Protein phosphorylation in a dopamine-sensitive homogenate of rat caudate: Effect of adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate and putative neurotransmitters

Adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and its 8-methylthio derivative stimulate the incorporation of ³²P into proteins endogenous to a homogenate of rat caudate nucleus when 4 μM [γ?³²P] ATP is usedas substrate. Higher concentrations of ATP reduced the effect of the cyclic nucleotide until at 400 μM no significant increase in protein phosphorylation was seen.Incubation of the homogenate with 400 μM ATP and 100 μM dopamine resulted in an approx. 2-fold increase in cyclic AMP but did not alter caudate protein phosphorylation suggesting that the catecholamine could not stimulate protein phosphorylation under the experimental conditions used in the present study.     

Effects of Ca2+, calmodulin and cyclic AMP on the phosphorylation of endogenous proteins by homogenates of rat islets of Langerhans

Activation of Ca²⁺-calmodulin- and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases has been suggested to be involved in stimulus-secretion coupling in the pancreatic β-cell. To study the properties of such kinases and their endogenous protein substrates homogenates of rat islets of Langerhans were incubated with [γ-³²P]ATP. Phosphorylated proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and detected by autoradiography. The phosphorylation of certain proteins could be enhanced by Ca²⁺ plus calmodulin or by cyclic AMP. The major effect of Ca²⁺ and calmodulin was to stimulate the phosphorylation of a protein (P53) of molecular weight 53 100±500 (n = 15). Maximum phosphorylation of protein P53 occurred within 2 min with 2 μM free Ca²⁺ and 0.7 μM calmodulin. Incorporation of label into protein P53 was inhibited by trifluoperazine or W7 but not by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor. Phosphorylation of a protein of similar molecular weight could be enhanced to a lesser extent in the absence of Ca²⁺ but in the presence of cyclic AMP and 3-isobutylmethylxanthine: this phosphorylation was blocked by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor. Cyclic AMP also stimulated incorporation of label into polypeptides of molecular weights 55 000 and 70–80 000. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that protein phosphorylation mechanisms may play a role in the regulation of insulin secretion.     

Characteristics of magnesium-dependent, Ca2+ -stimulated endogenous protein kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of basic proteins in myelin isolated from rat brain stem white matter

Purified myelin fraction isolated from rat brain white matter contained Mg²⁺-dependent protein kinase capable of phosphorylation of myelin basic proteins. The Mg²⁺-supported kinase was markedly stimulated (two- to fivefold) by micromolar concentrations of free Ca²⁺ with and without Triton X-100 in the assay, the degree of stimulation being greater with the detergent present. Cyclic AMP, on the other hand, failed to show any effect on phosphorylation of myelin in the absence of Triton X-100 and in the presence of Triton caused only 25–30% stimulation. The phosphorylation reaction was temperature dependent and exhibited a pH optimum at pH 6.5. Apparent affinity toward MgATP^2? was found to be about 70 μm and Ca²⁺ had no effect on this parameter. Dependence on MgCl₂ of myelin phosphorylation indicated the presence of high- and low-affinity sites toward Mg²⁺; Ca²⁺ appeared to influence the low-affinity site. Maximal level of phosphorylation was attained by 10–15 min at 30 °C and it declined at longer incubation times due to phosphatase activity present in the preparation. Stimulatory effect of Ca²⁺ on phosphorylation was not due to inhibition of phosphatase activity. Dephosphorylation experiments showed that neither cyclic AMP nor Ca²⁺ influenced the myelin phosphatase activity. Autoradiographic analysis revealed that phosphorylation of myelin basic proteins accounted for nearly 90% of total myelin phosphorylation. This was supported by the observation that the HCl extract of myelin contained 85% of total activity and comigrated with purified myelin basic proteins. Basal and Ca²⁺-stimulated phosphorylation of basic proteins were due to phosphorylation of serines mainly, although threonine was phosphorylated to a minor extent. Within myelin, Ca²⁺ and cyclic AMP kinases are differentially bound. It appears that the myelin kinase (studied in vitro) is primarily influenced by Ca²⁺ rather than cyclic AMP. Inhibitors (Type I and Type II) of cyclic nucleotide-stimulated protein kinases had no effect on the Ca²⁺-stimulated phosphorylation although basal and cyclic AMP-stimulated phosphorylation was inhibited, indicating that the Ca²⁺ kinase is a separate and distinct enzyme from the cyclic AMP-stimulated and basal kinase(s). Also, leupeptin, a protease inhibitor, did not influence basal, cyclic AMP-stimulated, or Ca²⁺-stimulated myelin phosphorylation, indicating that under the conditions used protease(s) did not alter the myelin kinase activity. The potential significance of phosphorylation of myelin basic proteins and the stimulatory action of Ca²⁺ on this reaction are discussed.     

Protein kinases in brown adipose tissue of developing rats I. GTP as nucleotide substrate for histone phosphorylation

100 000 × g soluble extracts from interscapular brown adipose tissue catalyzed the transfer of the terminal phosphoryl group from GTP to histone. Maximal velocity was achieved only with both cyclic AMP and ATP present. The cyclic AMP dose-response curve was the same as for the ATP-utilizing enzyme, with maximum stimulation at 0.5 μM. ATP (1–100 μM) increased the rate of histone phosphorylation with GTP as the radioactive substrate. Higher concentrations had a dilution effect similar to that of GTP on the ATP-utilizing enzyme. Similar effects were observed with ADP and AMP. The apparent K_m values for histone were the same with both GTP and ATP as nucleotide substrates. The effects of pH, purified beef muscle kinase inhibitor and of NaCl were also the same. Maximum velocities of histone phosphorylation from ATP and those from GTP were almost the same in brown fat of all age groups tested. Separated on histone-Sepharose, the GTP-utilizing activity was absolutely dependent on the re-addition of the ATP-utilizing enzyme (a linear relationship with a slope of approx. 0.95). An extremely active nucleotide phosphotransferase activity was found in the same subcellular fraction. The rate of equilibration of the γ-³² P between GTP and ATP could account for all the histone phosphorylation with [γ-³² P] GTP. It is concluded that, in spite of the presence of nucleotide phosphotransferase and ATP-protein kinase activities, a direct transfer from GTP to a protein substrate cannot be excluded. Also, histone may not be the natural protein acceptor for GTP-linked phosphorylation.     

Activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and stimulation of protein phosphorylation in response to adenosine in C-1300 murine neuroblastoma

DEAE-cellulose chromatography of the 20,000g supernatant fraction of homogenates of C-1300 murine neuroblastoma (clone N2a) yields one major and two minor peaks of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity. Assessment of the endogenous activation state of the enzyme(s) reveals that the enzyme is fully activated by the treatment of whole cells with adenosine (10 μM) in the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor Ro 20 1724 (0.7 mM). This treatment produces a large elevation in the cyclic AMP content of the cells. The treatment of whole cells with adenosine alone (1–100 μM) or Ro 20 1724 alone (0.1–0.7 mM) produces minimal elevations in cyclic AMP but nevertheless causes significant activations of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. The autophosphorylation of whole homogenates of treated and untreated cells was studied using [γ-³²P] ATP, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Treatments which activate cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase selectively stimulate the incorporation of ³²P into several proteins. This stimulation is most prominent in the 15,000-dalton protein band. The addition of cyclic AMP to phosphorylation reactions containing homogenate of untreated cells stimulates the phosphorylation of the same protein bands. These results indicate that adenosine may have regulatory functions through its effect on the cyclic AMP: cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase system.     

Cyclic AMP stimulated phosphorylation of liver pyruvate kinase in hepatocytes.

The addition of glucagon (10^?6 M) to an incubation mixture containing ³²Pi and hepatocytes isolated from livers of rats fed $\text{ad libitum}$ results in both a 3-fold increased incorporation of ³²P into L-type pyruvate kinase and a decreased catalytic activity. The ³²P incorporated into pyruvate kinase was covalently bound to the enzyme as evidenced by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. In addition, exogenous cyclic AMP (10^?3 M) stimulated the phosphorylation and the suppression of catalytic activity to a similar extent. On the other hand, insulin (10^?7 M) had essentially no effect on the incorporation of ³²P into pyruvate kinase or on its catalytic activity under the conditions used in this study. These results suggest that phosphorylation of pyruvate kinase $\text{invivo}$ is stimulated by glucagon via cyclic AMP and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and that the activity of the enzyme is, at least in part, regulated by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation mechanism.     

Developmental changes in the cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of a protein endogenous to murine brain and liver.

Brain and liver cytosol extracts from mice of different ages were incubated with (γ-³²P)ATP. The phosphorylated substrates were separated by gel electrophoresis and examined by autoradiography. The amount of P³² that could be incorporated into a 49,000 M.W. protein (called protein 49) postnatally increased in brain but decreased in liver. Cyclic AMP stimulated both the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of liver protein 49 to a greater extent in adults than in neonates. Brain protein 49 phosphorylation was more sensitive to cyclic AMP in neonates than in adults.     

Catecholamine-induced phosphorylation of cardiac muscle proteins

The catecholamine-induced phosphorylation of cardiac muscle protein was investigated using a rat ventricular muscle slice preparation. Slices 0.5 mm thick and weighing 40–50 mg were incubated for 40 min in oxygenated bathing medium containing ³²P to partially label intracellular ATP. Subsequent addition of 10^?5 M isoproterenol for 10 min resulted in a 44–63% (based on protein) or a 63–70% (based on inorganic phosphate) increase in ³²P incorporation into 100 000 × g particulate and 100 000 × g supernatant (soluble) fractions without an increase into homogenates, 1000 and 29 000 × g particulate fractions prepared from the slices. The catecholamines also produced a 93% increase in ³²P incorporation ans a 27% increase in inorganic phosphate in trichloroacetic acid-insoluble protein that was obtained from ventricular slice homogenates. A significant increase in the incorporation of ³²P occurred in the 100 000 × g particulate and supernatant fractions and the acid-insoluble protein within 2 and 1 min, respectively. While the β-adrenergic blocking agent propanolol had no effect by itself on ³²P incorporation, it prevented the isoproterenol-induced incorporation of ³²P into the 100 000 × g particulate and supernatant fractions and the acid-insoluble protein. Removal of isoproterenol from the bathing medium eliminated the differences in ³²P incorporation, indicating that the effects of the catecholamine were reversible. Norepinephrine and ipinephrine at 10^?5 M caused phosphorylation effects similar to that of isoproterenol. When the slices were bathed under anoxic conditions isoproterenol failed to enhance the incorporation of ³²P into proteins of the 100 000 ×g particulate and supernatant fractions or acid-insoluble protein. SDS gel eloectrophoresis of ventricular slice homogenates revealed that isoproterenol enhanced the ³²P incorporation into several myocardial proteins having molecular weights of 155, 94 (glycogen phosphorylase), 79, 68–77, and 54–59 · 10³ and decreased the incorporation into a 30 · 10³ dalton protein(s). These results are consistent with the notion that catecholamines may increase the phosphorylation of myocardial proteins in the intact myocardium which in turn may play a role in catecholamine-induced glycogenolysis and augmentation of contractility.     

High tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity in normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Tyrosine-specific protein kinase (ATP: protein phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.37) activity was measured in normal human nonadherent peripheral blood lymphocytes using synthetic peptide substrates having sequence homologies with either pp60^src or c-myc. A high level of tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity was found associated with the cell particulate fraction (100 000 × g pellet). High-pressure liquid chromatography and phosphoamino acid analysis of the synthetic peptide substrates substantiated the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues by the particulate fraction enzyme. The human enzyme was also capable of phosphorylating a synthetic random polymer of 80% glutamic acid and 20% tyrosine. Enzyme activity was half-maximal with 22 μM Mg·ATP and had apparent K_m values for the synthetic peptides from 1.9 to 7.1 mM. The enzyme preferred Mg²⁺ to Mn²⁺ for optimal activity and was stimulated 2–5-fold by low levels (0.05%) of some ionic as well as non-ionic detergents including deoxycholate, Nonidet P-40 and Triton X-100. The enzyme activity was not stimulated by N⁶;O^2′-dibutyryl cyclic AMP (100 μM), N⁶;O^2′-dibutyryl cyclic GMP (100 μM), Ca²⁺ (200 μM), insulin (1 μg/ml) or homogeneous human T-cell growth factor (3 μg/ml) under the conditions used. Alkaline-resistant phosphorylation of particulate proteins in vitro revealed protein bands with M_r 59 000 and 54 000 suggesting that there are endogenous substrates for the human lymphocyte tyrosine protein kinase.     

Regulation by lipolytic and antillipolytic compounds of the phosphorylation of specific proteins in isolated intact fat cells.

The effects of various lipolytic and antilipolytic compounds on the phosphorylation of specific proteins, on lipolysis, and on cyclic AMP levels have been studied in isolated intact fat cells of rats. Norepinephrine (NE), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), and monobutyryl cyclic AMP (MBcAMP) each increased the incorporation of [³²P] into three proteins, with apparent molecular weights of approximately 130,000 (protein A), 69,000 (protein B), and 47,000 (protein C), as determined by gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (DodSO₄^?). The concentrations of lipolytic agents necessary to obtain a half-maximal increase in phosphorylation of these proteins were similar to the concentrations necessary to obtain a half-maximal stimulation of lipolysis. Propranolol, a β-adrenergic blocking agent, blocked the effects of NE both on protein phosphorylation and on lipolysis, but did not modify the effects of ACTH, IBMX, or MBcAMP on these parameters. When the NE-induced increase in phosphorylation of proteins B and C was maximal, addition of propranolol resulted in a rapid dephosphorylation of these proteins and a rapid cessation of lipolysis; under the same experimental conditions, propranolol had almost no effect on the dephosphorylation of protein A. Concentrations of insulin that prevented or reversed the actions of NE and ACTH on lipolysis also prevented or reversed the NE- and ACTH-induced increase in [³²P] incorporation into proteins B and C. Insulin did not modify the effects of IBMX or MBcAMP either on lipolysis or on [³²P] incorporation into proteins B and C. Insulin increased the incorporation of [³²P] into a protein which, by several criteria, appeared to be protein A. Under a variety of experimental conditions in which lipolytic and antilipolytic hormones were studied, the rate of lipolysis correlated well with the level of phosphorylation of proteins B and C, but not with the level of cyclic AMP.     

Cyclic AMP stimulation of membrane phosphorylation and Ca2+-activated,Mg2+-dependent ATPase in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum

Ca²⁺-activated ATPase (EC 3.6.1.15) in canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum was stimulated 50–80% by cyclic adenosine 3′ : 5′-monophosphate. The relationship of this stimulation to cyclic AMP-dependent membrane phosphorylation with phosphoester bands was studied. Cyclic AMP stimulation of ATPase activity was specific for Ca²⁺-activated ATPase and was half-maximal at about 0.1 μM which is similar to the concentration required for half-maximal stimulation of membrane phosphorylation by endogenous cyclic AMP-stimulated protein kinase (EC 2.7.1.37). Cyclic AMP stimulation of Ca²⁺-activated ATPase was calcium dependent and maximal at calculated Ca²⁺ concentrations of 2.0 μM. Cyclic AMP-dependent Ca²⁺-activated ATPase correlated well with the cyclic AMP-dependent membrane phosphorylation of which 80% was 20 000 molecular weight protein identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In trypsin-treated microsomes, cyclic AMP did not stimulate Ca²⁺-activated ATPase or phosphorylation of the 20 000 molecular weight membrane protein. An endogenous calcium-stimulated protein kinase (probably phosphorylase b kinase) with an apparent K_m for ATP of 0.21–0.32 mM was present and appeared to be involved in the cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of the 20 000 molecular weight protein which was calcium dependent. Cyclic guanosine 3′ : 5′-monophosphate did not inhibit any of the stimulatory effects of cyclic AMP. These data suggest that the cyclic AMP stimulation of Ca²⁺-activated ATPase in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum is mediated by the 20 000 molecular weight phosphoprotein product of a series of kinase reactions similar to those activating phosphorylase b.     

Cyclic nucleotide- and calcium-independent phosphorylation of proteins in rat brain polyribosome: Effects of ACTH,spermine, and hemin

The incorporation of [-³²P]ATP into proteins of rat brain polyribosomes was studied in vitro. The effects of cyclic nucleotides, calcium, hemin, ACTH, GTP, and spermine were examined. The incorporation of phosphate into proteins increased with time and phosphatase activity was very low; thus, the extent of phosphorylation was predominantly a reflection of protein kinase activity. Phosphorylation of proteins was not sensitive to Ca²⁺ in the presence or absence of either calmodulin or phosphatidylserine. Phosphorylation was also unaffected by cyclic nucleotides in the absence of exogenous enzymes. However, addition of a cMAP-dependent protein kinase together with cAMP resulted in a stimulation of the incorporation of phosphate into 4 phosphoproteins (pp70, pp58, pp43, and pp32); phosphorylation of pp32 was completely dependent on the addition of the kinase. ACTH (1–24), (11–24), and spermine inhibited the endogenous phosphorylation of one protein band (pp30). The phosphorylation of this 30 kD band was also selectively increased by hemin (5 M). Higher concentrations of hemin exerted an inhibitory effect on the majority of the phosphoproteins. Protein phosphatase activity was not influenced by ACTH or spermine. The specific inhibition of pp30 phosphorylation by ACTH or spermine is most probably explained by an interaction with a cyclic nucleotide- and Ca²⁺-independent protein kinase.     

Effects of cyclic adenosine 3': 5'-monophosphate on phosphoprotein kinase and phosphatase fractions prepared from rat liver nuclei.

A soluble rat liver nuclear extract containing total RNA polymerase activities also exhibits appreciable amounts of protein kinase activity. This unfractionated protein kinase catalyzes the phosphorylation of both endogenous proteins and exogenous lysine-rich histone in the presence of [γ-³²P]ATP and Mg²⁺. The optimal concentration of Mg²⁺ is 5 mm for histone phosphorylation and 25 mm for the phosphorylation of endogenous proteins. Cyclic AMP has no effect on the phosphorylation of lysine-rich histone by this unfractionated nuclear protein kinase. However, addition of cyclic AMP causes a reduction in the ³²P-labeling of an endogenous protein (CAI) which can be characterized by its mobility during SDS-acrylamide gel electrophoresis and elution in the unbound fraction of a DEAESephadex column. If CAI is first labeled with ³²P and then incubated with 10^?6m cyclic AMP under conditions where protein kinase activity is inhibited, the presence of the cyclic nucleotide causes a loss of the ³²P-labeling of this protein, implying the activation of a substrate-specific protein phosphatase. When rat liver RNA polymerases are purified by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, protein kinase activity is found in the unbound fraction and in those column fractions containing RNA polymerase I and II. The fractionated protein kinases exhibit different responses to cyclic AMP, the unbound protein kinase being stimulated and the RNA polymerase-associated protein kinases being dramatically inhibited. A second protein (CAII) whose phosphorylated state is modified by cyclic AMP is found within the DEAE-Sephadex column fractions containing RNA polymerase II. The cyclic nucleotide in this case appears to reduce labeling of CAII by inhibition of the protein kinase activity which co-chromatographs with both CAII and RNA polymerase II. Based on molecular weight estimates, neither CAI nor CAII appears to be an RNA polymerase subunit. The identity of CAI as a protein factor whose phosphorylated state influences nuclear RNA synthesis is suggested by the fact that addition of fractions containing CAI to purified RNA polymerase II inhibits the activity of this enzyme, but only if CAI has been previously incubated in the presence of cyclic AMP.     

Adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate-dependent phosphorylation of a 6000 and A 22000 dalton protein from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum

In canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP)-dependent protein kinase specifically phosphorylates two proteins, as seen by sodium dodecyl sulfate-slab gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. One protein has a molecular weight ranging between 22 000 and 24 000 daltons and has previously been identified and named phospholamban (Tada, M., Kirchberger, M.A. and Katz, A.M. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 2640–2647). The other protein that the ³²P label incorporates into has a molecular weight of approximately 6000. Like the 22 000 dalton protein, the 6000 dalton protein has characteristic of phosphoester bonding. The time-dependent course of phosphorylation shows that initially the ³²P label is incorporated more rapidly into the 22 000 dalton protein than the 6000 dalton protein, with both proteins reaching a steady-state level of phosphorylation after 10 min of incubation. When both protein kinase and cyclic AMP are eliminated from the incubation medium, both the 22 000 and the 6000 dalton protein are still phosphorylated but only to about a quarter of the activity found when cyclic AMP and protein kinase are included in the incubation mixture. The addition of phosphodiesterase completely eliminates the phosphorylation of both proteins. Treating the microsomes with trypsin prevents subsequent phosphorylation of either protein. Phosphorylating the microsomes first, then treating with trypsin, renders both the 22 000 and the 6000 dalton proteins resistant to even prolonged trypsin attack. Unphosphorylated, both proteins are solubilized by a very low concentration of deoxycholate. After phosphorylation the proteins cannot be solubilized by deoxycholate. Phosphorylation appears to alter greatly the physical properties of these proteins.Control experiments exclude the possibility that a lipid is being phosphorylated. After phosphorylation, the phosphorylated 22 000 dalton protein is separated from the 6000 dalton protein by proteolipid extraction. After first treating the microsomes with methanol, the 22 000 dalton protein is then soluble in acidified chloroform/methanol, while the 6000 dalton protein remains insoluble. The finding that both proteins have much different biochemical properties when phosphorylated than when not, may be relevant in how they regulate calcium transport in the sarcoplasmic reticulum.     

Independent modulation of hepatic protein kinase activities

The effects of hormonal status on protein kinase activity was examined in homogenates of rat liver. Protein kinase activity was evaluated from incorporation of ³²P from [γ-³²P]ATP into protamine or histone as receptor substrates. Protamine phosphorylation in the presence or absence of cyclic AMP exceeded histone phosphorylation by at least a factor or two. Hypophysectomy markedly increased protamine phosphorylation in the presence or absence of saturating amounts of cyclic AMP. In contrast, hypophysectomy only slightly increased cyclic AMP independent phosphorylation of histone. These results could not be accounted for by differences in ATPase or protein phosphase activities. Cortisone (2 mg/day × 3) decreased total protein kinase activity in livers of hypophysectomized rats when protamine was substrate, but had no effect on the total activity toward histone. Growth hormone (100 μg/day × 3) significantly increased histone, but not protamine phosphorylation in livers of hypophysectomized rats. Administration of 5 μg of triiodothyronine/day to hypophysectomized rats also markedly increased the phosphorylation of histone, but not protamine when saturating amounts of cyclic AMP were present. These results support the hypothesis that liver may contain more than one type of protein kinase activity and that the different protein kinase activities can be separately affected by hormones. Such control distal to cyclic AMP might allow selective modulation of cyclic AMP-dependent processes in cells which carry out more than one such process.     

Phosphorylation of keratin polypeptides

The phosphorylation of keratin polypeptides was examined in calf snout epidermis. When slices of epidermis were incubated in the medium containing ³²P_i, the radioactivity was incorporated into several proteins. The predominant phosphorylated proteins migrated in SDS-polyacrylamide gels with apparent molecular weight between 49000 and 69000 and coincided with keratin polypeptides. The extent of keratin phosphorylation was not altered in the presence of dibutyryl cyclic AMP or reagents which elevate intracellular cyclic AMP. When homogenates of epidermis were incubated with [γ-³²P]ATP, keratin polypeptides were the predominant species phosphorylated as was also observed in epidermal slices. The presence of cyclic AMP or heat-stable inhibitor of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase in the reaction mixture did not affect the phosphorylation of keratin polypeptides, although the phosphorylation of exogenously-added histone was stimulated and inhibited, respectively, by these additions. Keratin polypeptides extracted from calf snout epidermis by 8 M urea were phosphorylated by incubation with [γ-³²P]ATP and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase form calf snout epidermis or bovine heart. No proteins were phosphorylated without the addition of the enzymes. The presence of cyclic AMP in the reaction mixture stimulated the keratin phosphorylation, and further addition of heat-stable protein kinase inhibitor reduced this stimulation.     

Partial characterization of protein kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of low molecular weight proteins in purified preparations of pigeon heart sarcolemma and sarcoplasmic reticulum

Pigeon heart microsomes contain three minor size protein kinase substrates of minimal molecular weights of 22 000, 15 000, and 11 500, as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. When the microsomes were partially loaded with calcium oxalate and subjected to rate zonal and isopynic centrifugations in sucrose density gradient columns, the 22 000 and the 15 000 dalton proteins settled in the heaviest fraction, which was composed mainly of vesicles of sarcoplasmic reticular membranes; the 11 500 dalton protein was concentrated in the lightest fractions, which consisted chiefly of vesicles of sarcolemmal origin. During incubation of the membrane fractions with Mg[γ-³²P]ATP significant amounts of ³²P were incorporated into all these proteins. Incorporation of ³²P into the 15 000 dalton protein was moderately and ³²P incorporation into the 22 000 dalton protein was markedly enhanced in the presence of exogenous soluble cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and cyclic AMP. The phosphorylation of the three proteins was virtually unaffected by CA²⁺ concentrations up to 0.1 mM and by ethyleneglycol-bis(β-aminoethylether)-N,N′-tetraacetic acid in the absence of added Ca²⁺.Phosphorylation of the 22 000 and the 11 500 dalton proteins occurred mainly at serine residues. In the 15 000 dalton protein threonine residues were the main site of endogenous phosphorylation. Nearly equal amounts of [³²P]-phosphate were incorporated into threonine and serine residues of this protein when phosphorylation was supported by exogenous cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and cyclic AMP.The 15 000 dalton protein could be removed from its membrane attachment by extraction with an acidic chloroform/methanol mixture. This step opens the way for the purification of this membrane-bound protein kinase substrate.     

Endogenous phosphorylation of platelet membrane proteins.

The characteristics of the phosphorylating activity of platelet membranes have been studied. Plasma membranes of human platelets isolated by the glycerol lysis technique were shown to incorporate significant amounts of [³²P]phosphate into specific membrane proteins. This activity was only partially cyclic 3′:5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP)-dependent but had most of the other characteristics of protein kinases derived from other sources. Maximal stimulation of endogenous phosphorylation was obtained at 1 × 10^?7, m cyclic AMP and exceeded by approximately 30% the [³²P]phosphate incorporation in the absence of this cyclic nucleotide. The platelet membrane protein kinase was able to phosphorylate exogenous proteins, e.g., histone, fibrinogen etc., as well as endogenous membrane proteins. The latter solubilized by sodium dodecyl sulfate and separated by dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis incorporated [³²P]phosphate into three polypeptides of apparent molecular weights 52,000, 31,000, and 20,000. The phosphorylation of the polypeptide of molecular weight 52,000 was cyclic AMP-dependent.     

Protein phosphorylation and its regulation by calcium and calmodulin in membrane fractions from zucchini hypocotyls

Protein-kinase activity has been found to be associated with a membrane fraction obtained from dark-grown zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L., cv. Senator) hypocotyl hooks. Proteins of this membrane fraction were used as protein substrates. The effects of Mg²⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺ on phosphorylation, measured as ³²P incorporation, was investigated. The kinetics of phosphorylation of the individual protein peptides indicate the presence of specific phosphatase activity. Phosphorylation activity is strongly influenced by Ca²⁺. One peptide (relative molecular weight: 180,000) exhibits strong inhibition of ³²P incorporation at physiological Ca²⁺ concentrations between 0.1 and 1 μM. Phosphorylation of about 10 other proteins was enhanced by Ca²⁺, being maximal in most cases at a concentration of about 3 μM free Ca²⁺. Five out of these 10 peptides show increased phosphorylation in the presence of 1 μM calmodulin. This calmodulin-dependent enhancement of phosphorylation could be completely inhibited by the calmodulin antagonist fluphenazine. Cyclic AMP was found to have no stimulating effect on protein phosphorylation.     

Role of Telokin in Regulating Murine Gastric Fundus Smooth Muscle Tension

Telokin phosphorylation by cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase facilitates smooth muscle relaxation. In this study we examined the relaxation of gastric fundus smooth muscles from basal tone, or pre-contracted with KCl or carbachol (CCh), and the phosphorylation of telokin S13, myosin light chain (MLC) S19, MYPT1 T853, T696, and CPI-17 T38 in response to 8-Bromo-cGMP, the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP), or nitrergic neurotransmission. We compared MLC phosphorylation and the contraction and relaxation responses of gastric fundus smooth muscles from telokin^-/- mice and their wild-type littermates to KCl or CCh, and 8-Bromo-cGMP, SNP, or nitrergic neurotransmission, respectively. We compared the relaxation responses and telokin phosphorylation of gastric fundus smooth muscles from wild-type mice and W/W ^V mice which lack ICC-IM, to 8-Bromo-cGMP, SNP, or nitrergic neurotransmission. We found that telokin S13 is basally phosphorylated and that 8-Bromo-cGMP and SNP increased basal telokin phosphorylation. In muscles pre-contracted with KCl or CCh, 8-Bromo-cGMP and SNP had no effect on CPI-17 or MYPT1 phosphorylation, but increased telokin phosphorylation and reduced MLC phosphorylation. In telokin^-/- gastric fundus smooth muscles, basal tone and constitutive MLC S19 phosphorylation were increased. Pre-contracted telokin^-/- gastric fundus smooth muscles have increased contractile responses to KCl, CCh, or cholinergic neurotransmission and reduced relaxation to 8-Bromo-cGMP, SNP, and nitrergic neurotransmission. However, basal telokin phosphorylation was not increased when muscles were stimulated with lower concentrations of SNP or when the muscles were stimulated by nitrergic neurotransmission. SNP, but not nitrergic neurotransmission, increased telokin Ser13 phosphorylation in both wild-type and W/W ^V gastric fundus smooth muscles. Our findings indicate that telokin may play a role in attenuating constitutive MLC phosphorylation and provide an additional mechanism to augment gastric fundus mechanical responses to inhibitory neurotransmission.