Localization of a 215-kDa tyrosine-phosphorylated protein that cross-reacts with tensin antibodies.

Tyrosine phosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins at adhesive junctions has been speculated to play a role in the regulation of cell signaling at these sites. Previously, monoclonal antibodies were generated against phosphotyrosine-containing proteins from Rous sarcoma virus-transformed chick embryo fibroblasts, resulting in two antibodies which recognized antigens of 76 and 215 kDa that localized to focal contacts. We have now localized the 215-kDa antigen to a number of adhesive junctions in vivo, including the zonula adherens, intercalated discs, and myotendinous and neuromuscular junctions. In sections of skeletal muscle and in isolated myofibrils, the 215-kDa protein was localized to the I-band. By immunoprecipitation and immunoblot analysis, we determined that the 215-kDa antigen cross-reacts with a polyclonal anti-tensin antibody.     

Phosphohistone and glycogen synthase D phosphatase activities in a liver glycogen pellet preparation.

A liver glycogen pellet preparation previously found to contain synthase D phosphatase activity was shown to contain also phosphohistone phosphatase activity. Pellet phosphohistone phosphatase and synthase D phosphatase competed for the same substrates and appeared to be the same enzyme. ATP, a potent inhibitor, and G-6-P, a potent activator of the synthase phosphatase reaction, had little effect on the phosphohistone phosphatase reaction. These observations suggest that the ATP and G-6-P effects are relatively specific and are probably caused by binding to the synthase D substrate. The observed effects of NaCl and KCl were more complex. They stimulated phosphohistone phosphatase activity but strikingly inhibited synthase phosphatase activity. Sodium fluoride inhibited both reactions.     

Direct glucose stimulation of glycogen synthase phosphatase activity in a liver glycogen particle preparation

In glycogen particle suspensions prepared from fed rats given either glucagon or glucose in order to increase or decrease the phosphorylase a concentration, respectively, glucose stimulation of synthase phosphatase activity was observed. In preparations from glucagon-treated rats, addition of glucose stimulated synthase and phosphorylase phosphatase simultaneously and not sequentially. Synthase phosphatase stimulation was glucose concentration dependent even when phosphorylase a had been rapidly reduced to a low level. The estimated A0.5 for glucose stimulation of synthase phosphatase activity was 27 mM. An A0.5 for glucose stimulation of phosphorylase phosphatase activity could not be estimated since activity was still increasing with concentrations of glucose as high as 200 mM. In preparations from glucose-treated rats which contain virtually no phosphorylase a, glucose stimulation was still apparent but the A0.5 was increased modestly (36 mM). Stimulation of synthase phosphatase activity was specific for glucose. Several other monosaccharides and the polyhydric alcohol sorbitol were ineffective.     

The phosphorylation of rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase by glycogen synthase kinase-2 and adenosine-3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase.

Purified glycogen synthase is contaminated with traces of two protein kinases that can phosphorylate the enzyme. One is protein kinase dependent on adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and the second is an activity termed glycogen synthase kinase-2 [Nimmo, H.G. and Cohen P, (1974)]. Glycogen synthase kinase-2 has been found to be localized relatively specifically in the protein-glycogen complex. It has been purified 4000-fold by two procedures, both of which involve disruption of the complex, followed by the DEAE-cellulose and phosphocellulose chromatographies. However the salt concentration at which glycogen synthase kinase-2 is eluted from DEAE-cellulose depends on the method that is used to disrupt the complex. The results indicate that glycogen synthase kinase-2 is firmly attached to a protein component of the complex. The isolation procedures separate glycogen synthase kinase-2 from phosphorylase kinase, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and other glycogen-metabolising enzymes. Glycogen synthase kinase-2 is the major phosvitin kinase in skeletal muscle, although glycogen synthase is a six to eight-fold better substrate than phosvitin under the standard assay conditions. Phosphorylase kinase and phosphorylase b are not substrates for glycogen synthase kinase 2. Following incubation with cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase, cyclic AMP and Mg-ATP, the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase reaches a plateau at 1.0 molecules of phosphate incorporated per subunit and the activity ratio measured in the absence and presence of glucose 6-phosphate falls from 0.8 to a plateau of 0.18. The Ka for glucose 6-phosphate of this phosphorylated species, termed glycogen synthase b1, is the 0.6 mM. Following incubation with glycogen synthase kinase-2 and Mg-ATP, the phosphorylation reaches a plateau of 0.92 molecules of phosphate incorporated per subunit and the activity ratio decreases to a plateau of 0.08. The Ka for glucose 6-phosphate of this phosphorylated species, termed glycogen synthetase b2, is 4 mM. In the presence of both cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase and glycogen synthase kinase-2, the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase reaches a plateau when 1.95 molecules of phoshophate have been incorporated per subunit. The activity ratio is 0.01 and the Ka for glucose 6-phosphate is 10 mM. The results indicate that glycogen synthase can be regulated by two distinct phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycles. The implication of these findings for the regulation of glycogen synthase in vivo are discussed.     

GNIP, a novel protein that binds and activates glycogenin, the self-glucosylating initiator of glycogen biosynthesis

Glycogenin is a self-glucosylating protein involved in the initiation of glycogen biosynthesis. Self-glucosylation leads to the formation of an oligosaccharide chain, which, when long enough, supports the action of glycogen synthase to elongate it and form a mature glycogen molecule. To identify possible regulators of glycogenin, the yeast two-hybrid strategy was employed. By using rabbit skeletal muscle glycogenin as a bait, cDNAs encoding three different proteins were isolated from the human skeletal muscle cDNA library. Two of the cDNAs encoded glycogenin and glycogen synthase, respectively, proteins known to be interactors. The third cDNA encoded a polypeptide of unknown function and was designated GNIP (glycogenin interacting protein). Northern blot analysis revealed that GNIP mRNA is highly expressed in skeletal muscle. The gene for GNIP generates at least four isoforms by alternative splicing. The largest isoform GNIP1 contains, from NH(2)- to COOH-terminal, a RING finger, a B box, a putative coiled-coil region, and a B30.2-like motif. The previously identified protein TRIM7 (tripartite motif containing protein 7) is also derived from the GNIP gene and is composed of the RING finger, B box, and coiled-coil regions. The GNIP2 and GNIP3 isoforms consist of the coiled-coil region and B30.2-like domain. Physical interaction between GNIP2 and glycogenin was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation, and in addition GNIP2 was shown to stimulate glycogenin self-glucosylation 3-4-fold. GNIPs may represent a novel participant in the initiation of glycogen synthesis.     

Levels of carnitine and glycogen in rabbit tissues during development

This study attempts to add further light on the development of metabolic pathways in mammalians from fetal to post-natal life, by examining ongoing modifications of carnitine (in terms of total acid soluble, short chain esterified and free carnitine) and glycogen levels in the liver, heart, muscle and brain of rabbit during development.     

Synergistic phosphorylation of rabbit muscle glycogen synthase by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and casein kinase I. Implications for hormonal regulation of glycogen synthase

The phosphorylation of rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase by casein kinase I is markedly enhanced if the enzyme has previously been phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The presence of phosphate in the primary cAMP-dependent protein kinase sites, sites 1a, 1b, and 2 (serine 7), increases the activity of casein kinase I toward residues in the vicinity of these sites. This synergistic phosphorylation correlates with potent inactivation of the glycogen synthase. Analysis of the NH2 terminus of the enzyme subunit indicated that phosphorylation at serine 7 caused serine 10 to become a preferred casein kinase I site and that phosphoserine can be an important recognition determinant for casein kinase I. This finding can also explain how epinephrine stimulation of skeletal muscle provokes significant increases in the phosphorylation state of serine residues, in particular serine 10, not recognized by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.     

Heparin-activated protein kinase from rabbit muscle: relationship to enzymes of the glycogen synthase kinase-3 category

A heparin-activated protein kinase has been previously identified in rabbit skeletal muscle extracts (Z. Ahmad et al. (1985) FEBS Lett. 179, 96-100). Further study has indicated that this enzyme phosphorylates rabbit muscle glycogen synthase in the same tryptic peptide(s) as the protein kinase FA/GSK-3 (glycogen synthase kinase-3) and is able to activate the ATP-Mg2+-dependent protein phosphatase. These results indicate similarities in properties between the two protein kinases. Exposure of the heparin-activated enzyme to trypsin resulted in loss of heparin activation, from 3-fold to 1.3-fold. One hypothesis suggested by this result is that the enzyme FA/GSK-3 could be a derivative of the heparin-activated enzyme that has lost heparin sensitivity. The conceptual importance of this hypothesis is that it may provide a clue to the mode of regulation of this important class of protein kinases.     

Rabbit liver glycogen synthase kinases. Characterization of a protein kinase (PC0.7) able to phosphorylate glycogen synthase and phosvitin

A rabbit liver protein kinase (PC0.7), able to phosphorylate glycogen synthase and phosvitin, has been extensively purified. The enzyme had apparent Mr = 170,000-190,000 as judged by gel filtration and was associated with two major polypeptide species, alpha (Mr = 43,000) and beta (Mr = 25,000). Two other polypeptides, Mr = 38,000 and Mr = 35,000, were also detected. Treatment with trypsin led to an enzyme composed only of polypeptides of Mr = 35,000 and Mr = 25,000. The beta-polypeptide underwent autophosphorylation when incubated with Mg2+ and ATP or GTP. The protein kinase was effective in utilizing both ATP and GTP as the phosphoryl donor (apparent Km values 5-11 microM and 9-19 microM, respectively). The enzyme phosphorylated phosvitin, casein, and glycogen synthase but not histone or phosphorylase and was inhibited by heparin. Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase proceeded to approximately 0.5 phosphate/subunit with little inactivation of the glycogen synthase. The phosphorylation occurred predominantly in a 21,000-dalton CNBr fragment of glycogen synthase that had been previously shown to reside toward the COOH terminus of the molecule. The liver PC0.7 appeared very similar to an analogous enzyme isolated from rabbit muscle (DePaoli-Roach, A. A., Ahmad, Z., and Roach, P. J. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 8955-8962). The present work, therefore, provides a point of contact between the Ca2+ and cyclic nucleotide-independent glycogen synthase kinases of rabbit liver and muscle.     

Manganese sulfate-dependent glycosylation of endogenous glycoproteins in human skeletal muscle is catalyzed by a nonglucose 6-P-dependent glycogen synthase and not glycogenin

Glycogenin, a Mn2+-dependent, self-glucosylating protein, is considered to catalyze the initial glucosyl transfer steps in glycogen biogenesis. To study the physiologic significance of this enzyme, measurements of glycogenin mediated glucose transfer to endogenous trichloroacetic acid precipitable material (protein-bound glycogen, i.e., glycoproteins) in human skeletal muscle were attempted. Although glycogenin protein was detected in muscle extracts, activity was not, even after exercise that resulted in marked glycogen depletion. Instead, a MnSO4-dependent glucose transfer to glycoproteins, inhibited by glycogen and UDP-pyridoxal (which do not affect glycogenin), and unaffected by CDP (a potent inhibitor of glycogenin), was consistently detected. MnSO4-dependent activity increased in concert with glycogen synthase fractional activity after prolonged exercise, and the MnSO4-dependent enzyme stimulated glucosylation of glycoproteins with molecular masses lower than those glucosylated by glucose 6-P-dependent glycogen synthase. Addition of purified glucose 6-P-dependent glycogen synthase to the muscle extract did not affect MnSO4-dependent glucose transfer, whereas glycogen synthase antibody completely abolished MnSO4-dependent activity. It is concluded that: (1) MnSO4-dependent glucose transfer to glycoproteins is catalyzed by a nonglucose 6-P-dependent form of glycogen synthase; (2) MnSO4-dependent glycogen synthase has a greater affinity for low molecular mass glycoproteins and may thus play a more important role than glucose 6-P-dependent glycogen synthase in the initial stages of glycogen biogenesis; and (3) glycogenin is generally inactive in human muscle in vivo.     

Time-co-ordinated control of glycogen synthase, protein phosphatase 2A and protein kinase CK2 during culture growth in Yarrowia lipolytica in relation to glycogen metabolism

In the growth course of the lipolytic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, the activities of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and glycogen synthase (GS) rise during the exponential phase and concomitantly glycogen storage occurs in the cells. There is also an increase in the independence ratio (RI) indicating a shift from an inactive phosphorylated GS form to an active dephosphorylated GS form. During the early stationary phase, an increase in protein kinase CK2 (CK2) activity, a reversion of RI variation and a glycogen content decrease are observed. GS activity proved to be a good indicator of early culture growth phase. Experiments carried out with enzymes purified from Y. lipolytica show strong RI variations upon the action of CK2 and PP2Ac, and 32P incorporation into GS protein through phosphorylation by CK2. GS activity would be controlled by the sequential action of PP2A and CK2.     

Total conversion of glycogen synthase from the I- to the D-form by a cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase from rabbit skeletal muscle.

A newly discovered cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase, which catalyzes the total conversion of glycogen synthase from the I- to the D-form, has been isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle. This enzyme, designated glycogen synthase kinase, is separable from cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase by column chromatography on phosphocellulose. Synthase kinase and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase are distinct in their specificity for protein substrates, the effects of cyclic AMP and the inhibitor of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase on their activities, and the extent to which they phosphorylate I-form glycogen synthase. The phosphorylation of I-form enzyme by synthase kinase results in the incorporation of 4 mol of phosphate/85,000 subunit; however only two of the phosphate sites seem predominantly to determine glucose-6-P dependence. The resulting multiply phosphorylated enzyme, which is highly dependent on glucose-6 P for activity, has a phosphate content comparable to the D-form enzyme isolated from rabbit muscle.     

Relationships between dephosphorylation and D to I conversion of rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase.

The relationship between dephosphorylation and D to I conversion of skeletal muscle glycogen synthase by synthase phosphatase was investigated using synthase preparations containing 1 to 3 mol of 32P/mol of subunit (90,000 g). Dephosphorylation was analyzed in terms of 32P release from the trypsin-sensitive and trypsin-insensitive phosphorylation regions of synthase. With synthase containing 1 to 2 mol of 32P/90,000 g, dephosphorylation of the trypsin-insensitive region correlated closely with D to I conversion and was more rapid than dephosphorylation of the trypsin-sensitive region. Synthase containing 3 mol of 32P/90,000 g was a relatively poor substrate for the phosphatase since dephosphorylation of both regions, as well as D to I conversion, was slow. With this species of synthase, glucose-6-P (0.1 mM) increased the rates of D to I conversion and dephosphorylation of trypsin-insensitive region. It is concluded that dephosphorylation of the trypsin-insensitive region is responsible for the conversion of synthase D to I.     

Phosphorylation of sites 3 and 2 in rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase by a multifunctional protein kinase (ATP-citrate lyase kinase)

A multifunctional protein kinase, purified from rat liver as ATP-citrate lyase kinase, has been identified as a glycogen synthase kinase. This kinase catalyzed incorporation of up to 1.5 mol of 32PO4/mol of synthase subunit associated with a decrease in the glycogen synthase activity ratio from 0.85 to a value of 0.15. Approximately 65-70% of the 32PO4 was incorporated into site 3 and 30-35% into site 2 as determined by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. Release of 32PO4 from the phosphopeptides during automated Edman degradation confirmed the site 3 and 2 assignment. Thermal stability studies established that the phosphorylations of sites 3 and 2 were catalyzed by the same kinase. This multifunctional kinase was distinguished from glycogen synthase kinase-3 on the basis of nucleotide (ATP versus GTP) and protein substrate (glycogen synthase, ATP-citrate lyase, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase) specificities. Since the phosphate contents in glycogen synthase of sites 3 and 2 are altered in diabetes and by insulin administration, the possible involvement of the multifunctional kinase was explored. Glycogen synthase purified from diabetic rabbits was phosphorylated in vitro by this multifunctional kinase at only 10% of the rate compared to synthase purified from control rabbits. Treatment of the diabetics with insulin restored the synthase to a form that was readily phosphorylated in vitro.     

The glycogenic action of protein targeting to glycogen in hepatocytes involves multiple mechanisms including phosphorylase inactivation and glycogen synthase translocation

Expression of the glycogen-targeting protein PTG promotes glycogen synthase activation and glycogen storage in various cell types. In this study, we tested the contribution of phosphorylase inactivation to the glycogenic action of PTG in hepatocytes by using a selective inhibitor of phosphorylase (CP-91149) that causes dephosphorylation of phosphorylase a and sequential activation of glycogen synthase. Similar to CP-91194, graded expression of PTG caused a concentration-dependent inactivation of phosphorylase and activation of glycogen synthase. The latter was partially counter-acted by the expression of muscle phosphorylase and was not additive with the activation by CP-91149, indicating that it is in part secondary to the inactivation of phosphorylase. PTG expression caused greater stimulation of glycogen synthesis and translocation of glycogen synthase than CP-91149, and the translocation of synthase could not be explained by accumulation of glycogen, supporting an additional role for glycogen synthase translocation in the glycogenic action of PTG. The effects of PTG expression on glycogen synthase and glycogen synthesis were additive with the effects of glucokinase expression, confirming the complementary roles of depletion of phosphorylase a (a negative modulator) and elevated glucose 6-phosphate (a positive modulator) in potentiating the activation of glycogen synthase. PTG expression mimicked the inactivation of phosphorylase caused by high glucose and counteracted the activation caused by glucagon. The latter suggests a possible additional role for PTG on phosphorylase kinase inactivation.     

Palmitate action to inhibit glycogen synthase and stimulate protein phosphatase 2A increases with risk factors for type 2 diabetes

Recent studies have suggested that abnormal regulation of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is associated with Type 2 diabetes in rodent and human tissues. Results with cultured mouse myotubes support a mechanism for palmitate activation of PP2A, leading to activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3. Phosphorylation and inactivation of glycogen synthase by glycogen synthase kinase 3 could be the mechanism for long-chain fatty acid inhibition of insulin-mediated carbohydrate storage in insulin-resistant subjects. Here, we test the effects of palmitic acid on cultured muscle glycogen synthase and PP2A activities. Palmitate inhibition of glycogen synthase fractional activity is increased in subjects with high body mass index compared with subjects with lower body mass index (r = -0.43, P = 0.03). Palmitate action on PP2A varies from inhibition in subjects with decreased 2-h plasma glucose concentration to activation in subjects with increased 2-h plasma glucose concentration (r = 0.45, P < 0.03) during oral glucose tolerance tests. The results do not show an association between palmitate effects on PP2A and glycogen synthase fractional activity. We conclude that subjects at risk for Type 2 diabetes have intrinsic differences in palmitate regulation of at least two enzymes (PP2A and glycogen synthase), contributing to abnormal insulin regulation of glucose metabolism.     

Identification of a calmodulin-dependent glycogen synthase kinase in rabbit skeletal muscle, distinct from phosphorylase kinase

A glycogen synthase kinase that is completely dependent on Ca2+ and calmodulin has been identified in mammalian skeletal muscle, and purified approximately 3000-fold by chromatography on phosphocellulose and calmodulin--Sepharose. The presence of 50 mM NaCl in the homogenisation buffer was critical for extraction of the enzyme. The calmodulin-dependent glycogen synthase kinase (app. Mr 850 000) is distinct from myosin light-chain kinase and phosphorylase kinase, but phosphorylates the same serine residue on glycogen synthase as phosphorylase kinase. The physiological role of the enzyme is discussed.     

Identification of a glycogen synthase phosphatase from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as protein phosphatase 2A.

A glycogen synthase phosphatase was purified from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The purified yeast phosphatase displayed one major protein band which coincided with phosphatase activity on nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This phosphatase had a molecular mass of about 160,000 Da determined by gel filtration and was comprised of three subunits, termed A, B, and C. The subunit molecular weights estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were 60,000 (A), 53,000 (B), and 37,000 (C), indicating that this yeast glycogen synthase phosphatase is a heterotrimer. On ethanol treatment, the enzyme was dissociated to an active species with a molecular weight of 37,000 estimated by gel filtration. The yeast phosphatase dephosphorylated yeast glycogen synthase, rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase, casein, and the alpha subunit of rabbit muscle phosphorylase kinase, was not sensitive to heat-stable protein phosphatase inhibitor 2, and was inhibited 90% by 1 nM okadaic acid. Dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase, phosphorylase, and phosphorylase kinase by this yeast enzyme could be stimulated by histone H1 and polylysines. Divalent cations (Mg2+ and Ca2+) and chelators (EDTA and EGTA) had no effect on dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase or phosphorylase while Mn2+ stimulated enzyme activity by approximately 50%. The specific activity and kinetics for phosphorylase resembled those of mammalian phosphatase 2A. An antibody against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the carboxyl terminus of the catalytic subunit of rabbit skeletal muscle protein phosphatase 2A reacted with subunit C of purified yeast phosphatase on immunoblots, whereas the analogous peptide antibody against phosphatase 1 did not. These data show that this yeast glycogen synthase phosphatase has structural and catalytic similarity to protein phosphatase 2A found in mammalian tissues.