Rabbit skeletal muscle microsomes contain two distinct phenylalkylamine-binding sites

Lu49888, a photoaffinity analog of verapamil, was used to identify specific binding sites for phenylalkylamines of calcium channels present in rabbit skeletal muscle microsomes. Direct binding equilibrium measurements and displacement curves of Lu49888 by its non-radioactive analog yielded an apparent single class of binding sites with Kd and Bmax values of 16.5 nM and 7.5 pmol/mg respectively. Lu49888 was specifically incorporated into three proteins of apparently 165 kDa, and 33 kDa. Incorporation into the 55-kDa protein was blocked by 10--50-fold higher concentrations of unlabeled phenylalkylamines compared to incorporation into the 165-kDa protein, suggesting that the 165-kDa and 55-kDa proteins contain a high and a low-affinity verapamil-binding site respectively. The photoaffinity-labeled proteins were solubilized by 1% digitonin or 1% Chaps in roughly equal amounts. The 165-kDa protein bound to wheat-germ-agglutinin(WGA)--Sepharose and sedimented in sucrose density gradients with the same constant as the purified dihydropyridine receptor, which has been reconstituted to a functional calcium channel. The 55-kDa membrane protein did not bind to the WGA-Sepharose column and sedimented in sucrose density gradients with a lower s value than the 165-kDa protein. The 165-kDa but not the 55-kDa membrane protein was specifically labeled by azidopine, the photoaffinity analogue of dihydropyridines. The 55-kDa protein of the purified dihydropyridine receptor was not significantly labeled by Lu49888 showing that the 55-kDa protein of the membrane is unrelated to the purified high-affinity dihydropyridine receptor.     

Phosphorylation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase increases the affinity for cyclic AMP

Cyclic-GMP-dependent protein kinase contains two binding sites for cGMP, which have different affinities for cGMP. Autophosphorylation of the enzyme affects mainly the binding of cGMP to the 'high'-affinity site (site 1). The enzyme binds cAMP and cAMP stimulates the phosphotransferase activity of the native enzyme half-maximally at 44 microM. Autophosphorylation of the enzyme decreases the apparent Ka value to 7 microM. Autophosphorylation does not affect the catalytic rate of the enzyme if measured at a saturating concentration of ATP. Tritiated cAMP apparently binds at 4 degrees C to one site with a Kd value of 3 microM. Binding to the second site is not measurable. Autophosphorylation of the enzyme increases the affinity of the high-affinity site for cAMP sixfold (Kd 0.46 microM) and allows the detection of a second site. In accordance with these data the dissociation rate of [3H]cAMP from the high-affinity site is decreased from 4.5 min-1 to 1.2 min-1 by autophosphorylation. Experiments in which unlabeled cAMP competes with [3H] cGMP for the two binding sites confirmed these results. Recalculation of the competition curves by a computer program for two binding sites indicated that autophosphorylation decreases the Kd value for binding of cAMP to the high-affinity site from 1.9 microM to 0.17 microM. Autophosphorylation does not affect significantly the affinity for the second site. Kd values for site 2 varied from 17 microM to 40 microM. These results suggest that autophosphorylation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase increases the affinity of the enzyme for cAMP by affecting mainly the properties of binding site 1.     

Effects of cyclic GMP on the secondary structure of cyclic GMP dependent protein kinase and analysis of the enzyme's amino-terminal domain by far-ultraviolet circular dichroism

Far-UV circular dichroism spectra of bovine lung cyclic GMP dependent protein kinase (G-kinase) show that the enzyme contains alpha-helical and beta-pleated sheet elements. Binding of cyclic GMP changes the spectra in a way consistent with the induction of beta-sheet from random coil. Examination of the amino-terminal sequence of G-kinase indicates the presence of a strongly alpha-helical segment with several features in common with the leucine zipper motif. We propose that this sequence may be the important part of the dimerization domain of the enzyme. A synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acids 1-39 of G-kinase has a strongly alpha-helical CD spectrum, supporting the predicted secondary structure of this amino-terminal sequence. In contrast to the native enzyme, a structure reduced in alpha-helix was found when a constitutively active form of G-kinase, which lacks amino acids 1-77, was studied.     

In Vivo and In Vitro Effects of Some Plant Hormones on Rat Erythrocyte Carbonic Anhydrase and Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Activities

The present study was undertaken to determine in vivo and in vitro effects of some plant growth regulators on rat erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase (CA) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activities. Both in vivo and in vitro, spermidine and kinetin did not affect enzymatic activities of CA and G6PD, whereas putrescine decreased these activities, and abscisic acid increased them. Since plants use such growth regulators, their effects should be considered on mammals consuming them since they may possess important biological effects.     

Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Revealed by Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry

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