Purification of porcine heart latent protein phosphatase Fc.M.

Latent protein phosphatase, Fc.M, was purified from porcine heart extracts by a procedure involving precipitation at pH 5.0, DEAE-Sephacel chromatography, ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose, Biogel-A 0.5m and poly-L-lysine-agarose. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 12,200 nanomoles of phosphate released from phosphorylase a/mg protein when assayed following activation by pretreatment with Mn++ and trypsin in the presence of 0.2 M NaCl. The enzyme is a heterodimer of 66 kDa composed of a catalytic (37 kDa) and a modulator (31 kDa) subunit.     

Evidence for a latent form of protein phosphatase 1 associated with cardiac myofibrils

Detergent-purified myofibrils from bovine heart contained very little spontaneously active protein phosphatase 1 activity. Phosphatase 1, extracted from the myofibrils by freeze-thawing in the presence of 500 mM KCl, was markedly activated by cobalt/trypsin treatment. Myofibril phosphatase 1 was separated from phosphatase 2A by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose. The phosphatase 1 was isolated in a latent form. Pretreatment with trypsin released free catalytic subunit and increased activity about 25-fold. Addition of cobalt with the trypsin increased activity another 2-fold. The latent myofibril phosphatase 1 did not appear to be the same as previously characterized forms of protein phosphatase 1. We suggest that cardiac myofibril phosphatase 1 contains a unique inhibitory subunit which directs the enzyme to the myofibril and regulates the dephosphorylation of myofibril phosphoproteins.     

Identification and partial characterization of bovine heart cytosolic phosphorylase phosphatases

The properties of phosphatases in bovine heart cytosol were studied. Two isozymic forms of protein phosphatase H (H-1 and H-2) were resolved by chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel. The two isoenzymes had identical physical properties (Mr 260,000, 7.9 S). Treatment with 80% ethanol activated both isozymes and converted H-1 to a Mr 35,500 form and H-2 to Mr 67,000 and Mr 35,500 forms. Both H-1 and H-2 and their lower Mr activated forms had essentially identical Km values for phosphorylase a. The heart cytosol also contained a latent phosphatase (Fc) which could be activated by preincubation with either ATP X Mg and an activating factor (FA), or by Mn/trypsin treatment. The latter procedure converted the latent Fc (Mr 200,000) to a Mn2+-independent Mr 34,500 form. Both activated forms of Fc had similar Km values which were fourfold lower than the affinity of the protein phosphatase H forms for the phosphorylase a substrate.     

Amino acid composition of bulk protein and salt relationships of selected enzymes of Salinibacter ruber,an extremely halophilic bacterium

The extremely halophilic bacterium Salinibacter ruber was previously shown to have a high intracellular potassium content, comparable to that of halophilic Archaea of the family Halobacteriaceae. The amino acid composition of its bulk protein showed a high content of acidic amino acids, a low abundance of basic amino acids, a low content of hydrophobic amino acids, and a high abundance of serine. We tested the level of four cytoplasmic enzymatic activities at different KCl and NaCl concentrations. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase functioned optimally at 0.5-2 M KCl, with rates of 60% of the optimum value at 3.3 M. NaCl provided less activation: 70% of the optimum rates in KCl were found at 0.2-1.2 M NaCl, and above 3 M NaCl, activity was low. We also detected nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP)-dependent isocitrate activity, which remained approximately constant between 0-3.2 M NaCl and increased with increasing KCl concentration. NAD-dependent malate dehydrogenase functioned best in the absence of salt, but rates as high as 25% of the optimal values were measured in 3-3.5 M KCl or NaCl. NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase, assayed by the reductive amination of 2-oxoglutarate, showed low activity in the absence of salt. NaCl was stimulatory with optimum activity at 3-3.5 M. However, no activity was found above 2.5 M KCl. Although the four activities examined all function at high salt concentrations, the behavior of individual enzymes toward salt varied considerably. The results presented show that Salinibacter enzymes are adapted to function in the presence of high salt concentrations.     

Interaction amongst calcineurin subunits. Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of subunit B on calmodulin stimulation of subunit A phosphatase activity depend on Mn2+ exposure of the holoenzyme prior to its dissociation by urea

Calcineurin was dissociated into subunits A and B by 6 M urea in the presence (method A) and absence (method B) of MnCl2 and dissociated subunits were isolated by gel filtration in urea in the absence (method B) or presence (method A) of MnCl2. Phosphatase activity was associated with the A subunit isolated by either method. The phosphatase activity (nmol/mg) of subunit A isolated by method A was greater (2-5-fold) than by method B. Mn2+ increased subunit A phosphatase and calmodulin further increased the enzyme activity. Subunit B isolated by method A or B increased Mn2+ + calmodulin stimulated subunit A phosphatase prepared by method B but interestingly and unexpectedly inhibited such stimulated activity of the subunit A prepared by method A. These results imply the tightly bound cation (in our case, most likely Mn2+) with subunit A dramatically and differentially influences the effects of two Ca2+-binding proteins, calmodulin and subunit B, on the subunit A phosphatase.     

Phosphorylase phosphatase complex from skeletal muscle. Activation of one of two catalytic subunits by manganese ions

Sarcoplasmic phosphorylase phosphatase extracted from ground skeletal muscle was recovered in a high molecular weight from (Mr = 250000). This enzyme has been purified from extracts by anion-exchange and gel chromatography to yield a preparation with three major protein components of Mr 83000, 72000, and 32000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The phosphorylase phosphatase activity of the complex form was activated more than 10-fold by Mn2+, with a K0.5 of 10(-5) M, but not by Mg2+ or Ca2+. Manganese activation occurred over a period of several minutes and resulted primarily in an increase in Vmax of a phosphatase that was sensitive to trypsin. Activation persisted after gel filtration, and the active form of the enzyme did not contain bound manganese measured by using 54Mn2+. A contaminating p-nitrophenylphosphatase was activated by either Mn2+ (K0.5 of 10(-4) M) or Mg2+ (K0.5 of 10(-3) M). Unlike the protein phosphatase this enzyme was inactive following removal of the metal ions by gel filtration. The phosphatase complex could be dissociated into its component subunits by precipitation with 50% acetone at 20 degrees C in the presence of an inert divalent cation, reducing agent, and bovine serum albumin. Two catalytic subunits were quantitatively recovered; one of Mr 83000 was a trypsin-sensitive manganese-activated phosphatase and the second of Mr 32000 was trypsin-stable and metal ion dependent. Both enzymes were effective in catalyzing the dephosphorylation of either phosphorylase a or the regulatory subunit of adenosine cyclic 3',5'-phosphate (cAMP) dependent protein kinase, but neither subunit possessed p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity.     

Stimulation of intermolecular ligation with E. coli DNA ligase by high concentrations of monovalent cations in polyethylene glycol solutions.

In the presence of high concentrations of the nonspecific polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG), intermolecular cohesive-end ligation with the DNA ligase from Escherichia coli was stimulated by high salt concentrations: 200 mM NaCl or 300 mM KCl in 10% (w/v) PEG 6000 solutions, and 100-200 mM NaCl or 150-300 mM KCl in 15% PEG 6000 solutions. Intermolecular blunt-end ligation with this ligase was also stimulated at 100-150 mM NaCl or 150-250 mM KCl in 15% PEG 6000 solutions. The extent of such intermolecular ligation increased and the salt concentrations at which ligation was stimulated extended to lower concentrations when we raised the temperature from 10 to 37 degrees C.     

Activation of halophilic nucleoside diphosphate kinase by a non-ionic osmolyte,trimethylamine N-oxide

The folding and activity of halophilic enzymes are believed to require the presence of salts at high concentrations. When the inactivated nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK) from extremely halophilic archaea was incubated with low salt media, no activity was regained over the course of 8 days. When it was incubated with 2 M NaCl or 3 M KCl, however, it gradually regained activity. To our surprise, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) also was able to induce activation at 4.0 M. The enzyme activity and secondary structure of refolded NDK in 4 M TMAO were comparable with those of the native NDK or the refolded NDK in 3.8 M NaCl. TMAO is not an electrolyte, meaning that the presence of concentrated salts is not an absolute requirement, and that charge shielding or ion binding is not a sole factor for the folding and activation of NDK. Although both NaCl and TMAO are effective in refolding NDK, the mechanism of their actions appears to be different: the effect of protein concentration and pH on refolding is qualitatively different between these two, and at pH 8.0 NDK could be refolded in the presence of 4 M TMAO only when low concentrations of NaCl are included.     

Some properties of the citrate synthase from the extreme halophile, Halobacterium cutirubrum.

1. Citrate synthase [citrate oxaloacetate-lyase (CoA-acetylating), EC 4.1.3.7] was purified about 400-fold from the extreme halophile, Halobacterium cutirubrum, by a method involving (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and hydroxyapatite and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. 2. The purified enzyme was best activated by high concentrations of KCl (3M); the chlorides of other cations and K+ salts of other anions (Br-, NO3-, SCN-) were less effective than KCl as activators. The enzyme was best stabilized by high concentrations of NaCl or KCl. Cold-lability was found in the presence of 3M-KCl, but not in the presence of NaCl at concentrations up to 5M. The results suggest that both the shielding of negative charges on the enzyme molecule and the stabilization of hydrophobic bonds by high KCl concentrations were required for maximum activity of the enzyme. 3. The double-reciprocal plots for acetyl-CoA or oxaloacetate at several concentrations of the co-substrate intersected at the abscissa in the presence of either KCl or NaCl, at either 1 or 3M. The Km for oxaloacetate increased about fivefold with the salt concentration, from 1 to 3M.     

Purification, catalytic properties, and thermal stability of threo-Ds-3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase coded by leuB gene from an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus strain HB8

Threo-Ds-3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase coded by the leuB gene from an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus strain HB8, was expressed in Escherichia coli carrying a recombinant plasmid. The thermostable enzyme thus produced was extracted from the E. coli cells, purified, and crystallized. The enzyme was shown to be a dimer of identical subunits of molecular weight (4.0 +/- 0.5) x 10(4). The Km for threo-Ds-3-isopropylmalate was estimated to be 8.0 x 10(-5) M and that for NAD 6.3 x 10(-4) M. The optimum pH at 75 degrees C in the presence of 1.2 M KCl was around 7.2. The presence of Mg2+ or Mn2+ was essential for the enzyme action. The enzyme was activated about 30-fold by the addition of 1 M KCl or RbCl. The high salt concentration decelerated the thermal unfolding of the enzyme, and accelerated the aggregation of the unfolded protein. Based on these effects, the molecular mechanism of the unusual stability of the enzyme is discussed.     

Development of Salt-Resistant Active Transport in a Moderately Halophilic Bacterium

The moderately halophilic bacterium Vibrio costicola accumulates α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) by active transport. Substantial amounts of Na⁺ ions are needed for this transport. This is not due to an ionic requirement for respiration; cells respire as well as KCl as in NaCl but do not transport AIB in KCl. In cells grown in the presence of 1.0 or 2.0 M NaCl, AIB transport took place in higher NaCl concentrations than in cells grown in the presence of 0.5 M NaCl. The latter cells developed salt-resistant transport when they were exposed to 1.0 M NaCl in the presence of chloramphenicol and other antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis. Two levels of salt-resistant transport were observed. One level (resistance to 3.0 M NaCl) developed in 1.0 M NaCl without the addition of nutrients, did not seem to require an increase in internal solute concentration, and was not lost when cells grown in 1.0 M NaCl were suspended in 0.5 M NaCl. The second level (resistance to 4.0 M NaCl) developed in 1.0 M NaCl only when nutrients were added, may have required an increased internal solute concentration, and was lost when 1.0 M NaCl-grown cells were suspended in 0.5 M NaCl or KCl. Among the substances that stimulated the development of salt-resistant AIB transport, betaine was especially active. Furthermore, direct addition of betaine permitted cells to transport AIB at higher NaCl concentrations. High salt concentrations inhibited endogenous respiration to a lesser extent than AIB transport, especially in 0.5 M NaCl-grown cells. Thus, these concentrations of salt did not inhibit AIB transport by inhibiting respiration. However, oxidation of glucose and oxidation of succinate were at least as sensitive to high salt concentrations as AIB transport, suggesting that a salt-sensitive transport step(s) is involved in the oxidation of these substrates.     

A protease-like permeability factor in the guinea pig skin. 2. In vitro activation of the latent form permeability factor by weakly acidic phosphate buffer.

Conditions for the in vitro activation of the latent form of a protease-like permeability factor in the pseudoglobulin fraction from guinea pig skin were examined. (1) The factor was activated by dialysis against 67 mM phosphate buffer at pH 5.8--6.4, not at pH 7.0--8.0. (2) High salt concentration (200 mM or greater phosphate buffer or 67 mM phosphate buffer containing 200 mM or greater KCl or NaCl) prevented the activation at pH 6.2. (3) High osmotic pressure (sucrose at 1 M) did not affect activation at pH 6.2. (4) Reconversion of the activated permeability factor into an inactive form was not observed under high salt conditions, under which the latent permeability factor was stable in its own form. (5) The molecular size of the latent permeability factor was estimated as approx. 80 000 by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration at high salt concentration.     

Polyamine-activated protein phosphatase activity in HeLa cell nuclei

Protein phosphatase activity towards endogenous nuclear substrates in sonicates of isolated nuclei was activated 2-4-fold by spermine. Exogenous casein was dephosphorylated by these preparations only in the presence of spermine. Activation by spermine was half maximal at about 0.1 mM. Spermidine also activated, with half maximal stimulation at 1mM; putrescine activated poorly. Mg++ and Ca++ appeared to activate the same phosphatase activity but were only 50% as effective as spermine. Spermine activation was inhibited by 200 mM NaCl, 50 mM NaF, or 40 mM beta-glycerol phosphate. Nuclear phosphatase activity, with or without spermine, was inhibited 50% by inhibitor 2 of protein phosphatase 1. These observations suggest that protein phosphatase 1 is a major nuclear protein phosphatase and that its activity against endogenous nuclear substrates is activated by physiological concentrations of spermine.     

Interaction of bacteriophage lambda protein phosphatase with Mn(II): evidence for the formation of a [Mn(II)]2 cluster.

The interaction of bacteriophage lambda protein phosphatase with Mn2+ was studied using biochemical techniques and electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry. Reconstitution of bacteriophage lambda protein phosphatase in the presence of excess MnCl2 followed by rapid desalting over a gel filtration column resulted in the retention of approximately 1 equiv of Mn2+ ion bound to the protein. This was determined by metal analyses and low-temperature EPR spectrometry, the latter of which provided evidence of a mononuclear high-spin Mn2+ ion in a ligand environment of oxygen and nitrogen atoms. The Mn2+-reconstituted enzyme exhibited negligible phosphatase activity in the absence of added MnCl2. The EPR spectrum of the mononuclear species disappeared upon the addition of a second equivalent of Mn2+ and was replaced by a spectrum attributed to an exchange-coupled (Mn2+)2 cluster. EPR spectra of the dinuclear (Mn2+)2 cluster were characterized by the presence of multiline features with a hyperfine splitting of 39 G. Temperature-dependent studies indicated that these features arose from an excited state. Titrations of the apoprotein with MnCl2 provided evidence of one Mn2+ binding site with a micromolar affinity and at least one additional Mn2+ site with a 100-fold lower affinity. The dependence of the phosphatase activity on Mn2+ concentration indicates that full enzyme activity probably requires occupation of both Mn2+ sites. These results are discussed in the context of divalent metal ion activation of this enzyme and possible roles for Mn2+ activation of other serine/threonine protein phosphatases.     

Endogenous Basic Protein Phosphatases in the Brain Myelin

Direct treatment of brain myelin with freezing/thawing in 0.2 M 2-mercaptoethanol stimulated the endogenous myelin phosphatase activity manyfold when 32P-labeled phosphorylase a was used as a substrate, a result indicating that an endogenous myelin phosphatase is a latent protein phosphatase. When myelin was treated with Triton X-100, this endogenous latent phosphatase activity was further stimulated 2.5-fold. Diethylaminoethyl-cellulose and Sephadex G-200 chromatography of solubilized myelin revealed a pronounced peak of protein phosphatase activity stimulated by freezing/thawing in 0.2 M 2-mercaptoethanol and with a molecular weight of 350,000, which is characteristic of latent phosphatase 2, as previously reported. Moreover, endogenous phosphorylation of myelin basic protein (MBP) in brain myelin was completely reversed by a homogeneous preparation of exogenous latent phosphatase 2. By contrast, under the same conditions, endogenous phosphorylation of brain myelin was entirely unaffected by ATP X Mg-dependent phosphatase and latent phosphatase 1, although both enzymes are potent MBP phosphatases. Together, these findings clearly indicate that a high-molecular-weight latent phosphatase, termed latent phosphatase 2, is the most predominant phosphatase responsible for dephosphorylation of brain myelin.     

A latent adenosine triphosphatase form of dynein 1 from sea urchin sperm flagella.

Treatment of demembranated sea urchin sperm axonemes with an extraction solution containing 0.6 M NaCl, pH 7.0 for 10 min at 4 degrees C yields a solution of dynein 1 having a low, latent specific ATPase activity of about 0.25 mumol of Pi mg(-1) min(-1). Exposure of this dynein solution to 0.1% Triton-X-100 for 10 min at 25 degrees C causes an increase in its ATPase activity to about 3 mumol of Pi mg(-1) min(-1). A similar activation can be obtained by treating at 42 degrees C or by reacting with 60 mol of p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate/10(6) g of protein. The effects of these activating procedures are not additive, suggesting that they lead to a common activated state. Purification of the latent activity dynein 1 by sucrose density gradient centrifugation yields a monodisperse preparation sedimenting at 21 S, and having a molecular weight of 1,250,000 as determined by sedimentation diffusion and sedimentation equilibrium. Activation of the latent dynein 1 with Triton X-100 converts it to a form sedimenting at 10 to 14 S. The 21 S dynein is also converted to a 10 S form by dialysis against 5 mM imidazole/NaOH buffer, 0.1 mM EDTA, 5 mM 2-mercaptoethanol, pH 7, although in this case, the ATPase activity is increased only about 3-fold, with another 3-fold activation being obtainable upon subsequent treatment with Triton X-100. The 21 S latent form of dynein 1 may represent the intact dynein arms that form moving cross-bridges and generate active sliding between adjacent doublet tubules of the flagellar axoneme. Electrophoretic analysis on polyacrylamide gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate suggests a model in which the 21 S dynein 1 particle is composed of three subunits of about 330,000 daltons and one of each of three medium weight subunits of 126,000, 95,000, and 77,000 daltons. When latent dynein 1 is added back to NaCl-extracted axonemes in the presence of 0.15 M NaCl, it recombines stoichiometrically and restores the arms on the doublet tubules with a 6-fold activation of its ATPase activity measured in the absence of KCl.     

Instability of waves formed by motile bacteria

Abstract Cell-free enzyme preparations of the obligately anaerobic halophilic eubacterium Haloanaerobium praevalens synthesize fatty acids from malonyl-CoA. The reaction is stimulated by NaCl and KCl at a concentration of 1 M, and only slightly inhibited by salt concentrations as high as 3 M. Thus, the fatty acid synthetase of H. praevalens is expected to the fully active at the high intracellular salt concentrations present, and it is the first fatty acid synthetase reported to be active in the presence of high salt concentrations.     

Protease Formation by a Moderately Halophilic Bacillus Strain

A moderately halophilic strain of Bacillus, isolated from unrefined solar salt, was capable of growth in the presence of 4 M NaCl. Maximal growth was obtained in a medium containing 1 to 2 M NaCl. The organism produced protease when cultivated aerobically in media containing 0 to 3 M NaCl or 0 to 2 M KCl. The protease activity was optimal at 0.5 M NaCl and 0.75 M KCl.     

Purification and characterization of proteinase In, a trypsin-like proteinase, in Escherichia coli.

We previously found a trypsin-like proteinase which momentarily appears immediately before DNA synthesis in the cell cycle of Escherichia coli synchronized by phosphate starvation and which is closely related to the initiation of DNA replication (Kato, M., Irisawa, T., Morimoto, Y. and Muramatu, M., unpublished results). The proteinase was named proteinase In. It was purified approximately 2880-fold with a recovery of 15%. The isolated enzyme appeared homogeneous by gel filtration and electrophoresis. Its molecular mass was estimated by analytical gel filtration and SDS/PAGE as approximately 66 kDa. The isoelectric point of proteinase In is 4.9 and its optimal pH is approximately 9. Although protein In hydrolyzes fluorogenic substrate for trypsin, its hydrolytic activity seems markedly affected by amino-acid sequence lying towards the N-terminal from the P1 (lysine, arginine) residue. The proteinase does not hydrolyze N2-benzoyl-D,L-arginine-4-nitronanilide and fluorogenic substrates for chymotrypsin and elastase. The proteinase activity is inhibited by leupeptin, antipain and 4-nitrophenyl 4-guanidinobenzoate, but the effects of tosyl-L-lysine chloromethane, diisopropylfluorophosphate, benzamidine and pentamidine isethionate on the proteinase activity are weak or not inhibitory. Its activity is strongly affected in the presence of NaCl and KCl, and at a concentration of 1.5 M, these increase the activity 14-fold and 13-fold, respectively, above that without salt. Proteinase In was strongly inhibited by various esters of trans-4-guanidinomethylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid, and their inhibitory effects were roughly correlated with those on growth of E. coli. Proteinase activity was found in the cytoplasmic fraction.     

Activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Purification and properties of a Mn2+-dependent phosphatase

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase was isolated from rat liver by polyethylene glycol precipitation and avidin affinity chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis of the enzyme gives one protein band (Mr 250,000). Phosphate analysis of the carboxylase showed the presence of 8.3 mol of phosphate/mol of subunit (Mr 250,000). The purified carboxylase has low activity in the absence of citrate (specific activity = 0.3 units/mg). However, addition of 10 mM citrate activates the carboxylase 10-fold, with half-maximal activation observed at 2 mM citrate, well above the physiological citrate level. Using this carboxylase as a substrate, we have isolated from rat liver a protein that activates the enzyme about 10-fold. This protein has been purified to near homogeneity (Mr 90,000). Incubation of this protein with 32P-labeled acetyl-CoA carboxylase results in a time-dependent activation of carboxylase with concomitant release of 32Pi, indicating that this protein is a phosphoprotein phosphatase. Both activation and dephosphorylation are dependent on Mn2+, but not citrate. This phosphatase does not hydrolyze p-nitrophenyl phosphate but does show high affinity for acetyl-CoA carboxylase (Km = 0.2 microM) as compared to its action on phosphorylase a (Km = 5.5 microM) and phosphohistone (Km = 20 microM). Activated acetyl-CoA carboxylase was isolated after dephosphorylation by the phosphatase. Such preparations contain about 5 mol of phosphate/mol of subunit and have specific activities of 2.6-3.0 units/mg in the absence of citrate. These activities are comparable to those of the phosphorylated carboxylase in the presence of 10 mM citrate. Thus, dephosphorylation by the Mn2+-dependent phosphatase renders the carboxylase citrate-independent, as compared to the phosphorylated form, which is citrate-dependent. To our knowledge this is the first report of a preparation of animal acetyl-CoA carboxylase that has substantial catalytic activity independent of citrate.