Purification, properties, and substrate specificities of phosphoprotein phosphatase(s) from rabbit liver.

The phosphoprotein phosphatase(s) acting on muscle phosphorylase a was purified from rabbit liver by acid precipitation, high speed centrifugation, chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50, Sephadex G-75, and Sepharose-histone. Enzyme activity was recovered in the final step as two distinct peaks tentatively referred to as phosphoprotein phosphatases I and II. Each phosphatase showed a single broad band when examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis; the molecular weights derived by this method were approximately 30,500 for phosphoprotein phosphatase I and 34,000 for phosphoprotein phosphatase II. The s20, w value for each enzyme was 3.40. Using this value and values for the Stokes radii, the molecular weight for each enzyme was calculated to be 34,500. Both phosphatases, in addition to catalyzing the conversion of phosphorylase a to b, also catalyzed the dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase D, activated phosphorylase kinase, phosphorylated histone, phosphorylated casein, and the phosphorylated inhibitory component of troponin (TN-I). The relative activities of the phosphatases with respect to phosphorylase a, glycogen synthase D, histone, and casein remained essentially constant throughout the purification. The activities of both phosphatases with different substrates decreased in parallel when they were denatured by incubation at 55 degrees and 65 degrees. The Km values of phosphoprotein phosphatase I for phosphorylase a, histone, and casein were lower than the values obtained for phosphoprotein phosphatase II. With glycogen synthase D as substrate, each enzyme gave essentially the same Km value. Utilizing either enzyme, it was found that activity toward a given substrate was inhibited competitively by each of the alternative substrates. The results suggest that phosphoprotein phosphatases I and II are each active toward all of the substrates tested.     

Protein inhibitors of phosphorylase phosphatase and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase from rabbit skeletal muscle

Summary A heat- and acid-stable proten inhibitor of phosphorylase phosphatase is present in a highly purified preparation of protein inhibitor of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase from rabbit skeletal muscle. Although these two inhibitors have strikingly similar properties to each other, such as sensitivity to trypsin and behavior on gel permeation chromatography, they can be separated by polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis. This indicates that the phosphatase-inhibitory and kinase-inhibitory activities reside with different protein species. The inhibition of both the enzymes is not altered by incubating the inhibitor preparation with a general phosphoprotein phosphatase, with phosvitin kinase, or with cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Inhibition of phosphorylase phosphatase is of a non-competitive type supporting the idea that the phosphatase inhibitor is not an alternative substrate for the enzyme. Inhibition of phosphatase activity is selective in that it does not occur when phosphorylated histone or phosphorylated protamine are used as substrates.     

The properties of purified low molecular weight phosphoprotein phosphatase from rabbit heart.

A simplified procedure for the purification of low molecular weight phosphoprotein phosphatase acting on muscle phosphorylase a has been described from rabbit heart. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by acid precipitation, ethanol treatment, and chromatography on Sephadex G-75 and Sepharose-histone. The purified enzyme showed a single band when examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; the molecular weight calculated by this method was 34 000. The S20, W value and Stokes radius for the enzyme was 3.35 and 24.0 A(1 A = 0.1 nm), respectively. Using these two values, a molecular weight of 35 000 was calculated. Purified enzyme showed a wide substrate specificity and catalyzed the dephosphorylation of phosphorylase a, glycogen synthase D, phosphorylated histone, and phosphorylated casein. Kinetic studies revealed the lowest Km with glycogen synthase D and maximum Vmax for the reaction with phosphorylase a.     

Purification and subunit structure of rat-liver phosphoprotein phosphatase, whose molecular weight is 260000 by gel filtration (phosphatase IB)

1. Phosphoprotein phosphatase IB is a form of rat liver phosphoprotein phosphatase, distinguished from the previously studied phosphoprotein phosphatase II [Tamura et al. (1980) Eur. J. Biochem. 104, 347-355] by earlier elution from DEAE-cellulose, by higher molecular weight on gel filtration (260000) and by lower activity toward phosphorylase alpha. This enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, aminohexyl--Sepharose-4B, histone--Sepharose-4B, protamine--Sepharose-4B and Sephadex G-200. 2. The molecular weight of purified phosphatase IB was 260000 by gel filtration and 185000 from S20,W and Stokes' radius. Using histone phosphatase activity as the reference for comparison, the phosphorylase phosphatase activity of purified phosphatase IB was only one-fifth that of phosphatase II. 3. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis revealed that phosphatase IB contains three types of subunit, namely alpha, beta and gamma, whose molecular weights are 35000, 69000 and 58000, respectively. The alpha subunit is identical to the alpha subunit of phosphatase II. While the beta subunit is also identical or similar to the beta subunit of phoshatase II, the gamma subunit appears to be unique to phosphatase IB. 4. When purified phosphatase IB was treated with 2-mercaptoethanol at -20 degrees C, the enzyme was dissociated to release the catalytically active alpha subunit. Along with this dissociation, there was a 7.4-fold increase in phosphorylase phosphatase activity; but histone phosphatase activity increased only 1.6-fold. The possible functions of the gamma subunit are discussed in relation to this activation of enzyme.     

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.     

Purification and properties of acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphatase

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphatase has been purified from the rat epididymal fat pad. The phosphatase occurs in a complex with the carboxylase. In the purification of the phosphatase, the high molecular weight complex was initially separated by sucrose gradient centrifugation, and the phosphatase was isolated from the complex by adjusting to 80% saturation with ethanol and by chromatography on Sephadex G-75. The molecular weight of the phosphatase is 71,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and gel chromatography on Sephacryl-200 in the presence of 6 M urea. The Km for acetyl-CoA carboxylase and glycogen phosphorylase a are 1.5 microM and 37 microM, respectively. The phosphatase has a broad substrate specificity, being active toward glycogen synthase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, phosphorylase a, phosphoprotamine, and p-nitrophenyl phosphate, in addition to acetyl-CoA carboxylase from fat tissue and liver. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibits the dephosphorylation of phosphoprotamine, indicating that the same activity is responsible for dephosphorylating both substrates. The phosphatase requires no metal ion for activity and is not inhibited by the rat liver phosphorylase phosphatase inhibitor protein. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and the phosphatase is compared to other phosphoprotein phosphatases.     

Characterization of phosphoprotein phosphatases and phosphorylase phosphatase from yeast

Three peaks of protein phosphatase (phosphoprotein phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.16) activity (fractions a, b and c) acting on muscle phosphorylase (1,4-alpha-D-glucan:orthophosphate alpha-D-glucosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.1) were separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography of yeast extracts. In contrast to fractions a and b, only fraction c was able to liberate phosphate from 32P-labelled inactivated yeast phosphorylase. The activity of fraction c on both substrates was totally dependent on the presence of bivalent metal ions (Mg2+, Mn2+), and was activated by Mg . ATP. Following freezing in the presence of mercaptoethanol, fractions a and b were also able to dephosphorylate yeast phosphorylase. Rabbit muscle phosphoprotein phosphatase inhibitors 1 and 2 showed that yeast phosphatases acting on muscle phosphorylase were inhibited by inhibitor 2 but not by inhibitor 1. The action of fraction c on yeast phosphorylase was not inhibited by either inhibitor. The native yeast phosphorylase phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.17) was purified 8000-fold by ion-exchange chromatography, casein-Sepharose chromatography and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. The purified enzyme was unable to dephosphorylate rabbit muscle phosphorylase a, but acted on casein phosphate (Km 3.3 mg/ml). Molecular weight was estimated to be 78 000 and pH optimum 6.5-7.5. Activity of the enzyme was dependent on bivalent metal ions (Mg2+, Mn2+) and was inhibited by fluoride (Ki 20 mM) and succinate (Ki 10 mM).     

Purification and characterization of a high molecular weight phosphoprotein phosphatase from rabbit liver

A high molecular weight phosphoprotein phosphatase was purified from rabbit liver using high speed centrifugation, acid precipitation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, Sepharose-histone, and Bio-Gel A-0.5m. The purified enzyme showed a single band on a nondenaturing polyacrylamide anionic disc gel which was associated with the enzyme activity. The enzyme was made up of equimolar concentrations of two subunits whose molecular weights were 58,000 (range 58,000-62,000) and 35,000 (range 35,000-38,000). Two other polypeptides (Mr 76,000 and 27,000) were also closely associated with our enzyme preparation, but their roles, if any, in phosphatase activity are not known. The optimum pH for the reaction was 7.5-8.0. Km value of phosphoprotein phosphatase for phosphorylase a was 0.10-0.12 mg/ml. Freezing and thawing of the enzyme in the presence of 0.2 M beta-mercaptoethanol caused an activation (100-140%) of phosphatase activity with a concomitant partial dissociation of the enzyme into a Mr 35,000 catalytic subunit. Divalent cations (Mg2+, Mn2+, and Co2+) and EDTA were inhibitory at concentrations higher than 1 mM. Spermine and spermidine were also found to be inhibitory at 1 mM concentrations. The enzyme was inhibited by nucleotides (ATP, ADP, AMP), PPi, Pi, and NaF; the degree of inhibition was different with each compound and was dependent on their concentrations employed in the assay. Among various types of histones examined, maximum activation of phosphoprotein phosphatase activity was observed with type III and type V histone (Sigma). Further studies with type III histone indicated that it increased both the Km for phosphorylase a and the Vmax of the dephosphorylation reaction. Purified liver phosphatase, in addition to the dephosphorylation of phosphorylase a, also catalyzed the dephosphorylation of 32P-labeled phosphorylase kinase, myosin light chain, myosin, histone III-S, and myelin basic protein. The effects of Mn2+, KCl, and histone III-S on phosphatase activity were variable depending on the substrate used.     

Phosphoprotein phosphatase associated with rat liver plasma membrane. Properties of phosphorylase phosphatase and phosphohistone phosphatase

Plasma membrane isolated from rat liver contained activities of phosphoprotein phosphatase dephosphorylating [32P]phosphorylase a or [32P]phosphohistone. The properties of the membrane-bound phosphatase were examined using these exogenous substrates. The optimal reaction rate was at pH near neutrality. At concentrations as low as 0.1-1.0 mM, Mg2+ or Mn2+ slightly stimulated the activity for phosphorylase a or phosphohistone, respectively; at higher concentrations, they were inhibitory with both substrates. Co2+ was inhibitory with both substrates, while Ca2+ had no significant effect. The phosphatase activities were inhibited by ATP, ADP, or AMP; the extents of inhibition were in opposite order with the two substrates. Phosphorylase phosphatase activity was strongly inhibited by KF or Pi. Phosphorylase phosphatase activity could be completely solubilized by incubating the membrane with 0.5 M NaCl or trypsin, and this was associated with several-fold activation. While Vmax values were increased, Km values for phosphorylase a were not much affected by these treatments. Unlike the soluble phosphatase, freezing in the presence of mercaptoethanol or by precipitation with ethanol failed to activate or to solubilize the membrane-bound phosphatase. The molecular weights of the NaCl-and the trypsin-solubilized phosphatase were estimated on gel filtration to be about 42,000 and 32,000, respectively. The present results indicate that the phosphoprotein phosphatase associated with liver plasma membrane shares several properties in common with phosphatases from other sources reported, and that, like those in the soluble fraction, it may be bound to some inhibitory proteins.     

A protein inhibitor of rabbit liver phosphorylase phosphatase.

Extracts of rabbit liver contain a heat-stable, non-dialysable inhibitor of phosphorylase phosphatase. The inhibitory activity is destroyed by trypsin treatment or by ethanol precipitation. The kinetics of the inhibition are non-competitive with respect to phosphorylase a. The inhibitory activity is polydisperse on gel permeation chromatography. The mechanism of the inhibition is due to a direct interaction of the protein inhibitor with the enzyme.     

Purification and subunit structure of a high-molecular-weight phosphoprotein phosphatase (phosphatase II) from rat liver

1. Phosphatase II is a form of phosphoprotein phosphatase originally found in rat liver extract; it has a molecular weight of 160 000 by gel filtration and is highly active towards phosphorylase alpha. This phosphatase has been purified 1800-fold by using DEAE-cellulos (DE-52), aminohexyl--Sepharose-4B, protamine--Sepharose-4B and Sephadex G-200 chromatography. Throughout the purification steps, the original molecular weight and substrate specificity of phosphatase II were almost perfectly preserved. 2. The product of the final purification step migrated predominantly as a single protein band on non-denaturing gel electrophoresis. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electorphoresis revealed that the enzyme contains two types of subunit, alpha and beta, with molecular weights of 35 000 and 69 000, respectively. When treated with 0.2 M 2-mercaptoethanol at -20 degrees C, phosphatase II was dissociated to release the catalytically active alpha subunit. The beta subunit may be catalytically inactive but interacts with the alpha subunit so that phosphatase II becomes much less susceptible than the alpha subunit to inactivation by ATP or pyrophosphate.     

Purification and characterization of a high molecular weight type 1 phosphoprotein phosphatase from the human erythrocyte

The major Mn2+-activated phosphoprotein phosphatase of the human erythrocyte has been purified to homogeneity from the cell hemolysate. It is sensitive to both inhibitors 1 and 2 of rabbit skeletal muscle, preferentially dephosphorylates the beta subunit of the phosphorylase kinase, and dephosphorylates a broad range of substrates including phosphorylase a, p-nitro-phenyl phosphate, phosphocasein, the regulatory subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, and both spectrin (Km = 10 microM) and pyruvate kinase (Km = 18 microM) purified from the human erythrocyte. The purified enzyme is stimulated by Mn2+ and to a lesser extent by higher concentrations of Mg2+. The purification procedure was selected to avoid any change in molecular weight, hence subunit composition, between the crude and purified enzyme. Maintenance of the original structure is demonstrated by non-denaturing gel electrophoresis and gel filtration chromatography. Gel filtration of the purified holoenzyme shows a single active component with a Stokes radius of 58 A at a molecular weight position of 180,000. Sedimentation velocity in a glycerol gradient gives a value of 6.1 for S20, w. Together these data indicate a molecular weight of about 135,000. Two bands of equal intensity appear on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis at molecular weights of 61,700 and 36,300, suggesting a subunit composition of two 36,000 and one 62,000 subunits. The 36-kDa catalytic subunit can be isolated by freezing and thawing the holoenzyme or by hydrophobic chromatography of the holoenzyme. The catalytic subunit shows unchanged substrate and inhibitor specificity but altered metal ion activation.     

Complete purification of choline kinase from rat kidney and preparation of rabbit antibody against rat kidney choline kinase

Choline kinase was purified from rat kidney to apparent homogeneity with respect to both native and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme showed a minimum molecular weight of 42,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. On the other hand, the molecular size of 75,000-80,000 was estimated through Sephadex G-150 gel filtration, indicating that the enzyme in rat kidney exists most likely in a dimeric form. Specific antibody was raised in rabbit against the highly purified rat kidney choline kinase protein, then immunochemical cross-reactivity was investigated between rabbit antiserum and choline kinase preparations from various rat tissues. The antiserum inhibited choline kinase activity almost completely in the crude preparation not only from kidney but also from lung, intestine, and normal untreated liver cytosol, but it could inhibit only partially the activity from either 3-methylcholanthrene- or carbon tetrachloride-induced rat liver cytosol. The overall results demonstrated that, although choline kinase protein appears to exist in multiple forms in rat tissues, most of them are immunochemically identical, and that either 3-methylcholanthrene- or carbon tetrachloride-inducible form(s) of choline kinase in rat liver could be quite different from a form or forms existing in normal untreated rat liver cytosol.     

Enzymes regulating glycogen metabolism in swine subcutaneous adipose tissue. I. Phosphorylase and phosphorylase phosphatase.

Glycogen phosphorylase from swine adipose tissue was purified nearly 700-fold using ethanol precipitation, DEAE-cellulose adsorption, AMP-agarose affinity chromatography, and agarose gel filtration. The purified enzyme migrated as one major and several minor components during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Activity was associated with the major component and at least one of the minor components. The molecular weight of the disaggregated, reduced, and alkylated enzyme, estimated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis performed in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, was 90,000. Stability of the purified enzyme was considerably increased in the presence of AMP. The isoelectric pH of the enzyme in crude homogenates was 6.3. The sedimentation coefficient of the purified enzyme (7.9 S) and that in crude homogenates (7.3 S) was determined by sucrose density gradient sedimentation. Optimal pH for activity was between pH 6.5 and 7.1. Apparent Km values for glycogen and inorganic phosphate were 0.9 mg/ml and 6.6 mM, respectively. The Ka for AMP was 0.21 mM. Enzyme activity was increased by K2SO4, KF, KCl, and MgCl2 and decreased by NaCl, Na2SO4, D-glucose, and ATP. Inhibition by glucose was noncompetitive with the activator AMP; inhibition by ATP was partially competitive with AMP. The purified enzyme was activated by incubation with skeletal muscle phosphorylase kinase. Enzyme in crude homogenates was activated by the addition of MgCl2 and ATP; activation was not blocked by addition of protein kinase inhibitor, suggesting that phosphorylase kinase in homogenates of swine adipose tissue is present largely in an activated form. Deactivation of phosphorylase a by phosphorylase phosphatase was studied using enzyme purified approximately 200-fold from swine adipose tissue by ethanol precipitation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and gel filtration. The Km of the adipose tissue phosphatase for skeletal muscle phosphorylase a was 6 muM. The purified swine adipose tissue phosphorylase, labeled with 32-P, was inactivated and dephosphorylated by the adipose tissue phosphatase. Dephosphorylation of both skeletal muscle and adipose tissue substrates was inhibited by AMP and glucose reversed this inhibition. Several lines of evidence suggest that AMP inhibition was due to an action on the substrate rather than on the enzyme. We have previously reported that the system for phosphorylase activation in rat fat cells differs in some important characteristics from that in skeletal muscle. However, both swine fat phosphorylase and phosphorylase phosphatase have major properties very similar to those described for the enzymes from skeletal muscle.     

Co-purification of type I alkaline phosphatase and type I phosphoprotein phosphatase from various animal tissues

A purification procedure, which included ethanol treatment as a step for dissociating the large molecular forms of type I phosphoprotein phosphatase, was employed for the studies of the alkaline phosphatase and phosphoprotein phosphatase activities in bovine brain, heart, spleen, kidney, and uterus, rabbit skeletal muscle and liver, and lobster tail muscle. The results indicate that the major phosphoprotein phosphatase (phosphorylase a as a substrate) and alkaline phosphatase (p-nitrophenyl phosphate as a substrate; Mg²⁺ and dithiothreitol as activators) activities in the extracts of all tissues studied were copurified as an entity of M_r = 35,000. The purified enzymes from different tissues exhibit similar physical and catalytic properties with respect to either the phosphoprotein phosphatase or the alkaline phosphatase activity. The present findings indicate that (a) the M_r = 35,000 species, which represents a catalytic entity of the large molecular forms of type I phosphoprotein phosphatase, is widespread in animal tissues, indicating that it is a multifunctional phosphatase; (b) the association of type I alkaline phosphatase activity with type I phosphoprotein phosphatase is a general phenomenon.     

Separation and characterization of two phosphorylase phosphatase inhibitors from rabbit skeletal muscle.

Two heat-stable and trypsin-labile inhibitors of phosphorylase phosphatase, designated inhibitor-1 and inhibitor-2, were partially purified from extracts of rabbit skeletal muscle by heating and coloumn chromatography using DEAE-dellulose and Bio-gel P-60. Inhibitor-1 exists in an active phosphorylated form and an inactive dephosphorylated form. The interconversion of phosphorylated inhibitor-1 and dephosphorylated inhibitor-1 is mediated by protein kinase dependent on adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and a Mn2+-stimulated phosphoprotein phosphatase. Inhibitory activity of inhibitor-2 is not influenced by treatment with either the kinase or the Mn2+-stimulated phosphatase. The molecular weights of inhibitor-1 and inhibitor-2 estimated by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis are 26000 and 33000 respectively. Both inhibitor-1 and inhibitor-2 inhibit phosphorylase phosphatase by a mechanism which appears to be non-competitive with respect to the substrate phosphorylase a. Inhibitor fractions at early stages of purification also inhibit cyclic-AMP-dependent histone phosphorylation, but this kinase inhibitory activity resides with a protein moiety which is separable from inhibitor-1 and inhibitor-2.     

Specificity of cyclic GMP activation of a multi-substrate cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase from rat liver

Phosphoprotein phosphatase IA, which represents the major glycogen synthase phosphatase activity in rat liver cytosol, has been purified to apparent homogeneity by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, histone - Sepharose-4B and Sephadex G-100. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was 40 000 by gel filtration and 48 000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis, Phosphatase IA is therefore a monomeric protein. When treated with 80% ethanol at room temperature, phosphatase IA underwent an inactivation which was totally prevented by 2 mM MgCl2. Catalytically, phosphatase IA has a preference for glycogen synthase D compared with phosphatases IB and II and obligatorily requires Mg2+ or Mn2+ for activity. Maximum activity was attained at 5 mM MgCl2. Since Mg2+ does not activate other phosphoprotein phosphatases in rat liver cytosol, we propose the term 'Mg2+-dependent glycogen synthase phosphatase' for phosphatase IA.     

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

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

Role of phosphoprotein phosphatases in reversible deactivation of chicken adipose tissue hormone-sensitive lipase.

The reversible deactivation of chicken adipose tissue hormone-sensitive lipase alpha(previously activated with Mg2+ ATP and adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate) required Mg2+ and was inhibited by phosphate. These results are consistent with the assumption that deactivation of the protein kinase-activated enzyme is catalyzed by a lipase phosphatase. Cholesterol ester is catalyzed by a lipase phosphatase. Cholesterol ester hydrolase similarly was activated and reversibly deactivated. The activity of endogenous lipase phosphatase in pH 5.2 precipitate fractions was reduced, and in some cases eliminated, by incubation at 50 degrees for 20 min in buffer containing 20% glycerol. Heating at 50 degrees greatly increased the apparent percentage activation of triglyceride and cholesterol ester hydrolases but this was due to a selective decrease in basal (nonactivated) hydrolase activities. Essentially all endogenous lipase phosphatase could be removed by treatment of the pH 5.2 precipitate fraction with ATP-Sepharose affinity gel. The addition of a partially purified preparation of rat liver phosphorylase phosphatase deactivated triglyceride and cholesterol ester hydrolases. The deactivation process was concentration, 5 mM) and was inhibited by 5 mM phosphate and by phosphorylase alpha. Reversible deactivation of hormone-sensitive lipase alpha was also observed with crude prepa- and by phosphorylase alpha. Reversible deactivation of hormone-sensitive lipas alpha was also observed with crude preparations of phosphoprotein phosphatases from rat and turkey hearts, and from rat epididymal fat pads. Thus, hormone-sensitive lipase is deactivated by a variety of phosphoprotein phosphatases from different tissues and different species, implying a low degree of specificity for the deactivating system.     

Purification and properties of rabbit liver phosphorylase phosphatase.

A procedure for the purification of rabbit liver phosphorylase phosphatase is described. The specific activity of the preparation is 2,100 units/mg of protein, representing a 25,000-fold purification. During the initial steps of the purification a large activation of enzyme activity was observed. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated by Sephadex G-75 chromatography to be 35,000, and by sucrose density ultracentrifugation to be 34,000 (2.9 S). On Na dodecyl-SO4 polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis a single component with a molecular weight of 34,000 was observed. The pH optimum is 6.9 to 7.4, and the Km for rabbit muscle phosphorylase alpha is 2 muM. The same procedure is also applicable to the extensive purification of phosphorylase phosphatase from rabbit muscle.