Phosphorylation of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum by a calcium-activated,phospholipid-dependent protein kinase

Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum is phosphorylated by a cytosolic Ca²⁺-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase. This phosphorylation is independent of cyclic nucleotides and enhanced by unsaturated diacylglycerols; saturated diacylglycerols, mono- and tri-glycerides are ineffective. Diacylglycerol stimulation is due to increased Ca²⁺ sensitivity of the kinase reaction. Protein kinase catalyzed phosphorylation results in enhanced Ca²⁺-transport ATPase activity and may be an important determinant of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum function.     

Proteolytic activation of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase by calcium-dependent neutral protease

A Ca2+-dependent protease I), which hydrolyzes casein at Ca2+ concentrations lower than the 10(-5) M range, is purified roughly 4000-fold from the soluble fraction of rat brain. This protease is able to activate Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) by limited proteolysis analogously to the previously known Ca2+-dependent analogously to the previously known Ca2+-dependent protease (Ca2+ protease II) which is active at the millimolar range of Ca2+ (Inoue, M., Kishimoto, A., Takai, Y., and Nishizuka, Y. (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252, 7610-7616). The protein kinase fragment thus produced shows a molecular weight of about 5.1 X 10(4), and is significantly smaller than native protein kinase C (Mr = 7.7 X 10(4). Although protein kinase C may be normally activated in a reversible manner by the simultaneous presence of phospholipid and diacylglycerol at Ca2+ concentrations less than 10(-6) M, this enzyme fragment is fully active without any lipid fractions and independent of Ca2+. The limited proteolysis of protein kinase C is markedly enhanced in the velocity by the addition of phospholipid and diacylglycerol, which are both required for the reversible activation of the enzyme. However, casein hydrolysis by this protease is not affected by phospholipid and diacylglycerol. Available evidence suggests that, at lower concentrations of this divalent cation, Ca2+ protease I reacts preferentially with the active form of protein kinase C which is associated with membrane, and converts it to the permanently active form. In contrast, the inactive form of protein kinase C, which is free of membrane phospholipid, does not appear to be very susceptible to the proteolytic attack. It remains unknown, however, whether this mechanism of irreversible activation of protein kinase C does operate in physiological processes. It is noted that Ca2+ protease II, which is active at higher concentrations of Ca2+, proteolytically activates protein kinase C irrespective of the presence and absence of phospholipid and diacylglycerol.     

Phosphorylation of phospholamban by calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase. Stimulation of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake

Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) is able to catalyze the phosphorylation of phospholamban in a canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum preparation. This phosphorylation is associated with a 2-fold stimulation of Ca2+ uptake by cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum similar to that seen following phosphorylation of phospholamban by an endogenous calmodulin-dependent protein kinase or by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Two-dimensional peptide maps of the tryptic fragments of phospholamban indicate that the three protein kinases differ in their selectivity for sites of phosphorylation. However, one common peptide appears to be phosphorylated by all three protein kinases. These findings suggest that protein kinase C may play a role similar to those played by cAMP- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinases in the regulation of Ca2+ uptake by cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, and raise the possibility that the effects of all three protein kinases are mediated through phosphorylation of a common peptide in phospholamban.     

Endogenous phosphorylation of retinal photoreceptor outer segment proteins by calcium phospholipid-dependent protein kinase

A calcium phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (C-kinase) activity was detected in the soluble fraction of rod outer segments (ROS) of the bovine retina. The enzyme required calcium, phosphatidylserine (PS) and diacylglycerol for maximal activity. In the presence of calcium and PS, C-kinase endogenously phosphorylated proteins with molecular weights of 95,000, 91,000, 31,000, 21,000, 19,000, 18,000, 16,000, 14,000 and 11,000. Addition of diolein in the reaction mixture further enhanced the endogenous phosphorylation of these proteins. Retinal was found to inhibit the phosphorylation of endogenous proteins by C-kinase in a concentration dependent manner. Half-maximal inhibition of enzyme activity was obtained at a retinal concentration of about 12μM. These results suggest that calcium, phospholipids and the C-kinase enzyme may play an important role in the functional regulation of rod photoreceptors and, with retinal, perhaps in the visual process as well.     

Phosphorylation of calf thymus H1 histone by calcium-activated,phospholipid-dependent protein kinase

Ca²⁺-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase recently found in mammalian tissues (Takai, Y., Kishimoto, A., Iwasa, Y., Kawahara, Y., Mori, T., and Nishizuka, Y. (1979) $\text{J.}$$\text{Biol.}$$\text{Chem.}$$\text{254}$, 3692–3695) is able to phosphorylate five fractions of calf thymus histone. H1 histone serves as a preferential substrate, and approximately two moles of phosphate are incorporated into every mole of this histone. Analysis on the N-bromosuccinimide-bisected fragments of this radioactive histone has revealed that the enzyme phosphorylates preferentially seryl and threonyl residues located in the carboxyl-terminal half of this histone molecule.     

Substrate specificity of rat brain calcium-activated and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase

A synthetic peptide ArgThrProProProSerGly with sequence similar to the threonine sites of phosphorylation in both myelin basic protein and simian virus 40 T antigen could be phosphorylated in vitro by a purified rat brain Ca2+-activated and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C. The apparent Km and Vm values of this heptapeptide for the enzyme were determined to be 240 microM and 60 nmol/min/mg, respectively. Up to 0.8 mol 32P could be incorporated into the peptide, mainly at the threonine residue. Substitution of the L-threonine residue in the heptapeptide by its D-enantiomer abolished the phosphorylatability of the peptide by protein kinase C. However, this (D)Thr-containing peptide could act as a competitive inhibitor for the kinase with an apparent Ki value of approximately 320 microM. These findings suggest that a triprolyl sequence may act as a recognition site for protein kinase C.     

Hormone-induced redistribution of calcium-activated phospholipid-dependent protein kinase in pituitary gonadotrophs

The distribution of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) between cytosol and membrane fractions was analyzed in cultured pituitary gonadotrophs during treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). In pituitary cells purified by centrifugal elutriation, the extent of protein kinase C redistribution during GnRH stimulation was correlated with the enrichment of gonadotrophs. GnRH-stimulated release of luteinizing hormone (LH) from gonadotroph-enriched cells was accompanied by a rapid and dose-dependent decrease in cytosolic protein kinase C and by a corresponding increase in protein kinase C activity in the particulate fraction. Retinal directly inhibited the activity of cytosolic protein kinase C and also attenuated the release of LH from GnRH-stimulated gonadotrophs. These findings, and the ability of GnRH to cause rapid translocation of cytosolic protein kinase C to a membrane-associated form, suggest that hormonal activation of protein kinase C is an intermediate step in the stimulation of pituitary LH secretion by GnRH.     

Hormonal regulation of a calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase in bovine adrenal cortex

The calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (C kinase) and its proteolytic product (M kinase), originally discovered in central nervous tissue (Takai, Y., Kishimoto, A., Inoue, M., and Nishizuka, Y. (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252, 7603-7610) were characterized in bovine adrenal cortex cytosol. An endogenous calcium-dependent protease able to generate M kinase from the isolated C kinase in vitro was also present in adrenocortical extracts. Bovine adrenocortical cells in suspension as well as in primary culture contain the C and the M kinase activities. Treatment of these cells by steroidogenic concentrations (nM to microM) of ACTH resulted in a time and dose-dependent increase of cytosolic C kinase activity, whereas no change in M kinase activity was detected. This apparent activation appears to result mostly from an intracellular shift of the membrane-associated C kinase to a soluble cytosolic form of the enzyme. These observations open the question of the possible implication of the calcium, phospholipid-dependent protein phosphorylation system in hormone-dependent cellular regulatory processes.     

Activation of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) by new classes of tumor promoters: teleocidin and debromoaplysiatoxin

The new potent tumor promoters teleocidin and debromoaplysiatoxin , which are structurally unrelated to phorbol esters, activate Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C). The concentrations of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, teleocidin and debromoaplysiatoxin for half-maximum activation of protein kinase C were found to be approximately 3 ng/ml, 40 ng/ml and 400 ng/ml, respectively. These three types of tumor promoters bind to protein kinase C, and appear to exhibit their pleiotropic actions through activation of this enzyme.     

Phosphorylation of synaptosomal cytoplasmic proteins: Inhibition of calcium-activated,phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase c) by bay k 8644

The phosphorylation of specific substrates of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) was examined in striatal synaptosomal cytoplasm. The phosphoprotein substrata were termed group C phosphoprotems and were divided into two subgroups: group C₁ phosphoproteins (P83, P45A, P21 and P18) were found in both cytoplasm and synaptosomal membranes and, although stimulated by phosphatidylserine, only required exogamous calcium for their labeling; group C₂ phosphoproteins (P120, P96, P21.5, P18.5 and P16) were found predominantly in the cytoplasm and were absolutely dependent upon exogenous calcium and phosphatidylserme for their labeling. Several criteria were used to identify these proteins as specific protein kinase C substrates: (a) their phosphorylation was stimulated to a greater extent by Ca²⁺ /phosphatidylserine/diolein than by Ca²⁺ alone or Cal²⁺ /calmodulin (group C₁) or was completely dependent upon Ca²⁺ /phosphatdylserine/diolein (group C₂); (b) supermaximal concentrations of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor were without effect; (c) their phosphorylation was stimulated by oleic acid, which selectively activates protein kinase C in the absence of Ca²⁺; (d) NaCl, which inhibited cAMP- and Ca²⁺/calmodulindependent phosphorylation, slightly increased phosphorylation of group C₁ and slightly decreased phosphorylation of group C₂ phosphoproteins. Maximal phosphorylation of P96 and other group C phosphoproteins occurred within 60 s and was followed by a slow decay rate while substrata of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase were maximally labeled within 20–30 s and rapidly dephosphorylated. The phosphorylation of all group C phosphoproteins was inhibited by the calcium channel agomst BAY K 8644, however, group C₂ phosphoproteins were considerably more sensitive. The IC₅₀ for inhibition of P96 labeling was 19 μM. but for P83 was 190 μM. Group B phosphoproteins were also slightly inhibited, and the IC₅₀ for P63 was 290 μM. No inhibitory effects of another dihydropyridine, nifedipine, or of verapamil were detected in this concentration range. BAY K 8644 did not displace [³H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate binding, nor was the inhibition decreased by increasing phosphatidylserine concentrations. BAY K 8644 had no effect on the rate of dephosphorylation of any phosphoprotein, indicating that it is unlikely to inhibit a protein phosphatase. BAY K 8644 may, therefore, prove to be a valuable tool for discriminating protein kinase C activity from the activity of other protein kinases. We conclude that BAY K 8644 interacts either with a specific subgroup of protein kinase C substrata or with one of two putative forms of protein kinase C.     

Gonadotropin release and redistribution of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase in phorbol-stimulated rat pituitary cells

The effect of phorbol esters on calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent kinase (protein kinase C) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion was examined in cultured rat anterior pituitary cells. The potent tumor promoter 12-O-tetra-decanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) stimulated LH secretion and activated pituitary protein kinase C in the presence of calcium and phosphatidylserine. The enzyme activity present in cytosol and particulate fractions was eluted at about 0.05 M NaCl during DE52-cellulose chromatography. Preincubation of pituitary cells with TPA markedly decreased cytosolic protein kinase C activity and increased enzyme activity in the particulate fraction. The maximal TPA-induced change in enzyme activity, with a 76% decrease in cytosol and a 4.3-fold increase in the particulate fraction, occurred within 10 min. The dose-dependent changes in protein kinase C redistribution in TPA-treated cells were correlated with the stimulation of LH release by the phorbol ester. These results suggest that activation of protein kinase C by TPA is associated with intracellular redistribution of the enzyme and is related to the process of secretory granule release from gonadotrophs.     

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.     

Phosphorylation of the 20,000-dalton light chain of smooth muscle myosin by the calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase. Phosphorylation sites and effects of phosphorylation

Smooth muscle heavy meromyosin (HMM) is phosphorylated by the Ca2+-activated phospholipid-dependent protein kinase, i.e. protein kinase C, at three sites on each 20,000-dalton light chain. Phosphorylation of three sites also is observed with isolated 20,000-dalton light chain and HMM subfragment 1. The phosphorylation sites are serine 1, serine 2, and threonine 9. Threonine is phosphorylated most rapidly followed by either serine 1 or 2. Phosphorylation of the third site occurs only on prolonged incubation. Phosphorylation is a random process. HMM phosphorylated at two sites per light chain by protein kinase C can be dephosphorylated, as shown using two phosphatase preparations. Increasing levels of phosphorylation of HMM by protein kinase C causes a progressive inhibition of the subsequent rate of phosphorylation of serine 19 by myosin light chain kinase and causes a progressive inhibition of actin-activated ATPase activity of HMM, prephosphorylated by myosin light chain kinase. Inhibition of ATPase activity is due to a decreased affinity of HMM for actin rather than a change in Vmax. Previous results with HMM and protein kinase C (Nishikawa, M., Sellers, J. R., Adelstein, R. S., and Hidaka, H. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 8808-8814) examined effects induced by phosphorylation of the threonine residues. Our results confirm these and consider also the influence of higher levels of phosphorylation by protein kinase C.     

Diacylglycerol-activated, calcium/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) activity in bovine thyroid

Bovine thyroid 100,000 X g supernatant contained diacylglycerol-activated, calcium/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C). The protein kinase C was partially purified using ion-exchange chromatography and characterized. Substrate specificity studies revealed that the enzyme was most active when histone F1 was used as substrate. The thyroid protein kinase C was not stimulated by Ca2+ or phosphatidylserine (PS), but was stimulated by the combination of the two by 570%. Diolein stimulated the kinase by increasing its sensitivity to Ca2+. Other phospholipids could not substitute for PS and were ineffective in stimulating the protein kinase C in the absence of diolein. However, in the presence of diolein some of the other phospholipids were stimulatory albeit not to the extent of PS. Quercitin, a protein kinase C inhibitor in other systems, inhibited the thyroid enzyme in a dose-related manner. Protein kinase C could also be demonstrated using endogenous thyroid proteins as substrate. Separation of these 32P-labelled proteins by electrophoresis and subsequent autoradiography revealed that three proteins were phosphorylated by the protein kinase C of approximate molecular weights 60,000, 45,000, and less than 29,000. These results offer a possible mechanism by which Ca2+ and/or diacylglycerol effects may be mediated in thyroid.     

Unsaturated diacylglycerol as a possible messenger for the activation of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase system

A small quantity of unsaturated diacylglycerol (DG) sharply decreased the Ca²⁺ and phospholipid concentrations needed for full activation of a Ca²⁺-activated, phospholipid-dependent multifunctional protein kinase described earlier (Takai, Y., Kishimoto, A., Iwasa, Y., Kawahara, Y., Mori, T. and Nishizuka, Y. (1979)$\text{J.}\text{Biol.}\text{Chem.}\text{254}$. 3692–3695). In the presence of unsaturated DG and micromolar order of Ca²⁺, phosphatidylserine (PS) was most relevant with the capacity to activate the enzyme, whereas phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol (PI) were far less effective. Phosphatidylcholine was practically inactive. It is possible, therefore, that unsaturated DG, which may be derived from PI turnover provoked by various extracellular stimulators, acts as a messenger for activating the enzyme, and that Ca²⁺ and various phospholipids such as PI and PS seem to play a role cooperatively in this unique receptor mechanism.     

Characterization of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase from rat serosal mast cells and RBL-1 cells

Evidence is presented that rat serosal mast cells and cells of the rat basophilic leukemia line, RBL-1, each contain a calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase. The enzymes are very similar in their activation requirements to the calcium-dependent enzymes termed protein kinase Cs in brain. The enzyme is selectively stimulated by diolein and phosphatidylserine and is inhibited by several local anesthetics. The Ka for Ca2+ is 1.0 X 10(-3) M and 1.5 X 10(-4) M in mast cells and RBL-1 cells, respectively. The enzyme in mast cells is rapidly activated and apparently changed in its intracellular distribution when intact mast cells are stimulated with 48/80, A-23187, and anti-IgE and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-acetate in combination.     

Specificity of the fatty acyl moieties of diacylglycerol for the activation of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase

The specificity of the fatty acyl moieties of diacylglycerol for the activation of Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase was investigated. Diacylglycerol has been previously shown to activate this enzyme by increasing the affinity for Ca2+ and phospholipid, both of which are indispensable for the enzyme activation. Diacylglycerols containing at least one unsaturated fatty acid at either position 1 or 2 are fully active in this capacity, irrespective of the chain length of the other fatty acyl moiety in the range tested, C2 to C18. Diacylglycerols containing two saturated fatty acids such as dipalmitin and distearin are far less effective. Mono- and triacylglycerols and free fatty acids are totally inactive, indicating that the diacylglycerol structure is essential.     

Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase catalyzes the phosphorylation of actin-binding proteins

Chicken gizzard vinculin and filamin were found to be phosphorylated by Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C). These two actin-binding proteins serve as substrates for protein kinase C specifically in the free form, whereas they are little phosphorylated by protein kinase C in the presence of F-actin. In contrast, alpha-actinin from chicken gizzard is less susceptible to phosphorylation by protein kinase C, either in the presence or in the absence of F-actin. In light of these data, the possibility that Ca2+ and phospholipid-dependent phosphorylation by protein kinase C may modulate the function of actin-binding proteins has to be considered.     

Phosphorylation of a pancreatic zymogen granule membrane protein by endogenous calcium/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase

The occurrence of phospholipid-sensitive calcium-dependent protein kinase (referred to as C kinase) and its endogenous substrate proteins was examined in a membrane preparation from rat pancreatic zymogen granules. Using exogenous histone H1 as substrate, C kinase activity was found in the membrane fraction. The kinase was solubilized from membranes using Triton X-100 and partially purified using DEAE-cellulose chromatography. An endogenous membrane protein (Mr approximately equal to 18 000) was found to be specifically phosphorylated in the combined presence of Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine. Added diacylglycerol was effective in stimulating phosphorylation of exogenous histone by the partially purified C kinase, but had no effect upon phosphorylation of the endogenous 18 kDa protein by the membrane-associated C kinase. Phosphorylation of the 18 kDa protein was rapid (detectable within 30 s following exposure to Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine), and highly sensitive to Ca2+ (Ka = 4 microM in the presence of phosphatidylserine). These findings suggest a role for this Ca2+-dependent protein phosphorylation system in the regulation of pancreatic exocrine function.