Purification, quaternary structure and immunological properties of phosphorylase kinase from chicken skeletal muscle

Phosphorylase kinase was isolated from red and white chicken skeletal muscle in a nearly homogeneous state as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. The molecular weight of the native enzyme as determined by gel filtration on Sepharose 4B is close to that of rabbit skeletal muscle phosphorylase kinase (i. e., approximately 1300 000). The molecular weights of the subunits determined by SDS gel electrophoresis are: alpha', 140 000 beta, 129 000; gamma', 44 000; delta, 17 000 (cf. the Mr values of the alpha- and gamma-subunits of the rabbit muscle isoenzyme are 146 000 and 42 000). The four subunits, alpha', beta, gamma' and delta, were found to exist in equimolar amounts as shown by a densitometric analysis of acrylamide gels; hence, the subunit formula of the chicken skeletal muscle isoenzyme is (alpha' beta gamma' delta)4. Rabbit antisera against a mixture of alpha'- and beta-subunits of chicken phosphorylase kinase yield a single precipitin line with this enzyme, do not show cross reactions of identity with the rabbit muscle enzyme but strongly inhibit the activity of the chicken enzyme and partially inhibit the activity of the rabbit muscle isoenzyme.     

Purification and properties of polycation-stimulated phosphorylase phosphatases from rabbit skeletal muscle

Four types of polycation-stimulated (PCS) phosphorylase phosphatases have been isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle. They are called PCSH (390 kDa), PCSM (250 kDa), and PCSL (200 kDa) phosphatase according to the apparent molecular weight of the native enzymes in gel filtration. Two forms of PCSH phosphatase could be separated by Mono Q fast protein liquid chromatography: PCSH1 and PCSH2. In the absence of polycations, the specific activities of the PCSH1, PCSH2, PCSM, and PCSL phosphatase were 400, 680, 600, and 3000 units/mg, respectively, using phosphorylase a as a substrate. They all contain a 62-65- and a 35-kDa subunit, the latter being the catalytic subunit. In addition PCSH1 phosphatase contains a 55-kDa subunit and the PCSM phosphatase a 72-75-kDa subunit in a substoichiometric ratio. All the PCS phosphatases are insensitive to Ca2+ calmodulin, inhibitor-1, and modulator protein. They display a high specificity for the alpha-subunit of phosphorylase kinase and a broad substrate specificity. The PCSH1 and PCSH2 phosphatases, but not the catalytic subunit (PCSC phosphatase), show a high degree of specificity for the deinhibitor protein. During the purification the phosphorylase to inhibitor-1 phosphatase activity ratio (10:1) remained constant for the PCSH and PCSL enzymes but decreased for the PCSM phosphatase. The stimulation observed with low concentrations of polycations is enzyme directed. The different enzyme forms show a characteristic concentration optimum and degree of stimulation. At higher concentrations, polycations become inhibitory and a time-dependent deactivation of the phosphatases is observed.     

Identification of a putative collagen-binding protein from chicken skeletal muscle as glycogen phosphorylase.

We have purified and generated antisera to a 95 kDa skeletal muscle protein that constitutes the largest mass fraction of gelatin-agarose binding proteins in skeletal muscle. Preliminary results indicated that this 95 kDa chicken skeletal muscle protein bound strongly to gelatin-agarose and type IV collagen-agarose, suggesting a possible function in muscle cell adhesion to collagen. However, N-terminal sequencing of proteolytic fragments of the 95 kDa protein indicates that it is the chicken skeletal muscle form of glycogen phosphorylase, the binding of which to gelatin-agarose is unlikely to be biologically relevant. Further characterization showed that the skeletal muscle form of glycogen phosphorylase is immunologically distinct from the liver and brain forms in the chicken, and suggests that, unlike mammalian skeletal muscle, chicken skeletal muscle may have two phosphorylase isoforms. Furthermore, immunolocalization data and solubility characteristics of glycogen phosphorylase in muscle extraction experiments suggest the enzyme may interact strongly with an unidentified component of the muscle cytoskeleton. Thus, this study yields a novel purification technique for skeletal muscle glycogen phosphorylase, provides new information on the distribution and isoforms of glycogen phosphorylase, and provides a caveat for using gelatin affinity chromatography as a primary step in purifying collagen-binding proteins from skeletal muscle.     

Isolation and properties of three forms of phosphorylase and phosphorylase kinase from human skeletal muscle]

Three forms of phosphorylase (I, II and III), two of which (I and II) were active in the presence of AMP and one (III) was active without AMP, were isolated from human skeletal muscles. The pI values for phosphorylases b(I) and b(II) were found to be identical (5.8-5.9). During chromatofocusing a low molecular weight protein (M(r) = 20-21 kDa, pI 4.8) was separated from phosphorylase b(II). This process was accompanied by an increase of the enzyme specific activity followed by its decline. During reconstitution of the complex the activity of phosphorylase b(II) returned to the initial level. Upon phosphorylation the amount of 32P incorporated into phosphorylase b(II) was 2 times as low as compared with rabbit phosphorylase b and human phosphorylase b(I). It may be supposed that in the human phosphorylase b(II) molecule one of the two subunits undergoes phosphorylation in vivo. This form of the enzyme is characterized by a greater affinity for glycogen and a lower sensitivity to allosteric effectors (AMP, glucose-6-phosphate, caffeine) compared with phosphorylase b(I). Thus, among the three phosphorylase forms obtained in this study, form b(II) is the most unusual one, since it is partly phosphorylated by phosphorylase kinase to form a complex with a low molecular weight protein which stabilizes its activity. A partially purified preparation of phosphorylase kinase was isolated from human skeletal muscles. The enzyme activity necessitates Ca2+ (c0.5 = 0.63 microM). At pH 6.8 the enzyme is activated by calmodulin (c0.5 = 15 microM). The enzyme activity ratio at pH 6.8/8.2 is equal to 0.18.     

Purification and properties of aminopeptidase H from chicken skeletal muscle.

Aminopeptidase H was purified from fresh chicken breast muscle by ammonium sulfate fractionation and successive chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose, Ultrogel AcA 34, activated thiol-Sepharose 4B, phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B and DEAE-cellulose again. The purified enzyme migrated as a single band on SDS/PAGE. Aminopeptidase H exhibits activity against both L-leucine beta-naphthylamide and alpha-N-benzoyl-DL-arginine beta-naphthylamide. The molecular mass of this enzyme was found to be 52 kDa on SDS/PAGE and 400 kDa on Sepharose 6B column chromatography. The optimum pH for the hydrolysis of both substrates was 8.0 and this activity was remarkably enhanced by reducing agents. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by monoiodoacetate and leupeptin, but not affected by EDTA, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, pepstatin, bestatin or puromycin. Aminopeptidase H has been shown to hydrolyze di-, tri- and tetrapeptides in the manner of an aminopeptidase, as well as the beta-naphthylamide derivatives of amino acids. However, the enzyme has not been shown to hydrolyze proteins such as hemoglobin, bovine serum albumin, myofibrillar proteins or sarcoplasmic proteins.     

Effect of acetylcholine on phosphorylase from skeletal muscle]

Acetylcholine (1-10(-5) g/ml) was shown to increase the content of active form of phosphorylase A in homogenate of cat skeletal muscle. Atropine (1-10(-5) g/ml) diminished acetylcholine-induced increase in the phosphorylase activity from 22% to 5.28%. Activating effect of acetylcholine was observed also in superatant (105000 g), although it was 2-fold decreased. No acetylcholine-induced phosphorylase activation was observed in the presence of Mg2+. Addition of Ca2+ (2.2-10(-14) M) did not affect considerably the activation process. It is concluded that the mechanism of acetylcholine-induced phosphorylase activation is different from the effect of adrenaline on phosphorylase.     

Cooperative self-association of phosphorylase kinase from rabbit skeletal muscle

Ca(2+)- and Mg(2+)-induced association of phosphorylase kinase (PhK) from rabbit skeletal muscle has been studied at the magnitudes of the ionic strength close to the physiological values (40 mM Hepes, pH 6.8, containing 0.1 M NaCl, 0.1 mM Ca(2+), 10 mM Mg(2+); 25 degrees C) and under the molecular crowding conditions produced by high concentrations (1 M) of the natural osmolyte, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). In the presence of 0.1 M NaCl two forms of PhK were registered, namely the "basic form" and "highly associated form", suggesting that PhK association may be treated as an example of cooperative association. According to the data on dynamic light scattering the average hydrodynamic radii of these forms were 16 and 144 nm. The addition of 1 M TMAO produces the time dependent increase in the light scattering intensity caused by the conversion of the basic form into the highly associated form. According to the data of the sedimentation analysis the basic form of PhK comprises a hexadecamer (M(r)=1320 kDa) and its small associates. The removal of Ca(2+) by addition of EGTA results in the reverse conversion of the highly associated form into the basic form suggesting reversibility of self-association of PhK. FAD, the ligand that is specifically bound to PhK, blocks the conversion of the basic form of PhK into the highly associated form.     

Limited proteolysis and phosphorylation of phosphorylase kinase from chicken skeletal muscles

The changes in the quaternary structure of chicken skeletal muscle phosphorylase kinase during limited proteolysis by trypsin and chymotrypsin were studied. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate of the products of phosphorylase kinase limited proteolysis revealed a similarity in the structure of the alpha'- and beta-subunits and some differences in the structure of the gamma-subunits of the chicken and rabbit enzymes. Phosphorylation with the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (up to 2 mol of 32P/mol of alpha' beta gamma' sigma monomer) and autophosphorylation (up to 8 mol of 32P/mol alpha' beta gamma' delta monomer) increased the activity of chicken phosphorylase kinase 1.5-fold and 2.0-fold, respectively. The incorporation of phosphate into the alpha' and beta-subunits in the course of the protein kinase-catalyzed reaction was demonstrated.     

Histone H1-stimulated phosphorylase phosphatase from rabbit skeletal muscle

A major rabbit skeletal muscle phosphorylase phosphatase activity which is markedly stimulated by histone H1 has been resolved from inhibitor-sensitive phosphorylase phosphatase (type-1 phosphatase), glycogen synthase kinase 3-activated phosphatase, phosphatase heat-stable inhibitor proteins, and alkaline phosphatase activity by various purification techniques. Evidence is presented that this phosphatase is a high-molecular weight form of a type-2 phosphatase. Our data suggest that this phosphatase may be regulated by histone H1, protamine or analogous polycationic compounds.     

Regulatory properties of rabbit liver phosphorylase kinase

• 1.1. Purified native rabbit liver phosphorylase kinase becomes activated during the assay of its activity while low molecular weight forms of the same enzyme do not.
• 2.2. The activation requires ATP and maganesium ions, suggesting the phosphorylation of the enzyme by a protein kinase as the mechanism involved.
• 3.3. The activation of the enzyme can be reverted by the action of a type 1 protein phosphatase isolated from the same tissue.
• 4.4. The activation can also be catalyzed by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in a process that requires a much lower ATP concentration to proceed.
• 5.5. The activation is believed to be due to an autocatalytic phosphorylation of phosphorylase kinase itself. In support of this hypothesis are the regulation of the process through calcium ions, the low levels of endogenous protein kinase detected in the purified preparation, the high ATP concentrations required in the absence of cAMP dependent protein kinase and the fact that the process cannot be blocked by an excess of the heat stable inhibitor specific for the later enzyme.
• 6.6. The low molecular weight forms of the enzyme on their side are not affected by the action of neither protein phosphatase 1 nor cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase.
• 7.7. Both activated and nonactivated phosphorylase kinase are partially dependent on calcium ions, the affinity of the former being higher than that of the latter. The low molecular forms do not require calcium ions to express their activity.

     

Purification of glycogen phosphorylase from small quantities of mouse skeletal muscle

A new approach to the purification of skeletal muscle glycogen phosphorylase is described. The purification scheme is particularly suited to preparation of the enzyme from small amounts of tissue. A combination of dye-ligand chromatography and hydrophobic chromatography yields homogenous enzyme with good recoveries. The purification is rapid and may be completed in a working day.     

A disialoganglioside of the globo-series from chicken skeletal muscle

We have isolated a disialoganglioside of the globo-series from chicken pectoral muscle. The compound was obtained by extraction followed by ion-exchange and silicic acid column chromatography and judged to be pure by thin-layer chromatography in three solvent systems. The structure of the ganglioside was determined by carbohydrate and ceramide composition analysis, sequential exoglycosidase digestion, methylation analysis, and 500-MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy to be: (formula; see text) Analysis of the ceramide moiety indicated d18:1 sphingosine as the long-chain base, and C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and C20:0 as the prevalent fatty acids. This glycolipid is only the second ganglioside of the globo-series, and the first disialo member of the series, found in chicken muscle.     

Separation of two phosphorylase kinase phosphatases from rabbit skeletal muscle.

Cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase catalyses the activation of phosphorylase kinase and the phosphorylation of two serine residues on the alpha subunit and beta subunit of phosphorylase kinase [Cohen, P., Watson, D.C. and Dixon, G.H. (1975)]. The dephosphorylation of phosphorylase kinase has been shown to be catalysed by two distinct enzymes, termed alpha-phosphorylase kinase phosphatase and beta-phosphorylase kinase phosphatase. These two enzymes show essentially absolute specificity towards the alpha and beta subunits respectively. The two phosphatases copurified through ethanol fractionation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography and ammonium sulphate precipitation, but were separated from each other by a gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. alpha-Phosphorylase kinase phosphatase was purified 500-fold from the ethanol precipitation step, and beta-phosphorylase kinase phosphatase 320-fold. The molecular weights estimated by gel filtration were 170--180 000 for alpha-phosphorylase kinase phosphatase and 75--80 000 for beta-phosphorylase kinase phosphatase. Since the activity of phosphorylase kinase correlates with the state of phosphorylation of the beta subunit (Cohen, P. (1974)), beta-phosphorylase kinase phosphatase is the enzyme which reverses the activation of phosphorylase kinase. alpha-Phosphorylase kinase phosphatase is an enzyme activity that has not been recognised previously. Since the role of the alpha-subunit phosphorylation is to stimulate the rate of dephosphorylation of the beta subunit (Cohen, P. (1974)), alpha-phosphorylase kinase phosphatase can be regarded as the enzyme which inhibits the reversal of the activation of phosphorylase kinase. The implications of these findings for the hormonal control of phosphorylase kinase activity by multisite phosphorylation are discussed.     

Autophosphorylation of the alpha subunit of phosphorylase kinase from rabbit skeletal muscle

The autophosphorylation of the alpha subunit of phosphorylase kinase occurs simultaneously at multiple sites during incorporation of the first mol of phosphate. The predominant and initial autophosphorylation site on this subunit is different than the major site phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase, which also phosphorylates multiple sites, as evidenced by two-dimensional phosphopeptide maps. All of the sites on the alpha subunit phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase comigrate on peptide maps with autophosphorylation phosphopeptides; however, several phosphopeptides observed after autophosphorylation are not evident following phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The phosphopeptide maps of the alpha subunit are the same whether autophosphorylation is carried out at pH 6.8 or 8.2 or whether MnATP is used instead of MgATP; there is only a slight difference in the maps brought about by EGTA-insensitive autophosphorylation. The autophosphorylation is shown to be an intrinsic activity of the phosphorylase kinase molecule; this conclusion is based on the observed copurification of the autophosphorylation activity with activities toward phosphorylase b and kappa-casein and the unaltered influence of various effectors on these activities throughout different sequential adsorption chromatography purification steps. Additional support to that already in the literature that the initial autophosphorylation events are predominantly intramolecular is gained by showing that previously autophosphorylated enzyme has little ability to catalyze the phosphorylation of nonphosphorylated enzyme.     

Phosphorylase kinase from chicken skeletal muscle. Quaternary structure, regulatory properties and partial proteolysis

Phosphorylase kinase has been purified from white and red chicken skeletal muscle to near homogeneity, as judged by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gel electrophoresis. The molecular mass of the native enzyme, estimated by chromatography on Sepharose 4B, is similar to that of rabbit skeletal muscle phosphorylase kinase, i.e. 1320 kDa. The purified enzyme both from white and red muscles showed four subunits upon polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of SDS, corresponding to alpha', beta, gamma' and delta with molecular masses of 140 kDa, 129 kDa, 44 kDa and 17 kDa respectively. Based on the molecular mass of 1320 kDa for the native enzyme and on the molar ratio of subunits as estimated from densitometric tracings of the polyacrylamide gels, a subunit formula (alpha' beta gamma' delta)4 has been proposed. The antiserum against the mixture of the alpha' and beta subunits of chicken phosphorylase kinase gave a single precipitin line with the chicken enzyme but did not cross-react with the rabbit skeletal muscle phosphorylase kinase. The pH 6.8/8.2 activity ratio of phosphorylase kinase from chicken skeletal muscle varied from 0.3 to 0.5 for different preparations of the enzyme. Chicken phosphorylase kinase could utilize rabbit phosphorylase b as a substrate with an apparent Km value of 0.02 mM at pH 8.2. The apparent V (18 mumol min-1 mg-1) and Km values for ATP at pH 8.2 (0.20 mM) were of the same order of magnitude as that of the purified rabbit phosphorylase kinase b. The activity of chicken phosphorylase kinase was largely dependent on Ca2+. The chicken enzyme was activated 2-4-fold by calmodulin and troponin C, with concentrations for half-maximal activation of 2 nM and 0.1 microM respectively. Phosphorylation with the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (up to 2 mol 32P/mol alpha beta gamma delta monomer) and autophosphorylation (up to 8 mol 32P/mol alpha beta gamma delta monomer) increased the activity 1.5-fold and 2-fold respectively. Limited tryptic and chymotryptic hydrolysis of chicken phosphorylase kinase stimulated its activity 2-fold. Electrophoretic analysis of the products of proteolytic attack suggests some differences in the structure of the rabbit and chicken gamma subunits and some similarities in the structure of the rabbit red muscle and chicken alpha'.