Adenosine cyclic 3′,5′-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase from human platelets

A single cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (EC 2.7.1.37) has been isolated from human platelets by using DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-150 gel filtration. The molecular weight of the protein kinase was estimated to be 86 490. In the presence of cyclic AMP, the protein kinase could be dissociated into a catalytic subunit of molecular weight 50 000, and either one regulatory subunit of molecular weight 110 000 or two regulatory subunits of molecular weights 110 000 and 38 100, depending on the pH used. Recombination of either of the regulatory subunits with the catalytic subunit restored cyclic AMP-dependency in the catalytic subunit.The apparent K_m for ATP in the presence of 10 μM Mg²⁺ was 4 μM (plus cyclic AMP) and 4.3 μM (minus cyclic AMP). The concentration of cyclic AMP needed for half-maximal stimulation of the protein kinase was 0.172 μM and apparent dissociation constants of 3.7 nM (absence of MgATP) and 0.18 μM (presence of MgATP) were exhibited by the “protein kinase-cyclic AMP complex”. The enzyme required Mg²⁺ for maximum activity and showed a pH optimum of 6.2 with histone as substrate.In addition to four major endogenous platelet protein acceptors of apparent molecular weights 45 000, 28 000, 18 500, and 11 100, the platelet protein kinase also phosphorylated the exogenous acceptor proteins thrombin, collagen and histone, all capable of inducing platelet aggregation. Prothrombin, a nonaggregating agent, was not phosphorylated.     

Studies of kidney plasma membrane adenosine-3′,5′-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase

Porcine kidney cortex was utilized for the preparation of plasma-membrane-enriched and soluble cytoplasmic (cytosol) fractions for the purpose of examining the relative properties of cyclic [³H]AMP receptor and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activities of these preparations. The affinity, specificity and reversibility of cyclic [³H]AMP interaction with renal membrane and cytosol binding sites were indicative of physiological receptors.Binding sites of cytosol and deoxycholate-solubilized membranes were half-saturated at approx. 50nM and 100 nM cyclic [³H]AMP. Native plasma membranes exhibited multiple binding sites which were not saturated up to 1 mM cyclic [³H]AMP. Modification of the cyclic phosphate configuration or 2′-hydroxyl of the ribose moiety of cyclic AMP produced a marked reduction in the effectiveness of the cyclic AMP analogue as a competitor with cyclic [³H]AMP for renal receptors. The cyclic [³H]AMP interaction with membrane and cytosol fractions was reversible and the rate and extent of dissociation of bound cyclic [³H]AMP was temperature dependent. With the plasma-membrane preparation, dissociation of cyclic [³H]AMP was enhanced by ATP or AMP.Assay of both kidney subcellular fractions for protein kinase activity revealed that cyclic AMP enhanced the phosphorylation of protamine, lysine-rich and arginine-rich histones but not casein. The potency and efficacy of activation of renal membrane and cytosol protein kinase by cyclic AMP analogues such as N⁶-butyryl-adenosine cyclic 3′,5′-monophosphate or N⁶,O²-dibutyryl-adenosine cyclic 3′,5′-monophosphate supported the observations on the effectiveness of cyclic AMP analogues as competitors with cyclic [³H]AMP in competitive binding assays.This study suggested that the membrane cyclic [³H]AMP receptors may be closely associated with the membrane-bound catalytic moiety of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase system of porcine kidney.     

Studies on the adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase of Blastocladiella emersonii

Using a combination of Chromatographic and sucrose density gradient techniques under carefully controlled conditions of pH and protease inhibitors, we demonstrate that there is only one form of adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase in the cytosol fraction of the Blastocladiella emersonii zoospore. If any of these conditions are omitted during extract preparation, one obtains what are apparently multiple forms of the enzyme, which are in reality artifacts due to extensive endogenous proteolytic activity. This endogenous protease is stimulated by alkaline pH and inhibited by antipain. The zoospore protein kinase is similar to type II protein kinase from mammalian cells in several aspects including Chromatographic behavior on DEAE-cellulose column, conditions for subunit dissociation and reassociation, as well as the molecular weight value of the regulatory subunit.     

A cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase mutant of Neurospora crassa

A cpk mutant of Neurospora crassa with morphological alteration was obtained spontaneously during the cross between the wild-type and a glycerol utilizing cr-l strain. The growth rate of cpk was intermediate between the wild-type and cr-1 mutant strains. The cpk conidia contained a reduced level of carotenoid pigments as compared to the wild-type conidia. The cpk mutant had no detectable amount of cyclic adenosine 3,5-monophosphate (cAMP)-binding protein at all stages of growth tested. On a DEAE-Sephacel column chromatogram, protein kinase activity of the wild type was eluted at two peaks; the first peak was cAMP-dependent, and the second one was not. In contrast, the cpk strain had two peaks of cAMP-independent enzymes. It is suggested that cAMP-dependent protein kinase may be altered in the cpk mutant into a cAMP-independent type by an alteration of the regulatory subunit of this enzyme.Abbreviations cAMP Cyclic adenosine 3,5-monophosphate - 8-N₃-[³H] cAMP 8-azido-[³H]cyclic adenosine 3,5-monophosphate     

A guanosine 5′-triphosphate-dependent protein kinase is localized in the outer envelope membrane of pea chloroplasts

A guanosine 5-triphosphate (GTP)-dependent protein kinase was detected in preparations of outer chloroplast envelope membranes of pea (Pisum sativum L.) chloroplasts. The protein-kinase activity was capable of phosphorylating several envelope-membrane proteins. The major phosphorylated products were 23- and 32.5-kilo-dalton proteins of the outer envelope membrane. Several other envelope proteins were labeled to a lesser extent. Following acid hydrolysis of the labeled proteins, most of the label was detected as phosphoserine with only minor amounts detected as phosphothreonine. Several criteria were used to distinguish the GTP-dependent protein kinase from an ATP-dependent kinase also present in the outer envelope membrane. The ATP-dependent kinase phosphorylated a very different set of envelope-membrane proteins. Heparin inhibited the GTP-dependent kinase but had little effect upon the ATP-dependent enzyme. The GTP-dependent enzyme accepted phosvitin as an external protein substrate whereas the ATP-dependent enzyme did not. The outer membrane of the chloroplast envelope also contained a phosphotransferase capable of transferring labeled phosphate from [-³²P]GTP to ADP to yield (-³²P]ATP. Consequently, addition of ADP to a GTP-dependent protein-kinase assay resulted in a switch in the pattern of labeled products from that seen with GTP to that typically seen with ATP.Abbreviations GDP (GMP, GTP) guanosine 5-diphosphate (mono-, tri-); kDa-kilodalton - S_0.5 concentration of substrate supporting half-maximal velocity - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - Tricine N-(2-hydroxy-1,1-bis(hydroxymethyl)ethyl)glycine     

3′,5′-Cyclic-nucleotide-dependent protein kinase of squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate

An adenosine 3'5'-cyclic-monophosphate (Cyclic AMP)-dependent protein kinase has been identified and partially purified from the rat prostate tumor induced by 20-methylcholanthrene. This enzyme is stimulated 2- to 3-fold by the nucleotide. Equilibrium studies at pH 5.0 suggest the presence of a major class of binding site for cyclic AMP with an association constant of approximately 10(8) M-1. The concentration of binding site is about 1 pmol/mg of protein of the enzyme preparation. The enzyme is stimulated by other cyclic nucleotides as well, but only by higher concentrations. In comparing the ability of different histone subfractions, casein and protamine, to serve as substrate for this particular protein kinase, maximal cyclic-AMP-dependent enzyme activity was observed with histones. The results suggest that factors contributing to the malignant growth of the prostatic tissue do not directly involve changes in the characteristics of a cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase.     

Guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase from the silkmoth,Bombyx mori: Further evidence for the involvement of kinase in the phosphorylation of vitellin and the effect of phosphorylation on the susceptibility of vitellin to a cysteine proteinase in the egg

• 1.1. In the developing silkmoth eggs, a high level of activity of a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (G-kinase) is found. Vitellin (Vn) is an excellent substrate for the kinase, suggestin that the kinase may be involved in the phosphorylaiton of Vn in intact developing eggs.
• 2.2. To characterize this system in greater detail, the following experiments were performed: (a) changes in the levels of cyclic nucleotides and changes in cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinase activities were monitored in the eggs; (b) ³²P-o-phosphate was microinjected into eggs to demonstrate the phosphorylation of Vn in vivo; (c) to determine the role, if any, in vivo of the phosphorylation of Vn, the effect of phosphorylation on the susceptibility of Vn to a cysteine proteinase after the phosphorylation of Vn by G-kinase was studied.
• 3.3. The results revealed that the phosphorylation of Vn serves as the trigger for the proteolytic digestion of Vn during the developments, and may be able to provide the signal for the degradtion of Vn by the cysteine proteinase.

     

Construction and analysis of the protein–protein interaction network for the olfactory system of the silkworm Bombyx mori

Olfaction plays an essential role in feeding and information exchange in insects. Previous studies on the olfaction of silkworms have provided a wealth of information about genes and proteins, yet, most studies have only focused on a single gene or protein related to the insect's olfaction. The aim of the current study is to determine key proteins in the olfactory system of the silkworm, and further understand protein–protein interactions (PPIs) in the olfactory system of Lepidoptera. To achieve this goal, we integrated Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and network analyses. Furthermore, we selected 585 olfactory-related proteins and constructed a (PPI) network for the olfactory system of the silkworm. Network analysis led to the identification of several key proteins, including GSTz1, LOC733095, BGIBMGA002169-TA, BGIBMGA010939-TA, GSTs2, GSTd2, Or-2, and BGIBMGA013255-TA. A comprehensive evaluation of the proteins showed that glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) had the highest ranking. GSTs also had the highest enrichment levels in GO and KEGG. In conclusion, our analysis showed that key nodes in the biological network had a significant impact on the network, and the key proteins identified via network analysis could serve as new research targets to determine their functions in olfaction.     

Characterization of the rat carbonic anhydrase II gene structure: sequence analysis of the 5′ flanking region and 3′ UTR

The rat carbonic anhydrase II gene was characterized and found to be approximately 15.5 kb in length and to contain 7 exons and 6 introns. All intron/exon junction and branch point sequences conform to consensus sequences, and the overall rat CA II genomic structure appears to be conserved upon comparison with mouse, human, and chicken CA II genes. The putative cis-acting elements within the analyzed 1014 bp 5′ flanking region include: TATA box, 4 Sp1 binding sites, 2 AP2 sites and putative tissue-specific β-globin-like repeat elements. A CpG island of approximately 800 bp was identified that begins about 600 bp upstream of exon 1 and extends about 200 bp into intron 1. In the 3′ UTR, two polyadenylation signals (AATAAA) are present, the second of which is believed to be utilized. Northern blot analysis reveals that the 1.7 kb rat CA II mRNA is abundantly expressed in adult male brain and kidney, while negligible amounts are detected in heart and liver.     

The 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase: Regulating the ebb and flow of cellular energetics

The 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a heterotrimeric, evolutionary conserved enzyme which has emerged as a critical regulator of skeletal muscle cellular bioenergetics. AMPK is activated by both chemical (adipokines) and mechanical (stretch, contraction) stimuli leading to metabolic changes within muscle cells that include increased fatty acid oxidation, glucose uptake and glycolysis, as well as the stimulation and regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis. Collectively these acute responses and chronic adaptations act to reduce cellular disturbances, resulting in tighter metabolic control and maintenance of energy homeostasis. This brief review will describe the structure, function and activation of AMPK in skeletal muscle and how this ubiquitous molecule may be a plausible target for the treatment of several lifestyle-related metabolic disorders.     

Kinetics of the hydrolysis of guanosine 5′-phospho-2-methylimidazolide

We have studied the hydrolysis of guanosine 5-phospho-2-methylimidazolide, 2-MeImpG, in aqueous buffered solutions of various pH's at 75°C and 37°C. At 75°C and pH1.0, two kinetic processes were observed spectrophotometrically: the first and more rapid one is attributed to the hydrolysis of the phosphoimidazolide P-N bond; the second and much slower one, to the cleavage of the glycosidic bond. At 37°C, pH 2.0, the spectrophotometrically determined rate constant of P–N bond hydrolysis was confirmed by using high pressure liquid chromatography, HPLC. With the latter technique it was possible to separate reactants and products and also to extend the pH-rate profile into the neutral region where rates are slower and, therefore, difficult to measure spectrophotometrically. The pH-rate profiles at both temperatures exhibit similar behavior. At pH<2 the pseudo-first-order rate constant increases with decreasing pH; in the region 27. These data are consistent with a reactivity order zwitterion>anion for P–N bond hydrolysis. It is noteworthy that P–N bond hydrolysis in phosphoimidazolides is very slow compared to other phosphoramidates. This may be one of the reasons why this compound showed extraordinary ability in forming long oligomers under template-directed conditions.     

Identification of guanosine 3′:5′-monophosphate in the fruit of Zizyphus jujuba

Evidence is presented here confirming the identification of guanosine 3′: 5′-monophosphate (c GMP) in the tissue of higher plants. The c GMP activity detected in fruits of Zizyphus jujuba was separated from the c AMP activity also present. The separated sample was extensively purified by Bio-Rad AG 1 × 4 and aluminium oxide CC, and by TLC. The purified sample showed the same physicochemical properties as authentic c GMP by TLC using different solvents and by UV spectroscopy, and was decomposable by cyclic nucleotide-specific phosphodiesterase. The identification was further supported by HPLC. The amount of c GMP present increases 90-fold during fruit ripening.     

Purification and properties of a high affinity guanosine 3′: 5′-cyclic monophosphate-binding phosphatase from silver beet leaves

A cyclic nucleotide-binding phosphatase was purified from silver beet leaves by a procedure involving chromatography on CM-Sepharose CL-6B, DEAE-Sephacel, casein-Sepharose 4B, concanavalin A-agarose and Ultrogel AcA44. The enzyme is eluted from concanavalin A-agarose by 0.5 M α-methylglucoside at high ionic strength. The enzyme is monomeric, having a subunit molecular weight (M_r) of 28 000; the native M_r is 31 000 as determined from gel filtration. The enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of a range of phosphomonoesters including various nucleotides and O-phosphotyrosine but not O-phosphoserine or O-phosphothreonine. The leaf phosphatase is competitively inhited by guanosine 3′ : 5′-cyclic monphosphate (cGMP) and adenosine 3′ : 5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) (K_i-values: 0.4 μM and 3.3 μM, respectively). The leaf phosphotase has the highest affinity for cGMP yet reported for a plant protein.     

Effect of guanosine 3′:5′-monophosphate on the hydroosmotic activity of adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate in toad urinary bladder

Guanosine 3′:5′-monophosphate has a slight hydroosmotic effect on toad urinary bladder. Furthermore, this nucleotide strongly inhibits the responses to 3′:5′-adenosine monophosphate and oxytocin. The response to an increase in medium tonicity is not modified by the guanosine nucleotide. A role for guanosine 3′:5′-monophosphate in the regulation of water permeability in toad urinary bladder is proposed.     

Characterization of the hydrogen bond network in guanosine quartets by internucleotide 3hJNC′ and 2hJNN scalar couplings

Scalar coupling correlations across hydrogen bonds with carbonyl groups as acceptors have been observed in a variety of proteins, but not in nucleic acids. Here we present a pulse scheme that allows such an observation and quantification of trans-hydrogen bond ^3hJ_NC correlations in nucleic acid base pairs, between the imino nitrogen ¹⁵N1 and the carbonyl ¹³C6 nuclei within the guanine quartets of the Oxy-1.5 DNA-quadruplex. Intra- and internucleotide N-H···O=C connectivities can be traced around each guanine quartet, allowing the hydrogen bonding partners to be unambiguously assigned. Absolute values of the ^3hJ_NC couplings are approximately 0.2 Hz as quantified by a selective long-range H(N)CO experiment and are thus on average smaller than the analogous ^3hJ_NC couplings observed in proteins. In addition, an improved version of the pseudo-heteronuclear H(N)N-COSY [Majumdar et al. (1999) J. Biomol. NMR, 14, 67–70] is presented which allows simultaneous detection of the ¹⁵N-donor and ¹⁵N-acceptor resonances connected by ^2hJ_NN couplings in hydrogen bonds involving amino groups. Using this experiment, values ranging between 6 and 8 Hz are determined for the ^2hJ_NN couplings between ¹⁵N2 and ¹⁵N7 nuclei in the guanine quartet. These values are not strongly influenced by the presence of a significant amount of chemical exchange broadening due to amino group rotations.     

Isolation of a novel protein,P12—from adult Drosophila melanogaster that inhibits deoxyribonucleoside and protein kinase activities and activates 3′-5′- exonuclease activity

ABSTRACT

We have previously found that Drosophila melanogaster only has one deoxyribonucleoside kinase, Dm-dNK, however, capable to phosphorylate all four natural deoxyribonucleosides. Dm-dNK was originally isolated from an embryonic cell line. We wanted to study the expression of Dm-dNK during development from embryonic cells to adult flies and found declining Dm-dNK activity during development and no activity in adult flies. Surprisingly, the extract from adult flies exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on deoxyribonucloside kinase activity. The dNK-inhibitor was precipitable with ammonium sulfate, and was purified to a high degree by gel-filtration as indicated by LC-MS/MS analysis. Since the inhibitor eluted from G-200 gel-filtration with a size of 10–13 kDa, we named it P12. We tested the purified fraction for specificity towards various enzymes and found that both mammalian and bacterial dNKs were inhibited, whereas there was no effect on hexokinase and pyruvate kinases and acidic phosphatase. However, when tested against cyclin B-dependent kinase, we found a strong inhibitory effect. Both with human Cdk1/CycB and S. pombe Cdc2/B-type cyclin the purified fraction from Superdex 200 that inhibited Dm-dNK, also inhibited the two protein kinases to the same degree. Furthermore, testing P12 in a DNA polymerase based assay we found that the 3′-5′-exonuclease part of the DNA polymerase (Klenow polymerase) was activated.     

The effect of ethylene and cytokinin on guanosine 5′-triphosphate binding and protein phosphorylation in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana

Binding of [α-³²P]guanosine 5′-triphosphate ([α-³²P]GTP) has been demonstrated in a Triton X-100-solubilised membrane fraction from leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Binding was stimulated by 1 h pre-treatment of leaves with ethylene and this effect was antagonised by the inclusion of N⁶-benzyladenine in the medium used for homogenisation. The ethylene-insensitive mutants eti5 and etr showed contrasting responses. In eti5 the constitutive level of GTP binding was higher than in the wild type whereas in etr the level was much lower. Neither ethylene nor cytokinin affected GTP binding in the mutants. The GTP-binding activity was localised in two bands at 22 and 25 kDa, both of which were immunoprecipitated by anti-pan-Ras antibodies, indicating that the activity is due to small GTP-binding proteins. In a similar membrane fraction, ethylene was shown to increase protein phosphorylation and benzyladenine antagonised this effect. In eti5 the constitutive level of protein phosphorylation was higher than in the wild type, but benzyladenine increased activity substantially while ethylene was without effect. In etr, protein phosphorylation was lower than in the wild type, ethylene was without effect, but cytokinin increased activity. A protein of M_r 17 kDa was detected on gels using antibodies to nucleoside diphosphate kinase. Phosphorylation of this protein was upregulated by ethylene but nucleoside diphosphate kinase activity was unaffected. The results are compared with the effect of the two hormones on the senescence of detached leaves and discussed in relation to pathways proposed for ethylene signal transduction. Received: 23 November 1998 / Accepted: 10 December 1998