Identity of zinc ion-dependent acid phosphatase from bovine brain and myo-inositol 1-phosphatase

A 62 kDa Zn(2+)-dependent acid phosphatase has been purified from bovine brain. The protein was carboxymethylated and then cleaved by endoproteinase Glu-C, trypsin and CNBr. Several fragments were subjected to structural analysis either by using mass spectrometry or automated peptide sequencing. The four sequenced peptides were compared with the known protein sequences contained in the EMBL Data Bank. All four peptide sequences were identical to the corresponding amino-acid sequences present in myo-inositol 1-phosphatase from bovine brain. Furthermore we found that the amino-acid composition of Zn(2+)-dependent acid phosphatase purified in our laboratory is very similar to that of myo-inositol 1-phosphatase, and that several peptide fragments have molecular weights (measured by mass spectrometry techniques) identical to those expected for cleavage-fragments originated from the authentic myo-inositol 1-phosphatase. This is one of the key enzymes in the receptor-stimulated inositol phospholipid metabolism and it has been considered as the probable target of Li+ ion during LiCl therapy in manic-depressive patients. The comparison of the Zn(2+)-dependent acid phosphatase and the Mg(2+)-dependent myo-inositol-1-phosphatase activities, measured at different purification steps, shows that the ratio between the two activities was remarkably constant during enzyme purification. We also demonstrated that in the presence of Mg2+ this enzyme efficiently catalyses the hydrolysis of myo-inositol 1-phosphate, and that the Li+ ion inhibits this activity. Furthermore, the thermal treatment of the enzyme causes a time-dependent parallel decrease of both Zn-dependent p-nitrophenyl phosphatase (assayed at pH 5.5) and Mg(2+)-dependent myo-inositol-1-phosphatase (assayed at pH 8.0) activities, suggesting the hypothesis that the same protein possesses both these activities.

Low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase interacts with the PDGF receptor directly via its catalytic site

Many proteins bind to the activated platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGF-R) either directly or by means of adapter molecules. Up to now all these proteins were shown to transmit and amplify the signal started with PDGF-R stimulation. In a recent study our group had demonstrated that low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase (LMW-PTP) specifically interacts with PDGF-R in NIH3T3 cells. In the present study we have attempted to clarify the modality of interaction, both in vivo and in vitro, of these two proteins, using a catalytically inactive LMW-PTP mutant. Our results indicate that LMW-PTP and PDGF-R interact directly, without the necessity of any adapter protein. This interaction leads to PDGF-R dephosphorylation and, presumably, interrupts one or more of the mitogenic pathways that originate from receptor activation.

The molecular basis of the differing kinetic behavior of the two low molecular mass phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase isoforms

The low molecular mass phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase is a cytosolic enzyme of 18 kDa. Mammalian species contain a single gene that codifies for two distinct isoenzymes; they are produced through alternative splicing and thus differ only in the sequence from residue 40 to residue 73. Isoenzymes differ also in substrate specificity and in the sensitivity to activity modulators. In our study, we mutated a number of residues included in the alternative 40-73 sequence by substituting the residues present in the type 2 isoenzyme with those present in type 1 and subsequently examined the kinetic properties of the purified mutated proteins. The results enabled us to identify the molecular site that determines the kinetic characteristics of each isoform; the residue in position 50 plays the main role in the determination of substrate specificity, while the residues in both positions 49 and 50 are involved in the strong activation of the type 2 low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase isoenzyme by purine compounds such as guanosine and cGMP. The sequence 49-50 is included in a loop whose N terminus is linked to the beta 2-strand and whose C terminus is linked to the alpha 2-helix; this loop is very near the active site pocket. Our findings suggest that this loop is involved both in the regulation of the enzyme activity and in the determination of the substrate specificity of the two low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase isoenzymes.

pp60v-src phosphorylates and activates low molecular weight phosphotyrosine-protein phosphatase

Low M(r) phosphotyrosine-protein phosphatase belongs to the non-receptor cytosolic phosphotyrosine-protein phosphatase subfamily. It has been demonstrated that this enzyme dephosphorylates receptor tyrosine kinases, namely the epidermal growth factor receptor in vitro and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor in vivo. Low M(r) phosphotyrosine-protein phosphatase is constitutively tyrosine-phosphorylated in NIH/3T3 cells transformed by pp60v-src. The same tyrosine kinase, previously immunoprecipitated, phosphorylates this enzyme in vitro as well. Phosphorylation is enhanced using phosphatase inhibitors and phenylarsine oxide-inactivated phosphatase, consistently with the existence of an auto-dephosphorylation process. Intermolecular dephosphorylation is demonstrated adding the active enzyme in a solution containing the inactivated and previously phosphorylated one. This tyrosine phosphorylation correlates with an increase in catalytic activity. Our results provide evidence of a physiological mechanism of low M(r) phosphotyrosine-protein phosphatase activity regulation.

Expression, purification and kinetic behaviour of fission yeast low M(r) protein-tyrosine phosphatase

A gene named stp1+, coding for a 17.5-kDa protein, that rescues cdc25-22 when overexpressed, has been previously isolated from fission yeast. Here we describe the expression and purification of Stp1 protein as a fusion with the glutathione S-transferase in E. coli and its kinetic characterisation. Stp1 deduced protein sequence shows an high homology to members of a class of cytosolic low M(r) protein phosphatase previously known to exist only in mammalian species. Stp1 has a kinetic behaviour that appears to be intermediate with respect to the two isoenzymatic forms of low M(r) protein tyrosine phosphatases present in mammalian tissues. These differing kinetic characteristics are mainly due to the sequence 45-56 that is spatially close to the active site pocket.

PDGF receptor as a specific in vivo target for low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase

Low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase (LMW-PTP) is a 18 kDa cytosolic enzyme widely distributed in eukaryotic cells. LMW-PTP catalyses the hydrolysis of phosphotyrosine residues and overexpression of the enzyme in normal and transformed cells inhibits cell proliferation. Site directed mutagenesis, together with crystallographic studies, have contributed to clarify the catalytic mechanism, which involves the active site signature sequence C12XXXXXR18, a main feature of all PTPase family members. In order to identify the LMW-PTP substrate/s we have expressed in NIH-3T3 cells a catalytically inert Cys12 to Ser phosphatase mutant which has preserved its capacity for substrate binding. Overexpression of the mutant phosphatase leads to enhanced cell proliferation and serum induced mitogenesis, indicating that the mutation results in the production of a dominant negative protein. Analysis of mutant LMW-PTP expressing cells has enabled us to demonstrate an association between LMW-PTP and platelet derived growth factor receptor that appears to be highly specific. Our data suggest a catalytic action of LMW-PTP on the phosphorylated platelet derived growth factor receptor.

Cloning and expression of the cDNA coding for the erythrocyte isoenzyme of human acylphosphatase

Three independent cDNAs coding for the erythrocyte isoform of human acylphosphatase were isolated and characterized. All the clones were incomplete at the 5' end, but Northern blot analysis using the cDNA as a probe showed the presence of an unusually long mRNA 5'-untranslated region. The transcript was present in a variety of human cell lines of different origins, although at different levels. Southern blot analysis on DNA from different individuals revealed a simple hybridization pattern. Large amounts of pure enzyme with kinetic characteristics very similar to those of the native protein were expressed in E. coli.

Kinetic studies on rat liver low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatases. The activation mechanism of the isoenzyme AcP2 by cGMP

The reaction mechanisms of p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis catalyzed by two rat liver isoenzymes of the low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase (AcP1 and AcP2) were compared. Furthermore, the effect of some heterocyclic compounds on their activities were tested. Cyclic GMP and guanosine causes a particularly high activation of the isoenzyme AcP2, whereas its effect on AcP1 is very poor. A study on the mechanism of cyclic GMP activation was carried out. The results suggest that cyclic GMP activates the AcP2 isoenzyme by increasing the rate of the step that leads to the hydrolysis of the covalent enzyme-substrate phosphorylated complex formed during the catalytic process. The physiological significance of cyclic GMP activation of only one of the two isoenzymes (AcP2) remains uncertain.

Aspartic-129 is an essential residue in the catalytic mechanism of the low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase

The crystal structure of the bovine liver low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase suggests the involvement of aspartic acid-129 in enzyme catalysis. The Asp-129 to alanine mutant has been prepared by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis of a synthetic gene coding for the enzyme. The purified mutant elicited an highly reduced specific activity (about 0.04% of the activity of the wild-type) and a native-like fold, as judged by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The kinetic analysis revealed that the mutant is able to bind the substrate and a competitive inhibitor, such as inorganic phosphate. Moreover, trapping experiments demonstrated it maintains the ability to form the E-P covalent complex. The Asp-129 to alanine mutant shows extremely reduced enzyme phosphorylation (k2) and dephosphorylation (k3) kinetic constant values as compared to the wild-type enzyme. The data reported indicate that aspartic acid-129 is likely to be involved both in the first step and in the rate-limiting step of the catalytic mechanism, i.e. the nucleophilic attack of the phosphorylated intermediate.

The role of His66 and His72 in the reaction mechanism of bovine liver low-M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase

Site-directed mutagenesis of a synthetic gene coding for low-M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase from bovine liver has been carried out. The two histidine residues in the enzyme have been mutated to glutamine; both single and double mutants were produced. The mutated and non-mutated sequences have been expressed in Escherichia coli as fusion proteins, in which the low-M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase was linked to the C-terminal end of the maltose-binding protein. The fusion enzymes were easily purified by single-step affinity chromatography. The mutants were studied for their kinetic properties. Both single mutants showed decreased kcat. values (30 and 7% residual activities for His66 and His72 respectively), and alterations of the Ki values relative to four-competitive inhibitors were observed. The kinetic mechanism of p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis in the presence of both single mutants was determined and compared with that of the non-mutated enzyme. The rate-determining step of the catalytic process of the His66-->Gln mutant was the same as that found for non-mutated enzyme, whereas for the His72-->Gln mutant, both the kinetic constant of the step that causes the formation of a phosphoenzyme covalent intermediate, and the kinetic constant of the step that causes the dephosphorylation of the enzyme covalent intermediate, determined the kcat. value. This observation was confirmed by phosphoenzyme covalent intermediate trapping experiments. The participation of both histidine residues (His66 and His72) at the active site is strongly suggested by the results of diethyl pyrocarbonate inactivation of both single mutants, each containing a single histidine residue. Both mutants are completely inactivated by diethyl pyrocarbonate treatment; the competitive inhibitor Pi protects both mutants from inactivation. The His66/His72 double mutant was completely inactive.

The role of Cys12, Cys17 and Arg18 in the catalytic mechanism of low-M(r) cytosolic phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase

Low-M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase (PTPase), previously known as low-M(r) acid phosphatase, catalyzes the in-vitro hydrolysis of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins, low-M(r) aryl phosphates and natural and synthetic acyl phosphates. Its activity on Ser/Thr-phosphorylated proteins and on most alkyl phosphates is very poor. In this study the mechanism of benzoyl-phosphate hydrolysis was studied by means of non-mutated and mutated PTPase fusion proteins. The mechanism of benzoyl-phosphate hydrolysis catalyzed by the enzyme was compared to the known mechanism of p-nitrophenyl-phosphate hydrolysis. The results demonstrated that both hydrolytic processes proceed through common enzyme-catalyzed mechanisms. Nevertheless, the performed phosphoenzyme-trapping experiments enable us to identify Cys12 as the active-site residue that performs the nucleophilic attack at the phosphorus atom of the substrate to produce a phosphoenzyme covalent intermediate. In addition, while the role of Cys17 in the substrate binding was confirmed, its participation a second time in the step that involves the Cys12 dephosphorylation was suggested by the results of phosphoenzyme-trapping experiments. The participation of Arg18 in the substrate-binding site was demonstrated by site-directed mutagenesis that produced the conservative Lys18 and the non-conservative Met18 mutants. Both these mutants were almost inactive and not able to bind the substrate and a competitive inhibitor. Furthermore, phosphoenzyme-trapping experiments clearly excluded that Cys62 and Cys145 (that were indicated by another laboratory to be involved in the active site of the enzyme as powerful nucleophilic agents) are the residues directly involved in the formation of the phosphoenzyme covalent intermediate.

The role of Cys-17 in the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate inhibition of the bovine liver low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase

Mammalian tissues contain two low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase isoforms (type-1 and type-2) that differ in the 40-73 amino-acid sequence. Only one isoform (type-2) is strongly inhibited by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, whereas the other is poorly inhibited by this compound. The mechanism of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate inhibition of the bovine liver enzyme (a type-2 isoform) has been studied by kinetic methods using a series of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate analogues. These studies indicate that pyridoxal 5'-phosphate interacts with the enzyme in both the phosphate and aldehyde groups. Active site-directed mutagenesis has been used to investigate the sites of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate binding. Our results indicate that Cys-17, essential for enzyme activity, interacts with the phosphate moiety of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. On the other hand, Cys-12, which is also involved in the catalytic mechanism, does not participate in pyridoxal 5'-phosphate binding.

Rat liver low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase isoenzymes: purification and amino acid sequences

Two low M(r) phosphotyrosine protein phosphatases have been isolated from rat liver. The enzymes were previously known as low M(r) acid phosphatases, but several recent studies have demonstrated that this family of enzymes possesses specific phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase activity. We determined the complete amino acid sequences of the two isoenzymes and named them AcP1 and AcP2. Both consist of 157 amino acid residues, are acetylated at the NH2-terminus, and have His as the COOH-terminus. The molecular weights calculated from the sequences are 18,062 for AcP1 and 17,848 for AcP2. They are homologous except in the 40-73 zone, where about 50% of residues are different. This fact suggests that the two isoenzymes are produced by an alternative splicing mechanism. There is no homology between these two isoenzymes and the receptor-like phosphotyrosine protein phosphatases LAR, CD45, human placenta PTPase 1B, and rat brain PTPase-1. AcP1 and AcP2 are also distinct from rat liver PTPase-1 and PTPase-2, since these last enzymes have higher molecular weights. AcP1 differs from AcP2 with respect to (1) substrate affinity and (2) its sensitivity to activators and inhibitors, thus suggesting a their different physiological function.