Abstract: | Of the six distinct isoforms of mouse protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) (α, β-1, β-2, β-3, β-4 and β-5), PP2Cα was specifically phosphorylated on the serine residue(s) when expressed in COS7 cells. Analysis of phosphorylation sites using site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that Ser-375 and/or Ser-377 were phosphorylated in vivo. These serine residues were the sites of phosphorylation by casein kinase II in vitro. Phosphorylation of PP2Cα was enhanced two-fold by the addition of okadaic acid to the culture medium, but addition of cyclosporin A had no such effect. These results suggest that the expressed PP2Cα is phosphorylated by a casein kinase II-like protein kinase and dephosphorylated by PP1 and/or PP2A in COS7 cells. |