Conformational studies of myosin phosphorylated by protein kinase C

Smooth muscle myosin from chicken gizzard is phosphorylated by Ca2+-activated phospholipid-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, as well as by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase, myosin light chain kinase (Endo, T., Naka, M., and Hidaka, H. (1982) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 105, 942-948). We have now demonstrated the effect of phosphorylation by protein kinase C on the smooth muscle myosin molecule. In glycerol/urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the 20,000-dalton light chain phosphorylated by protein kinase C co-migrated with that phosphorylated by myosin light chain kinase. Moreover, the light chain phosphorylated by both kinases migrated more rapidly than did the light chain phosphorylated by either myosin light chain kinase or protein kinase C alone. Myosin phosphorylated by protein kinase C formed a bent 10 S monomer while that phosphorylated by myosin light chain kinase was an unfolded and extended 6 S monomer in the presence of 0.2 M KCl. In addition, myosin phosphorylated by kinases had a sedimentation velocity of 7.3 S, thereby suggesting that the myosin was partially unfolded. The unfolded myosin was visualized electron microscopically. The fraction in the looped form was higher when for myosin phosphorylated by both kinases higher than for that phosphorylated by light chain kinase alone. Therefore, phosphorylation by protein kinase C does not lead to the change in myosin conformation seen with myosin light chain kinase.     

Purification of myosin from Ehrlich ascites tumour cells (phosphorylation of its light chain and heavy chain)

1. The myosin molecule from Ehrlich ascites tumour cells consists of heavy chains of about 200 kDa and three species of light chains of 20, 19 and 15 kDa. 2. The heavy chain can be phosphorylated in vitro either by endogenous Ca2+-independent kinase or by casein kinase II. 3. The 20 and 19 kDa light chains can be phosphorylated either by an endogenous kinase or by myosin light chain kinase from chicken gizzard. 4. The Ca2+-ATPase activity of the purified myosin was 0.3 mumol/min mg protein. The Mg2+-ATPase activity was activated 14-fold by actin upon the light chain phosphorylation.     

Regulation of the Actin-Activated Mg-ATPase of Brain Myosin via Phosphorylation by the Brain Ca2+, Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases

We have previously isolated two Ca2+, calmodulin-dependent protein kinases with molecular weights of 120,000 (120K enzyme) and 640,000 (640K enzyme), respectively, by gel filtration analysis from rat brain. Chicken gizzard myosin light-chain kinase and the 120K enzyme phosphorylated two light chains of brain myosin, whereas the 640K enzyme phosphorylated both the two light chains and the heavy chain. The phosphopeptides of the light chains digested by Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease were similar among chicken gizzard myosin light-chain kinase, the 120K enzyme, and the 640K enzyme. Only the seryl residue in the light chains and the heavy chain was phosphorylated by the enzymes. The phosphorylation of brain myosin by any of these enzymes led to an increase in actin-activated Mg-ATPase activity. The results suggest that brain myosin is regulated by brain Ca2+, calmodulin-dependent protein kinases in a similar but distinct mechanism in comparison with that of smooth muscle myosin.     

Ca2+-phospholipid dependent phosphorylation of smooth muscle myosin

Isolated myosin light chain from chicken gizzard has been shown to serve as a substrate for Ca²⁺-activated phospholipid-dependent protein kinase. Autoradiography showed that Ca²⁺-activated phospholipid-dependent protein kinase phosphorylated mainly the 20,000-dalton light chain of chicken gizzard myosin. Exogenously added calmodulin had no effect on myosin light chain phosphorylation catalyzed by the enzyme. The 20,000-dalton myosin light chain, both in the isolated form and in the whole myosin form, served as the substrate for this enzyme. In contrast to the isolated myosin light chain, the light chain of whole myosin was phosphorylated to a lesser extent by the Ca²⁺-activated phospholipid dependent kinase. Our results suggest the involvement of phospholipid in regulating Ca²⁺-dependent phosphorylation of the 20,000-dalton light chain of smooth muscle myosin.     

Amino acid sequence of the phosphorylation site of bovine cardiac myosin light chain

Amino acid sequences of peptides containing the phosphorylation site of bovine cardiac myosin light chain (L2) were determined. The site was localized to a serine residue in the tentative amino terminus of the light chain and is homologous to phosphorylation sites in other myosin light chains. Phosphorylation of bovine cardiac light chain by chicken gizzard myosin light chain kinase was Ca2+-calmodulin dependent. Kinetic data gave a Km of 107; microM and a Vmax of 23.6 mumol min-1 mg-1. In contrast to what has been observed with smooth muscle light chains, neither the phosphorylation site fragment of the cardiac light chain nor a synthetic tetradecapeptide containing the phosphorylation site were effectively phosphorylated by the chicken gizzard kinase. Phosphorylation of cardiac myosin light chains by chicken gizzard myosin light chain kinase, therefore, requires other regions of the light chain in addition to a phosphate acceptor site.     

Phosphorylation of smooth muscle heavy meromyosin by calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase. The effect on actin-activated MgATPase activity

Smooth muscle heavy meromyosin (HMM) can serve as a substrate for the Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) as well as for the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase, myosin light chain kinase. When turkey gizzard HMM is incubated with protein kinase C, 1.7-2.2 mol of phosphate are incorporated per mol of HMM, all of it into the 20,000-Da light chain of HMM. Two-dimensional peptide mapping following tryptic hydrolysis revealed that protein kinase C phosphorylated a different site on the 20,000-Da HMM light chain than did myosin light chain kinase. Moreover, sequential phosphorylation of HMM by myosin light chain kinase and protein kinase C resulted in the incorporation of 4 mol of phosphate/mol of HMM, i.e. 2 mol of phosphate into each 20,000-Da light chain. When unphosphorylated HMM was phosphorylated by myosin light chain kinase, its actin-activated MgATPase activity increased from 4 nmol to 156 nmol of phosphate released/mg of HMM/min. Subsequent phosphorylation of this phosphorylated HMM by protein kinase C decreased the actin-activated MgATPase activity of HMM to 75 nmol of phosphate released/mg of HMM/min.     

Properties of phosphorylated myofibrils from gizzard smooth muscle

Phosphorylation of chicken gizzard myosin light chain in myofibril and its effect on myofibrillar ATPase activity were investigated in the contracted state of myofibrils. When myofibrils were incubated for two hours at 30 degreeds C with ATP, magnesium and calcium, the myosin light chain was phosphorylated by endogenous light-chain kinase. Standing overnight, the phosphorylated light chain was dephosphorylated by endogenous light-chain phosphatase. Control myofibril had much higher ATPase activity than phosphorylated and phosphorylated-dephosphorylated myofibrils. It was very interesting that the phosphorylated and phosphorylated-dephosphorylated myofibrils were quite similar in ATPase activity. However, phosphorylated myofibril differed from phosphorylated-dephosphorylated myofibril in Ca2+ dependency of Mg2+-ATPase activity. The phosphorylated-dephosphorylated myofibril was not affected by the presence or absence of Ca2+. In contrast, phosphorylated myofibril apparently showed a negative Ca2+-sensitivity. On the other hand, the results indicating that the superprecipitation gel formed by phosphorylated-dephosphorylated myosin could not be dissolved in 0.6 M NaCl, suggest that the phosphorylation-dephosphorylation process of the actomyosin system in gizzard myofibril results in stronger actin-myosin interaction.     

The phosphorylation site for casein kinase II on 20,000-Da light chain of gizzard myosin

The 20-kDa light chain isolated from gizzard myosin has recently been reported to be phosphorylated by casein kinase II at a site distinct from that phosphorylated by Ca²⁺- and calmodulin-dependent myosin light-chain kinase. In the present study, the site phosphorylated by casein kinase II has been analyzed through procedures including tryptic digestion of the radioactively phosphorylated light chain and CNBr cleavage of the purified tryptic phosphopeptide, followed by amino acid analysis of these phosphopeptides. Comparison of the amino acid compositions of these peptides with the previously reported sequence has indicated that the phosphorylation site is threonine-134 of the light chain. The significance of the phosphorylation of the light chain by casein kinase II, as well as the substrate specificity of the protein kinase, is discussed on the basis of the result.     

Ricin B chain converts a non-cytotoxic antibody-ricin A chain conjugate into a potent and specific cytotoxic agent

A method is described for the preparation of partially and fully phosphorylated chicken gizzard myosin. When fully phosphorylated it possessed an actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase of similar specific activity to that of mammalian skeletal muscle myosin. The Mg2+-ATPase activity of these preparations was related in a non-linear fashion to increasing phosphorylation of the P light chain. When P light chain phosphorylation occurred during enzymic assay the Mg2+-ATPase activity remained constant. Fully phosphorylated preparations of gizzard myosin possessed an actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase that was not Ca2+-sensitive, whereas the Mg2+-ATPase of partially phosphorylated myosin preparations was Ca2+-sensitive.     

Smooth muscle calponin. Inhibition of actomyosin MgATPase and regulation by phosphorylation

Calponin isolated from chicken gizzard smooth muscle inhibits the actin-activated MgATPase activity of smooth muscle myosin in a reconstituted system composed of contractile and regulatory proteins. ATPase inhibition is not due to inhibition of myosin phosphorylation since, at calponin concentrations sufficient to cause maximal ATPase inhibition, myosin phosphorylation was unaffected. Furthermore, calponin inhibited the actin-activated MgATPase of fully phosphorylated or thiophosphorylated myosin. Although calponin is a Ca2(+)-binding protein, inhibition did not require Ca2+. Furthermore, although calponin also binds to tropomyosin, ATPase inhibition was not dependent on the presence of tropomyosin. Calponin was phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase C and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, but not by cAMP- or cGMP-dependent protein kinases, or myosin light chain kinase. Phosphorylation of calponin by either kinase resulted in loss of its ability to inhibit the actomyosin ATPase. The phosphorylated protein retained calmodulin and tropomyosin binding capabilities, but actin binding was greatly reduced. The calponin-actin interaction, therefore, appears to be responsible for inhibition of the actomyosin ATPase. These observations suggest that calponin may be involved in regulating actin-myosin interaction and, therefore, the contractile state of smooth muscle. Calponin function in turn is regulated by Ca2(+)-dependent phosphorylation.     

Hydrophobic regions function in calmodulin-enzyme(s) interactions

Certain naturally occurring lipids (phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, arachidonic acid) and sodium dodecyl sulfate activate at least two calmodulin-dependent enzymes, bovine brain 3':5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and chicken gizzard myosin light chain kinase in the absence of Ca2+. 2-p-Toluidinyl-naphthalene-6-sulfonate (TNS), which is often used as a probe for hydrophobic groups of proteins, inhibits these two calmodulin-dependent enzymes. Kinetic analysis of inhibition of chicken gizzard myosin kinase by TNS revealed a competitive fashion against calmodulin-induced activation. The interaction between TNS and purified bovine brain calmodulin as demonstrated in the appearance of TNS fluorescence in the presence of 3 microM or more of calcium ion was not observed in the presence of 2 mM EGTA. This suggests that TNS is able to bind to calmodulin in the presence of Ca2+. Moreover, a calmodulin-interacting agent N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide suppressed the TNS fluorescence induced by complex formation with calmodulin in the presence of Ca2+. These results suggest that when Ca2+ binds to the high affinity sites of calmodulin, it induces a conformational change which exposes hydrophobic groups, and the calmodulin is then capable of activating calmodulin-dependent enzymes. We propose that hydrophobic properties of Ca2+-calmodulin are important for the activation of Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent enzymes.     

Phosphorylation of myosin light chain and the actin-activated ATPase activity of adrenal medullary myosin

Myosin light chain kinase was partially purified from bovine adrenal medulla. A polypeptide of Mr 165,000 dalton was identified as kinase by using anti-gizzard myosin light chain kinase IgG on immunoreplica. Phosphorylation of medullary myosin was Ca2+- and calmodulin-dependent. The phosphorylated myosin was showed to enhance the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity. In contrast, the myosin ATPase activity was dramatically decreased by dephosphorylation of myosin.     

Purification and Characterization of a Ca2+- and Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase from Rat Brain

Abstract: A Ca²⁺- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase was purified from rat brain cytosol fraction to apparent homogeneity at approximately 800-fold and with a 5% yield. The purified enzyme had a molecular weight of 640,000 as determined by gel filtration analysis on Sephacryl S-300 and a sedimentation coefficient of 15.3 S by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and resulted in a single protein band of MW 49,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These results suggest that the native enzyme has a large molecular weight and consists of 11 to 14 identical subunits. The purified enzyme exhibited K _m values of 109 and 30 μM for ATP and chicken gizzard myosin light chain, respectively, and K _a values of 12 n M and 1.9 μM for brain calmodulin and Ca²⁺, respectively. In addition to myosin light chain, myelin basic protein, casein, arginine-rich histone, microtubule protein, and synaptosomal proteins were phosphorylated by the enzyme in a Ca²⁺- and calmodulin-dependent manner. The purified enzyme was phosphorylated without the addition of the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Our findings indicate that there is a multifunctional Ca²⁺- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in the brain and that this enzyme may regulate the reactions of various endogenous proteins.     

Purification, characterization and substrate specificity of calmodulin-dependent myosin light-chain kinase from bovine brain.

A substrate-specific calmodulin-dependent myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK) was purified 45,000-fold to near homogeneity from bovine brain in 12% yield. Bovine brain MLCK phosphorylates a serine residue in the isolated turkey gizzard myosin light chain (MLC), with a specific activity of 1.8 mumol/min per mg of enzyme. The regulatory MLC present in intact gizzard myosin is also phosphorylated by the enzyme. The Mr-19,000 rabbit skeletal-muscle MLC is a substrate; however, the rate of its phosphorylation is at best 30% of that obtained with turkey gizzard MLC. Phosphorylation of all other protein substrates tested is less than 1% of that observed with gizzard MLC as substrate. SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of purified MLCK reveals the presence of a major protein band with an apparent Mr of 152000, which is capable of binding 125I-calmodulin in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Phosphorylation of MLCK by the catalytic subunit of cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase results in the incorporation of phosphate into the Mr-152,000 protein band and a marked decrease in the affinity of MLCK for calmodulin. The presence of Ca2+ and calmodulin inhibits the phosphorylation of the enzyme. Bovine brain MLCK appears similar to MLCKs isolated from platelets and various forms of muscle.     

Functional domains of chicken gizzard myosin light chain kinase

The proteolytic susceptibility of chicken gizzard myosin light chain kinase, a calmodulin-dependent enzyme, has been utilized to define the relative location of the catalytic and regulatory domains of the enzyme. Myosin light chain kinase isolated from this source exhibits a Mr of 130,000 and is extremely sensitive to trypsin at 24 degrees C; however, the molecule is divided into susceptible and resistant domains such that proteolysis proceeds rapidly and at multiple sites in the sensitive regions even at 4 degrees C while the rest of the molecule remains relatively resistant to digestion. One of these sensitive areas is the calmodulin-binding domain. On the other hand, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease digestion generates a calmodulin-binding fragment (Mr = 70,000) that retains Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent enzymatic activity and both of the phosphorylation sites recognized by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. In contrast, treatment with chymotrypsin produces a 95,000 Mr calmodulin-binding fragment that contains only the calmodulin-modulated phosphorylation site. Sequential proteolytic digestion studies demonstrated that the chymotryptic cleavage site responsible for the generation of this 95,000 Mr peptide is within 3,000 Mr of the V8 protease site which produces the 70,000 Mr fragment. Moreover, the non-calmodulin-modulated phosphorylation site must exist in this 3,000 Mr region. A calmodulin-Sepharose affinity adsorption protocol was developed for the digestion and used to isolate both the 70,000 and 95,000 Mr fragments for further study. Taken together, our results are compatible with a model for chicken gizzard myosin light chain kinase in which there is no overlap between the active site, the calmodulin-binding region, and the two sites phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase with regard to their relative position in the primary sequence of the molecule.     

Purification and characterization of myosin light-chain kinase from the rat pancreas.

We have partially purified a protein kinase from rat pancreas that phosphorylates two light-chain subunits of pancreatic myosin, a doublet with components of 18 and 20 kDa. This protein kinase was purified approx. 1000-fold by sequential (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, gel filtration, ion-exchange and affinity chromatography on calmodulin-Sepharose 4B. The resultant enzyme preparation is free of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C and calmodulin-dependent type I or II kinase activities. The purified protein kinase is completely dependent on Ca2+ and calmodulin, and phosphorylates a 20 kDa light-chain subunit of intact gizzard myosin, suggesting that it belongs to a class of enzymes known as myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK). The apparent Km values of the putative pancreatic MLCK for ATP (73 microM), gizzard myosin light chains (18 microM) and calmodulin (2 nM) are similar to those reported for MLCKs isolated from smooth muscle, platelet and other sources. The enzyme is half-maximally activated at a free Ca2+ concentration of 2.5 microM. A single component of the affinity-purified kinase reacts with antibodies to turkey gizzard MLCK. The apparent molecular mass of this component is 138 kDa. Immunoprecipitation of a pancreatic homogenate with these antibodies decreases calmodulin-dependent kinase activity for pancreatic myosin by over 85%. The immunoprecipitate contains a single electrophoretic band of 138 kDa. Tryptic phosphopeptide analyses of pancreatic myosin, phosphorylated by either gizzard or pancreatic MLCK, are identical. Thus the enzyme that we have purified from rat pancreas is a MLCK, as judged by (1) absolute dependence on Ca2+ and calmodulin, (2) high affinity for calmodulin, (3) narrow substrate specificity for the light-chain subunit of myosin, and (4) reactivity with antibodies to turkey gizzard MLCK. These studies establish the existence of a pancreatic MLCK which may be responsible for regulating myosin phosphorylation and enzyme secretion in situ.     

Phosphorylation of caldesmon by protein kinase C

Protein kinase C catalyzes phosphorylation of caldesmon, an F-actin binding protein of smooth muscle, in the presence of Ca2+ and phospholipid. Protein kinase C incorporates about 8 mol of phosphate/mol of chicken gizzard caldesmon. When calmodulin was added in the medium, there was an inhibition of phosphorylation. The fully phosphorylated, but not unphosphorylated, caldesmon inhibited myosin light chain kinase activity. The possibility that protein kinase C plays some role in smooth muscle contractile system through caldesmon, warrants further attention.     

Molecular characterization of a mammalian smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase.

A 5.6-kilobase cDNA clone has been isolated which includes the entire coding region for the myosin light chain kinase from rabbit uterine tissue. This cDNA, expressed in COS cells, encodes a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase with catalytic properties similar to other purified smooth muscle myosin light chain kinases. A module (TLKPVGNIKPAE), repeated sequentially 15 times, has been identified near the N terminus of this smooth muscle kinase. It is not present in chicken gizzard or rabbit skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinases. This repeat module and a subrepeat (K P A/V) are similar in amino acid content to repeated motifs present in other proteins, some of which have been shown to associate with chromatin structures. Immunoblot analysis after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, used to compare myosin light chain kinase present in rabbit, bovine, and chicken smooth and nonmuscle tissues, showed that within each species both tissue types have myosin light chain kinases with indistinguishable molecular masses. These data suggest that myosin light chain kinases present in smooth and nonmuscle tissues are the same protein.     

Ca2+ dependence of the ATPase activity of phosphorylated smooth muscle myosin: effects of tropomyosin and actin

Calcium ions produce a 3-4-fold stimulation of the actin-activated ATPase activities of phosphorylated myosin from bovine pulmonary artery or chicken gizzard at 37 degrees C and at physiological ionic strengths, 0.12-0.16 M. Actins from either chicken gizzard or rabbit skeletal muscle stimulate the activity of phosphorylated myosin in a Ca2+-dependent manner, indicating that the Ca2+ sensitivity involves myosin or a protein associated with it. Partial loss of Ca2+ sensitivity upon treatment of phosphorylated gizzard myosin with low concentrations of chymotrypsin and the lack of any change on similar treatment of actin supports the above conclusion. Although both actins enhance ATPase activity, activation by gizzard actin exhibits Ca2+ dependence at higher temperatures or lower ionic strengths than does activation by skeletal muscle actin. The Ca2+ dependence of the activity of phosphorylated heavy meromyosin is about half that of myosin and is affected differently by temperature, ionic strength and Mg2+, being independent of temperature and optimal at lower concentrations of NaCl. Raising the concentration of Mg2+ above 2-3 mM inhibits the activity of heavy meromyosin but stimulates that of myosin, indicating that Mg2+ and Ca2+ activate myosin at different binding sites.     

Purification and identification of myosin heavy chain kinase from bovine brain

A high salt extract of bovine brain was found to contain a protein kinase which catalyzed the phosphorylation of heavy chain of brain myosin. The protein kinase, designated as myosin heavy chain kinase, has been purified by column chromatography on phosphocellulose, Sephacryl S-300, and hydroxylapatite. During the purification, the myosin heavy chain kinase was found to co-purify with casein kinase II. Furthermore, upon polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme under non-denaturing conditions, both the heavy chain kinase and casein kinase activities were found to comigrate. The purified enzyme phosphorylated casein, phosvitin, troponin T, and isolated 20,000-dalton light chain of gizzard myosin, but not histone or protamine. The kinase did not require Ca2+-calmodulin, or cyclic AMP for activity. Heparin, which is known to be a specific inhibitor of casein kinase II, inhibited the heavy chain kinase activity. These results indicate that the myosin heavy chain kinase is identical to casein kinase II. The myosin heavy chain kinase catalyzed the phosphorylation of the heavy chains in intact brain myosin. The heavy chains in intact gizzard myosin were also phosphorylated, but to a much lesser extent. The heavy chains of skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle myosins were not phosphorylated to an appreciable extent. Although the light chains isolated from brain and gizzard myosins were efficiently phosphorylated by the same enzyme, the rates of phosphorylation of these light chains in the intact myosins were very small. From these results it is suggested that casein kinase II plays a role as a myosin heavy chain kinase for brain myosin rather than as a myosin light chain kinase.