Separation and identification of type 1 and type 2 protein phosphatases from rabbit reticulocyte lysates

Protein phosphatase type 1 and type 2 activities (designated PP-1 and PP-2, respectively) from rabbit reticulocyte lysates have been identified and characterized based on criteria previously established for similar activities in rabbit skeletal muscle and rabbit liver. These include (a) chromatographic separation on DEAE-cellulose, (b) substrate specificity toward glycogen phosphorylase a and the alpha- and beta-subunits of phosphorylase kinase, (c) differential sensitivity to the heat-stable protein phosphatase inhibitors-1 and -2, and (d) sensitivity to MgATP. When total lysate phosphatases are assayed in the presence of 1 mM MnCl2, protein phosphatase type 2 represents 84% of lysate phosphorylase phosphatase activity. However, when phosphatase assays are carried out with MgATP concentrations similar to those in the lysate, type 2 activity is diminished, and the levels of type 1 (41%) and type 2 (59%) phosphatase activities are comparable. A small proportion (6%) of total lysate phosphatase is tightly bound to the ribosomes, where type 1 phosphatase predominates. At least five species of protein phosphatases can be identified in lysates. These constitute two forms of protein phosphatase type 1, one of which (designated FC) is dependent on MgATP and a lysate activator protein FA; both FC and FA have been identified previously in skeletal muscle. Three species of protein phosphatase type 2 have been identified and designated PP-2B, PP-2A1, and PP-2A2 based on criteria recently established for rabbit skeletal muscle and rabbit liver phosphatases, which display similar phosphatase profiles. Lysate protein phosphatases types 1, FC, 2A1, and 2A2 can all act on phosphorylase a and the alpha- (type 2) or beta-(type 1) subunit of phosphorylase kinase. PP-2B, a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase, specifically dephosphorylates the alpha-subunit of phosphorylase kinase, but does not act on phosphorylase alpha. The heat-stable protein phosphatase inhibitor-2 from skeletal muscle completely blocks the activity of the two type 1 phosphatases (PP-1, FC), but has no effect on the three species of type 2 protein phosphatase. A preliminary assay of the two heat-stable phosphatase inhibitors in lysates indicates significant levels of inhibitor-2, but little or no detectable inhibitor-1.     

Immunological characterization of phosphoprotein phosphatases

Phosphoprotein phosphatases regulate the biological activities of proteins through their involvement in cyclic phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cascades. A variety of multimeric phosphatases have been isolated and grouped into several classes, termed type 1 and types 2A, 2B, and 2C. To elucidate the relationship between the different phosphoprotein phosphatases, highly purified enzymes from soil amoebae, turkey gizzards, bovine heart and brain, and rabbit skeletal muscle and reticulocytes were tested for immunological antigenic relatedness. Two heterologous antibody preparations were employed for this purpose. One was made against an Acanthamoeba type 2A phosphatase and the other was made to bovine brain phosphatase type 2B (calcineurin, holoenzyme). Specific subunit cross-reactivity was examined by protein blot ("Western") analysis. The antibody to the type 2A phosphatase reacted with the catalytic subunits of every type 2 enzyme tested, including both the catalytic and Ca2+-binding subunits of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent type 2B phosphatase (calcineurin), bovine cardiac type 2A phosphatase, and turkey gizzard smooth muscle phosphatase-1 (type 2A1). It did not react with any type 1 phosphatase (catalytic subunit or ATP-Mg-dependent). The antigenic relatedness of calcineurin and the bovine cardiac type 2A phosphatase (Mr 38,000) was demonstrated further by protein blot analysis showing that the anti-calcineurin antibody cross-reacted with both enzymes. The mutual cross-reactivity poses an intriguing problem because these enzymes are so different in their molecular structures and modes of regulation. The degree of evolutionary conservation exhibited by the antigenic cross-reactivity of the type 2 enzymes from a broad range of species and tissues suggests a strong selective pressure on maintaining one or more features of these important regulatory enzymes.     

Inhibitory effect of a marine-sponge toxin, okadaic acid, on protein phosphatases. Specificity and kinetics.

The inhibitory effect of a marine-sponge toxin, okadaic acid, was examined on type 1, type 2A, type 2B and type 2C protein phosphatases as well as on a polycation-modulated (PCM) phosphatase. Of the protein phosphatases examined, the catalytic subunit of type 2A phosphatase from rabbit skeletal muscle was most potently inhibited. For the phosphorylated myosin light-chain (PMLC) phosphatase activity of the enzyme, the concentration of okadaic acid required to obtain 50% inhibition (ID50) was about 1 nM. The PMLC phosphatase activities of type 1 and PCM phosphatase were also strongly inhibited (ID50 0.1-0.5 microM). The PMCL phosphatase activity of type 2B phosphatase (calcineurin) was inhibited to a lesser extent (ID50 4-5 microM). Similar results were obtained for the phosphorylase a phosphatase activity of type 1 and PCM phosphatases and for the p-nitrophenyl phosphate phosphatase activity of calcineurin. The following phosphatases were not affected by up to 10 microM-okadaic acid: type 2C phosphatase, phosphotyrosyl phosphatase, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate phosphatase, acid phosphatases and alkaline phosphatases. Thus okadaic acid had a relatively high specificity for type 2A, type 1 and PCM phosphatases. Kinetic studies showed that okadaic acid acts as a non-competitive or mixed inhibitor on the okadaic acid-sensitive enzymes.     

Differential susceptibilities of serine/threonine phosphatases to oxidative and nitrosative stress

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are signal-transducing molecules that regulate the activities of a variety of proteins. In the present investigation, we have compared the effects of superoxide (O2-), nitric oxide (NO), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the activities of three highly homologous serine/threonine phosphatases, protein phosphatase type 1 (PP1), protein phosphatase type 2A (PP2A), and calcineurin (protein phosphatase type 2B). Although superoxide, generated from xanthine/xanthine oxidase or paraquat, and NO, generated from (+/-)-(E)-4-ethyl-2-[(E)-hydroxyimino]-5-nitro-3-hexenamide or sodium nitroprusside, potently inhibited the phosphatase activity of calcineurin in neuroblastoma cell lysates, they had relatively little effect on the activities of PP1 or PP2A. In contrast, H2O2 inhibited the activities of all three phosphatases in lysates but was not a potent inhibitor for any of the enzymes. Calcineurin inactivated by O2-, NO, and H2O2 could be partially reactivated by the reducing agent ascorbate or by the thiol-specific reagent dithiothreitol (DTT). Maximal reactivation was achieved by the addition of both reagents, which suggests that ROS and RNS inhibit calcineurin by oxidizing both a catalytic metal(s) and a critical thiol(s). Reactivation of H2O2-treated PP1 also required the combination of both ascorbate and DTT, whereas PP2A required only DTT for reactivation. These results suggest that, despite their highly homologous structures, calcineurin is the only major Ser/Thr phosphatase that is a sensitive target for inhibition by superoxide and nitric oxide and that none of the phosphatases are sensitive to inhibition by hydrogen peroxide.     

Changes in the activity of type 2A protein phosphatases during meiotic maturation and the first mitotic cell cycle in mouse oocytes.

We have established an assay to measure protein phosphatase activity in mouse oocytes using [32P]-radiolabeled phosphorylase a as the substrate. Removal of the radiolabel from the substrate in vitro was linear with time and could be inhibited totally by the addition of okadaic acid (inhibitor of type 1 and type 2 protein phosphatases), or partially by protein inhibitor 2 (inhibitor of type 1 protein phosphatases). We performed a detailed study of the activity of type 2A protein phosphatases in mouse oocytes undergoing meiotic maturation and after parthenogenetic activation of mature oocytes arrested in metaphase II. Significant changes in the activity of type 2A protein phosphatases were observed during the first meiotic and the first mitotic cell cycles. These alterations in type 2A protein phosphatase activity occurred in the absence of changes in the quantity of the catalytic sub-unit and can be correlated with changes in the activity of protein kinases and rearrangement of the cellular cytoskeleton. Our observations support a role for type 2A protein phosphatases in cell cycle regulation and demonstrate that, like the protein kinases, the type 2A phosphatases also undergo changes in their activity during early mammalian development.     

Dephosphorylation of the human T lymphocyte CD3 antigen

Previous studies demonstrated that activation of T lymphocytes by phorbol ester or mitogenic lectin leads to phosphorylation of Ser 126 of the CD3 antigen gamma chain, whereas treatment with ionomycin results in phosphorylation of both Ser 123 and 126 [Davies, A. A. et al. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 10918-10921]. In the present study, the dephosphorylation of Ser 123 and Ser 126 of the gamma chain was investigated. Phorbol-ester-induced phosphorylation of the gamma-chain Ser 126 in vivo was reversed following removal of phorbol ester. Dephosphorylation of both Ser 123 and 126 was also observed in vitro using the microsome fraction of T lymphocytes. In order to identify the phosphatases acting at these two sites, the immunoprecipitated gamma chain was used as substrate either following treatment with protein kinase C in vitro, in which case phosphorylation occurs mainly at Ser 123, or following in vivo phosphorylation of Ser 126. Purified oligomeric forms of the polycation-stimulated phosphatases were more effective in dephosphorylating both phosphorylated forms of the gamma chain compared with equivalent amounts of ATP,Mg2+-dependent phosphatases or calcineurin. By using phosphopeptide analogues of the CD3 gamma chain containing Ser 123 or Ser 126 as substrates (A3 and A6), it was shown that polycation-stimulated phosphatases selectively dephosphorylated Ser 123 compared to Ser 126. In order to determine which phosphatases dephosphorylate the gamma chain in microsomes, A3 and A6 were used as substrates for characterising phosphatases in microsomes from human T leukaemia Jurkat 6 cells. Three phosphopeptide phosphatases (250-400 kDa) co-eluted through five purification steps with three forms of polycation-stimulated phosphorylase phosphatase. The partially purified A3/A6 phosphopeptide phosphatases were insensitive to Ca2+, calmodulin and inhibitor-1, and dephosphorylated A3 preferentially compared with A6. A latent form of microsomal ATP,Mg2+-dependent phosphorylase phosphatase was stimulated 10-fold by trypsinisation, but did not dephosphorylate phosphopeptides A3 and A6. The results show that high-Mr forms of polycation-stimulated phosphatases are the only enzymes in human T leukaemia cell microsomes which dephosphorylate gamma chain phosphopeptides. The data point to an important role for polycation-stimulated phosphatases in regulating the phosphorylation state, and so function(s), of the CD3 antigen.     

Cdc2 H1 kinase is negatively regulated by a type 2A phosphatase in the Xenopus early embryonic cell cycle: evidence from the effects of okadaic acid.

In Xenopus embryos, the cell cycle is abbreviated to a rapid alternation between interphase and mitosis. The onset of each M phase is induced by the periodic activation of the cdc2 kinase which is triggered by a threshold level of cyclins and apparently involves dephosphorylation of p34cdc2. We have prepared post-ribosomal supernatants from eggs sampled during interphase (interphase extracts) and just before the first mitosis of the early embryonic cell cycle (prophase extracts). In 'interphase extracts', the cdc2 kinase never activates spontaneously upon incubation at room temperature whereas in 'prophase extracts' it does. We show here that in 'interphase extracts', specific inhibition of type 2A phosphatase by okadaic acid induces cdc2 kinase activation. This requires a subthreshold level of cyclin and the presence of a particulate factor in the extract. Inhibition of type 1 phosphatases by inhibitor 1 and inhibitor 2 never results in cdc2 kinase activation. These results demonstrate that during the period of cyclin accumulation, cdc2 kinase activation is inhibited by a type 2A phosphatase. In 'prophase extracts', spontaneous activation of the cdc2 kinase is inhibited by beta-glycerophosphate and NaF, but not by okadaic acid, inhibitor 1 and inhibitor 2 or divalent cation chelation. This demonstrates that when enough cyclin has accumulated, cdc2 kinase activation involves a protein phosphatase which must be distinct from the type 1 and 2A phosphatases, and from the calcium-dependent (type 2B) and magnesium-dependent (type 2C) phosphatases.     

Dephosphorylation of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor and rhodopsin by latent phosphatase 2

Recent evidence suggests that the function of receptors coupled to guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins may be controlled by highly specific protein kinases, e.g. rhodopsin kinase and the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase. In order to investigate the nature of the phosphatases which might be involved in controlling the state of receptor phosphorylation we studied the ability of four highly purified well characterized protein phosphatases to dephosphorylate preparations of rhodopsin or beta 2-adrenergic receptor which had been highly phosphorylated by beta-adrenergic receptor kinase. These included: type 1 phosphatase, calcineurin phosphatase, type 2A phosphatase, and the high molecular weight latent phosphatase 2. Under conditions in which all the phosphatases could dephosphorylate such common substrates as [32P]phosphorylase a and [32P]myelin basic protein at similar rates only the latent phosphatase 2 was active on the phosphorylated receptors. Moreover, a latent phosphatase activity was found predominantly in a sequestered membrane fraction of frog erythrocytes. This parallels the distribution of a beta-adrenergic receptor phosphatase activity recently described in these cells (Sibley, D. R., Strasser, R. H., Benovic, J. L., Daniel, K., and Lefkowitz, R. J. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 83, 9408-9412). These data suggest a potential role for the latent phosphatase 2 as a specific receptor phosphatase.     

Three distinct forms of type 2A protein phosphatase in human erythrocyte cytosol

Two type 2A protein phosphatases, phosphatases I (Mr = 180,000) and III (Mr = 177,000), were purified to near homogeneity from human erythrocyte cytosol. Phosphatase I was composed of alpha (34 kDa), beta (63 kDa), and delta (74 kDa) subunits in a ratio of 1:1:1. Phosphatase III comprised alpha, beta, and gamma (53 kDa) subunits in the same ratio. Heparin-Sepharose column chromatography converted most of phosphatase I and 20% of phosphatase III into alpha 1 beta 1 which were indistinguishable from phosphatase IV (Usui, H., Kinohara, N., Yoshikawa, K., Imazu, M., Imaoka, T., and Takeda, M. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 10455-10463). The catalytic subunit alpha and the beta subunit of phosphatases I, III, and IV displayed identical V8 and papain peptide maps, respectively, while the peptide maps of the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta subunits were clearly distinct. The molar ratio of phosphatases I, III, and IV in erythrocyte cytosol was estimated to be 6:1:14. Comparison of molecular activities of alpha, alpha 1 beta 1, alpha 1 beta 1 delta 1, and alpha 1 beta 1 gamma 1 revealed that beta suppressed phosphorylase and P-H2B histone phosphatase activities of alpha but stimulated the P-H1 histone phosphatase activity, and delta suppressed all the phosphatase activities of alpha 1 beta 1. The gamma subunit stimulated the P-histone phosphatase activity of alpha 1 beta 1 but inhibited the phosphorylase and P-spectrin phosphatase activities. The beta subunit increased the Mg2+ or Mn2+ requirement for P-H2B histone phosphatase activity of alpha, an effect which was counteracted by delta. The effects of heparin, H1 histone, protamine, and polylysine on the phosphorylase phosphatase activity of phosphatases I, III, IV, and alpha were described and discussed in connection with the functions of the subunits.     

Characterization of microcystin-LR, a potent inhibitor of type 1 and type 2A protein phosphatases

The level of protein phosphorylation is dependent on the relative activities of both protein kinases and protein phosphatases. By comparison with protein kinases, however, there have been considerably fewer studies on the functions of serine/threonine protein phosphatases. This is partly due to a lack of specific protein phosphatase inhibitors that can be used as probes. In the present study we characterize the inhibitory effects of microcystin-LR, a hepatotoxic cyclic peptide associated with most strains of the blue-green algae Microcystis aeruginosa found in the Northern hemisphere, that proves to be a potent inhibitor of type 1 (IC50 = 1.7 nM) and type 2A (IC50 = 0.04 nM) protein phosphatases. Microcystin-LR inhibited the activity of both type 1 and type 2A phosphatases greater than 10-fold more potently than okadaic acid under the same conditions. Type 2A protein phosphatases in dilute mammalian cell extracts were found to be completely inhibited by 0.5 nM microcystin-LR while type 1 protein phosphatases were only slightly affected at this concentration. Thus, microcystin-LR may prove to be a useful probe for the study and identification cellular processes which are mediated by protein phosphatases.     

Interaction with Tap42 is required for the essential function of Sit4 and type 2A phosphatases

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pph21 and Pph22 are the two catalytic subunits of type 2A phosphatase (PP2Ac), and Sit4 is a major form of 2A-like phosphatase. The function of these phosphatases requires their association with different regulatory subunits. In addition to the conventional regulatory subunits, namely, the A and B subunits for Pph21/22 and the Sap proteins for Sit4, these phosphatases have been found to associate with a protein termed Tap42. In this study, we demonstrated that Sit4 and PP2Ac interact with Tap42 via an N-terminal domain that is conserved in all type 2A and 2A-like phosphatases. We found that the Sit4 phosphatase in the sit4-102 strain contains a reverse-of-charge amino acid substitution within its Tap42 binding domain and is defective for formation of the Tap42-Sit4 complex. Our results suggest that the interaction with Tap42 is required for the activity as well as for the essential function of Sit4 and PP2Ac. In addition, we showed that Tap42 is able to interact with two other 2A-like phosphatases, Pph3 and Ppg1.     

Multiplicity of protein serine-threonine phosphatases in PC12 pheochromocytoma and FTO-2B hepatoma cells

Protein purification and molecular cloning have defined five classes of protein serine-threonine phosphatase catalytic subunits referred to as types 1, 2A, 2B (calcineurin), 2C, and X. Protein serine-threonine phosphatases 1, 2A, 2B, and X appear to have significant sequence homologies, whereas the 2C enzyme is more divergent. We have used the polymerase chain reaction to define the multiplicity of the closely related types 1, 2A, 2B, and X phosphatase catalytic subunits in two clonal cell lines, rat PC12 pheochromocytoma and rat FTO-2B hepatoma. RNAs for all four related phosphatase types were expressed in both cell lines. In addition to the phosphatase X enzyme, four phosphatase 1, two phosphatase 2A, and three phosphatase 2B isoforms were identified in PC12 and FTO-2B cells. The results indicate a large multiplicity of protein serine-threonine phosphatases within clonal cells of different tissue origin, suggesting that their role in cell regulation will be as divergent as that for the protein serine-threonine kinases.     

Dephosphorylation of the small heat shock protein hsp25 by calcium/calmodulin-dependent (type 2B) protein phosphatase.

The dephosphorylation of the mouse small heat shock protein hsp25 within an extract obtained from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells is inhibited by the calcium chelator EGTA and at concentrations of microcystin-LR which are characteristic for inhibition of calcium/calmodulin-dependent (2B type) protein phosphatases. Furthermore, the dephosphorylation of hsp25 in the cell-free system derived from Ehrlich ascites tumor could be increased specifically by addition of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent (2B type) protein phosphatase calcineurin. Dephosphorylation of the heat shock protein hsp25 is also obtained in an in vitro system containing phosphorylated recombinant hsp25, 1 mM Ca2+, calmodulin, and calcineurin specifying hsp25 as the direct substrate for this enzyme. The expression of two isoforms of the catalytic subunit of the mouse calcium/calmodulin-dependent (2B type) protein phosphatases in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells is demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction using specific oligonucleotide primers to the catalytic and calmodulin-binding domain, respectively. Northern blot analysis using the amplified fragments as probes shows that the mRNA of one isoform of the mouse calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase is of medium abundance in EAT cells. These data suggest a calcium/calmodulin-dependent dephosphorylation of the small stress protein in EAT cells also in vivo. Since it is known that heat shock increases the intracellular calcium level and that thermotolerance is influenced by calcium chelators, ionophores, and anti-calmodulin drugs, the changes in the degree of hsp25 phosphorylation induced by thermal stress resulting in an altered thermoresistance could be explained at least partially by the calcium/calmodulin-dependent dephosphorylation through protein phosphatases 2B.     

Identification of high levels of type 1 and type 2A protein phosphatases in higher plants.

Extracts of Brassica napus (oilseed rape) seeds contain type 1 and type 2A protein phosphatases whose properties are indistinguishable from the corresponding enzymes in mammalian tissues. The type 1 activity dephosphorylated the beta-subunit of phosphorylase kinase selectively and was inhibited by the same concentrations of okadaic acid [IC50 (concentration causing 50% inhibition) approximately 10 nM], mammalian inhibitor 1 (IC50 = 0.6 nM) and mammalian inhibitor 2 (IC50 = 2.0 nM) as the rabbit muscle type 1 phosphatase. The plant type 2A activity dephosphorylated the alpha-subunit of phosphorylase kinase preferentially, was exquisitely sensitive to okadaic acid (IC50 approximately 0.1 nM), and was unaffected by inhibitors 1 and 2. As in mammalian tissues, a substantial proportion of plant type 1 phosphatase activity (40%) was particulate, whereas plant type 2A phosphatase was cytosolic. The specific activities of the plant type 1 and type 2A phosphatases were as high as in mammalian tissue extracts, but no type 2B or type 2C phosphatase activity was detected. The results demonstrate that the improved procedure for identifying and quantifying protein phosphatases in animal cells is applicable to higher plants, and suggests that okadaic acid may provide a new method for identifying plant enzymes that are regulated by reversible phosphorylation.     

Regulation of norepinephrine secretion in permeabilized PC12 cells by Ca2(+)-stimulated phosphorylation. Effects of protein phosphatases and phosphatase inhibitors

Protein phosphatases and phosphatase inhibitors were used to examine the role of protein phosphorylation in the regulation of norepinephrine secretion in digitonin-permeabilized PC12 cells. The addition of an exogenous type 2A protein phosphatase caused as much as a 70% decrease in Ca2(+)-dependent norepinephrine secretion. In the presence of okadaic acid, a potent inhibitor of type 2A protein phosphatases, phosphatase 2A had no effect on secretion. The addition of exogenous calcineurin, a Ca2(+)-calmodulin-stimulated phosphatase, also caused decrease in Ca2(+)-dependent secretion, but on a molar basis it was less effective than phosphatase 2A. Two phosphatase inhibitors, 1-naphthylphosphate and sodium pyrophosphate, caused 75-100% increases in the amount of norepinephrine secreted in the absence of Ca2+ without affecting the amount of norepinephrine secreted in the presence of Ca2+. This stimulation of Ca2(+)-independent secretion by 1-naphthylphosphate and pyrophosphate suggests that there is a slow rate of Ca2(+)-independent phosphorylation and that phosphorylation triggers secretion. Unlike the results obtained in the presence of ATP, secretion in the presence of adenosine-5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate), ATP gamma S, was not affected by the addition of type 2A protein phosphatase or by the addition of phosphatase inhibitors. These results are consistent with secretion in these permeabilized cells being regulated by a Ca2(+)-stimulated phosphorylation.     

Alpha4 protein as a common regulator of type 2A-related serine/threonine protein phosphatases

The catalytic activity of the C subunit of serine/threonine phosphatase 2A is regulated by the association with A (PR65) and B subunits. It has been reported that the alpha4 protein, a yeast homolog of the Tap42 protein, binds the C subunit of serine/threonine phosphatase 2A and protein phosphatase 2A-related protein phosphatases such as protein phosphatase 4 and protein phosphatase 6. In the present study, we showed that alpha4 binds these three phosphatases and the association of alpha4 reduces the activities of these phosphatases in vitro. In contrast, PR65 binds to the C subunit of serine/threonine phosphatase 2A but not to protein phosphatase 4 and protein phosphatase 6. These results suggest that the alpha4 protein is a common regulator of the C subunit of serine/threonine phosphatase 2A and protein phosphatase 2A-related protein phosphatases.     

Protein phosphatase 2A inactivates the mitogen-stimulated S6 kinase from Swiss mouse 3T3 cells

Treatment of quiescent 3T3 cells with sodium orthovanadate induces a 10-fold stimulation of a kinase that phosphorylates ribosomal protein S6. The kinase in crude extracts is extremely labile and rapidly loses activity when incubated at 37 degrees C. This reaction is blocked by phosphatase inhibitors such as p-nitrophenyl phosphate and beta-glycerophosphate, suggesting that dephosphorylation of the kinase leads to its inactivation (Novak-Hofer, I., and Thomas, G. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 10314-10319). After three steps of purification the kinase can be separated from greater than 99% of the cellular phosphorylase a phosphatases. At this stage the kinase preparation is almost completely stable but can be inactivated by readdition of specific column fractions that contain both phosphorylase phosphatase and protease activity. However, employing a number of specific inhibitors it is shown that the inactivating agent in these fractions is a protein phosphatase. Furthermore, the physical and enzymatic properties of the kinase inactivator argue that it can be classified as a type 2A phosphatase. These results are consistent with the finding that the purified catalytic subunits of phosphatase type 1 and type 2A also inactivate the kinase. At equivalent phosphorylase a phosphatase activities, the type 2A catalytic subunit is 3 times more potent than the type 1 enzyme in carrying out this reaction. These data indicate that the major S6 kinase inactivator in 3T3 cell extracts is a type 2A phosphatase, supporting the hypothesis that the orthovanadate-stimulated S6 kinase is regulated in vivo by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation mechanism.