stimulations of PK-N2 reactions evoked by gentamicin or spermine (at 0.5 and 1.0 mM) were not additive. Several amino sugars tested were without effect on these protein kinases. Methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) which is known to block the stimulatory effects of polyamines on certain other enzymes did not alter spermine-stimulated phosphorylation of casein catalyzed by PK-N2 preparations.     

Dependence of removal of sperm-specific proteins from Xenopus sperm nuclei on the phosphorylation state of nucleoplasmin

In Xenopus laevis , nucleoplasmin from fully grown oocytes is not highly phosphorylated, but is more extensively phosphorylated during oocyte maturation to retain this state until mid-blastula transition. Incubation of demembranated sperm with nucleoplasmin from oocytes or mature eggs revealed that egg nucleoplasmin is twice as potent as oocyte nucleoplasmin in removing sperm-specific basic proteins from chromatin (protamine-removing activity: PRA). Dephosphorylation of egg nucleoplasmin by alkaline phosphatase induced a remarkable decline of PRA in nucleoplasmin. Treatment of oocyte nucleoplasmin with cdc2 protein kinase induced an increase of the extent of phosphorylation, but to a level lower than that exhibited by egg nucleoplasmin, suggesting the involvement of other unspecified kinase(s) in phosphorylating nucleoplasmin during oocyte maturation. Incubation of sperm with cdc2 kinase induced selective phosphorylation of sperm-specific basic proteins, accompanied by their enhanced removal from sperm chromatin upon exposure to high-salt solutions. These results suggest that removal of sperm-specific basic proteins from sperm chromatin in fertilized eggs is facilitated by phosphorylation of both nucleoplasmin and sperm-specific basic proteins.     

Inhibition of glycogen synthase (casein) kinase-1 by heparin

Previous reports have shown that heparin is an inhibitor of casein kinase-2 (CK-2). It is unclear whether heparin is also an inhibitor of glycogen synthase (casein) kinase-1 (CK-1), a type 1 casein kinase. In this study it is shown that CK-1 is potently inhibited by heparin when phosvitin or calcineurin are used as substrates. With casein as a substrate, however, the kinase is insensitive to inhibition by heparin. Using phosvitin as a substrate half-maximal inhibition of CK-1 was observed with 0.14 microgram/ml heparin. Kinetic analyses indicate that at a constant concentration (0.10 mM) of ATP the Km of CK-1 for phosvitin is increased eightfold in the presence of 0.9 microgram/ml heparin; the Vmax is unchanged with or without heparin. At a constant concentration of phosvitin (4 mg/ml) heparin (0.9 microgram/ml) decreased the Vmax for ATP by 57%; the Km is unchanged with or without heparin. The inhibition of CK-1 by heparin can be reversed by KCl (greater than 100 mM). These results indicate that heparin is a potent inhibitor not only of CK-2 but also of CK-1. Hence heparin inhibition can no longer be arbitrarily used as a criterion to discriminate between these kinases.     

Modulators of rat liver cytosol casein kinases 1 and 2

Rat liver cytosol casein kinases 1 and 2 are similarly activated by spermine and inhibited by caffeine. On the contrary they are differently affected by heparin and basic proteins. Low concentrations of heparin inhibited selectively the phosphorylation of casein by casein kinase 2 whereas protamine and histones inhibited specifically casein kinase 1. On the contrary the basic proteins stimulated slightly the activity of casein kinase 2 and released its inhibition by heparin. Increasing the concentration of casein substrate reversed both the inhibition of casein kinase 1 by protamine as well as that of casein kinase 2 by heparin. The data suggest the existence of modulators having either similar or opposite effects on each type of casein kinase.     

Transient increase of a protein kinase activity identified to CK2 during sea urchin development

Using GST-EF-1 delta as an exogenous substrate, and EF-1 delta kinase activity was shown to increase transiently during early development of sea urchin embryos. The basal activity of EF-1 delta kinase in unfertilized eggs was 150 fmoles/min/mg protein. The activity began to increase 10 h after fertilization and reached its maximum level (8.4 x basal) at 24 h. The activity then declined to twice the basal value at 72 h post-fertilization. The EF-1 delta kinase activity was identified to a CK2-type enzyme on the basis of its substrate specificity for EF-1 delta, crude casein and beta casein, its inhibition by heparin, DRB, 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate, and its stimulation by spermine, spermidine, and polylysin. Furthermore, the activity was inhibited by the synthetic peptide RRREEETEEE specific for CK2. DRB (200 microM) and 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (2.5 mM) blocked or delayed the transition from blastula to gastrula of the embryos, suggesting a role for the kinase in early development.     

Polyamines stimulate the activity of glycogen synthase (casein) kinase-1 from bovine kidney and different rat tissues

Previous studies have established that casein kinase-2 (CK-2) is stimulated by polyamines. In this study it is shown that glycogen synthase (casein) kinase-1 (CK-1) can be activated similarly. Using casein as the substrate, bovine kidney CK-1 was stimulated 7-, 2-, and 0.5-fold by spermine, spermidine, and putrescine, respectively. Half-maximal activation of CK-1 by these polyamines was observed at 0.25, 0.70, and 0.50 mM, respectively. CK-1 was optimally activated by spermine at low ionic strength and low Mg2+ concentrations (1-3 mM). Using phosvitin as the substrate, CK-1 was stimulated at low concentrations (0-0.8 mM) and inhibited at higher concentrations of spermine. By contrast CK-2 was inhibited at all concentrations of spermine when phosvitin was used as substrate. Using calcineurin (not a substrate for CK-2) as a substrate, CK-1 from bovine kidney or from three rat tissues (liver, kidney, and testis) was stimulated greater than 2-fold by spermine. It is further shown that heparin inhibits CK-1 and this inhibition can be reversed by spermine. The Vmax of CK-1 for both casein and ATP is increased by spermine while the Km remains unchanged by the polyamine. These studies indicate that CK-1, like CK-2, is a heparin-inhibited and polyamine-activated protein kinase. The results also suggest that CK-1 may be activated by spermine in vivo.     

Involvement of protein kinase A and casein kinase II in thein vivo protein kinase activities in prophase arrested Xenopus oocytes

In vivo casein phosphorylation was analysed in Xenopus full-grown oocytes arrested in the prophase of the meiotic cell division. The phosphorylation was inhibited by the protein kinase inhibitor (PKI) and also by heparin (3 g/ml; final concentration). casein phosphorylation was increased by spermine (2 mM). Therefore, protein kinase A and casein kinase II are both activein vivo in full-grown oocytes and may be involved in the prophase arrest of meiotic cell division.     

Purification of a novel, nucleoplasmin-like protein from somatic nuclei.

We have purified a nucleoplasmin-like protein from the nuclei of somatic Xenopus laevis cells. This protein possesses a number of the distinctive features of nucleoplasmin isolated from oocytes or unfertilized eggs. The protein is recognized by both monoclonal and polyclonal antisera raised against egg nucleoplasmin. The protein has an oligomeric structure, which must be heated in SDS to completely dissociate, is acidic, phosphorylated and efficiently promotes the in vitro formation of chromatin. We have partially characterized this novel protein and because of its resemblance to nucleoplasmin isolated from oocytes or unfertilized eggs we have named this protein nucleoplasmin S.     

Casein kinase G may be the target of spermine during progesterone-induced oocyte maturation

Casein kinase G (CKG) with more than 2500-fold enrichraent was purified from Bufo bufo gargarizans ovaries. The catalytic activity of the enzyme was found to be associated with its 42 kD subunit, and its 26 kD subunit was found to be the major tsrget for the enzyme autophos phorylation. Each fuU-grown oocyte contained 1.9 units of CKG corresponding to an intracellular concentration of 93 nM. After injecting an amount of 0,38 units of the enzyme into the oocyte, approximately 50% of the progesterone-induoed maturation was inhibited. The inhibitory effect was enhanced in oocytes pretreated with spermine, which was consistent with the results that the enzyme was activated in vitro in the presence of spermine, The MPF-induced oocyte maturation was delayed and even prohibited in the kinase-microinjected oocytes. A 55 kD oocyte protein was identified as an suhstrate of CKG both in vivo and in vitro, and the enhancement of the 55 kD protein phosphory[ation was associated with kinase inhibition on maturation and on protein synthesis in kinase-microinjected oocytes. As the endogenous spermine level decreased in the course of progesteroneinduced oocyte maturation. 55 kD protein was dephosphorylated, Heparin, a specific inhibitor of CKG, potentiated the progesterone-induced oocyte maturation. Altogether the experimental reSults indicated Strongly that CKG may be the physiological target of spermine.     

Xenopus nucleoplasmin: egg vs. oocyte

Nucleoplasmin has been purified from either oocytes or unfertilized eggs of the frog, Xenopus laevis. We find that the pentameric form of egg nucleoplasmin exhibits an apparent molecular mass approximately 15 000 daltons larger than its oocyte counterpart upon sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Egg nucleoplasmin monomers are more heterogeneous, substantially more acidic, and overall larger in apparent molecular weight than oocyte nucleoplasmin monomers when analyzed by isoelectric focusing or SDS gel electrophoresis. Protease digestions indicate that the structural differences between egg and oocyte nucleoplasmin are primarily confined to the N-terminal halves of the proteins. The structural diversity observed is accompanied by a difference in the ability of nucleoplasmin from the two sources to act as a nucleosome assembly agent in vitro. Egg nucleoplasmin efficiently promotes the formation of nucleosomes onto circular pBR322 DNA in vitro at physiological ionic strength and at physiological histone:DNA ratios, while oocyte nucleoplasmin is markedly deficient in serving as an in vitro chromatin assembly agent under all conditions which we have tested. Treatment of egg nucleoplasmin in vitro with alkaline phosphatase demonstrates that the structural diversity between egg and oocyte nucleoplasmin results primarily from extensive additional phosphorylation of the egg protein. The relevance of nucleoplasmin phosphorylation in leading to differences in the chromatin assembly activity of this protein both in vitro and in vivo is considered.     

Purification and properties of a protamine kinase and a type II casein kinase from bovine kidney mitochondria

Bovine kidney mitochondrial extracts contain an inactive protamine kinase and an inactive casein kinase. The protamine kinase was activated by chromatography on poly(L-lysine)-agarose. Two forms of this soluble mitochondrial protamine kinase were separated by chromatography on protamine-agarose. Both forms were purified about 80,000-fold to apparent homogeneity. Both forms of the protamine kinase consist of a single polypeptide chain with an apparent Mr approximately 45,000. Both enzyme forms underwent autophosphorylation without significant effect on activity, and both forms exhibited identical substrate specificities. The protamine kinase showed little activity toward branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (less than 3%), and it was essentially inactive (less than 0.1%) with pyruvate dehydrogenase, casein, and ovalbumin. The enzyme was active with histone H1 and with bovine serum albumin. Protamine kinase activity was unaffected by heparin (up to 100 micrograms/ml), by the protein inhibitor of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, by Ca2+ and calmodulin, and by monoclonal antibody to the catalytic domain of protein kinase C from rat brain. The casein kinase was activated in the presence of spermine or by chromatography of the extract on DEAE-cellulose or poly(L-lysine)-agarose. The enzyme was purified about 80,000-fold to apparent homogeneity. It exhibited an apparent Mr 130,000 as determined by gel-permeation chromatography on Sephacryl S-300 in the presence of 0.5 M NaCl. Two subunits, with apparent Mr's 36,000 (alpha) and 28,000 (beta) were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The kinase underwent autophosphorylation of its beta-subunit, without significant effect on activity. Casein kinase activity was inhibited 50% by 1.5 micrograms/ml of heparin. Spermine (1.0 mM) stimulated activity of the purified kinase two- to three-fold at 1.5 mM Mg2+. Half-maximal stimulation occurred at 0.1 mM spermine. The kinase utilized both ATP and GTP as substrates. The casein kinase showed little activity (less than 1%) toward pyruvate dehydrogenase and branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase from kidney mitochondria, and the kinase was essentially inactive with glycogen synthase a. The properties of this soluble mitochondrial kinase indicate that it is a type II casein kinase.     

Phosphorylation of the phosphatase modulator subunit (inhibitor-2) by casein kinase-1. Identification of the phosphorylation sites.

The isolated modulator subunit of the inactive protein phosphatase-1 is phosphorylated in vitro by casein kinase-1 at two different sites: Ser-86 and Ser-174. The Ser-86 site is a common target for casein kinase-1 and casein kinase-2, but is preferentially phosphorylated by the former enzyme. The Ser-174 site seems to be specific for casein kinase-1, and is phosphorylated at a slower rate. These results give a new insight into the in vitro phosphorylation pattern of the modulator subunit of the phosphatase and provides additional data on the specificity of casein kinase-1.     

Cyclic nucleotide-independent phosphorylation of vitellin by casein kinase II purified from Rhodnius prolixus oocytes

In this study we show that Vitellin (VT) phosphorylation in chorionated oocytes of Rhodnius prolixus is completely inhibited by heparin (10 microg/ml), a classical casein kinase II (CK II) inhibitor. VT phosphorylation is not affected by modulators of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases such as c-AMP (10 microM), H-8 (1 microM) and H-89 (0.1 microM). We have obtained a 3000-fold VT-free enriched preparation of CK II. Autophosphorylation of this enzyme preparation in the presence of (32)P-ATP demonstrated that it lacks any endogenous substrates. Rhodnius CK II is strongly inhibited by heparin (Ki = 9 nM) and uses ATP (Km = 36 microM) or GTP (Km = 86 microM) as phosphate donors. Incubation of VT with purified Rhodnius CK II and (32)P-ATP led to the incorporation of 2 mols of phosphate/mol VT. However, the total number of phosphorylation sites available can be altered by previous incubation of VT with alkaline phosphatase. These data show that an insect yolk protein contain phosphorylation sites for a cyclic nucleotide-independent protein kinase such as CK II.