Phosphoprotein phosphatase inhibitor-2. Identification as a species of molecular weight 31,000 in rabbit muscle, liver, and other tissues

Specific antibodies, raised to purified rabbit skeletal muscle inhibitor-2, were used to analyze for the presence of inhibitor-2 in extracts of rabbit skeletal, cardiac, and diaphragm muscles, liver, kidney, brain, and lung. Direct analyses of the extracts by "Western blotting" revealed several immunoreactive species, apparent molecular weights in the range 26,000-136,000, as well as species with the electrophoretic mobility of inhibitor-2, apparent molecular weight 31,000. When supernatants from boiled extracts were similarly analyzed, most of the immunoreactive material was lost and the species corresponding to inhibitor-2 became prominent. Liver and muscle were studied in more detail; immunoprecipitates from either boiled or unboiled extracts were analyzed by Western blotting. The dominant polypeptide now was the species of apparent molecular weight 31,000, corresponding to inhibitor-2. Higher molecular weight species (115,000 in muscle and 136,000 in liver) were also detectable. The amount of inhibitor-2 detected in immunoprecipitates was not greatly different whether unboiled or boiled tissue extracts were used. In addition, extraction of the precipitates by boiling released material that inhibited purified type 1 protein phosphatase. The results suggest that inhibitor-2 is widely distributed in rabbit tissues and is found predominantly as a form of apparent molecular weight 31,000. In particular, the study provides direct demonstration of a species in rabbit liver with similar properties to rabbit muscle inhibitor-2.

Novel heparin-activated protein kinase activity in rabbit skeletal muscle

A heparin-activated protein kinase has been identified in rabbit skeletal muscle. The enzyme, which had a native molecular mass of 70 kDa as judged by gel filtration, was stimulated 3- to 5-fold by heparin, half-maximally at 3 micrograms/ml heparin. The stimulation by heparin was not reproduced by other polyanions such as polyaspartate and polyglutamate. The protein kinase was detected by its ability to phosphorylate glycogen synthase; it was ineffective in phosphorylating caseins, phosvitin, histone, or phosphorylase. Glycogen synthase was phosphorylated to a stoichiometry of 0.7-0.8 phosphates/subunit, exclusively at serine residues located in the COOH-terminal CNBr-fragment of the subunit, with a corresponding reduction in the -/+ glucose-6P activity ratio from 0.96 to 0.43. The activity of the protein kinase was unaffected by the presence of Ca2+ and/or phospholipid, cyclic AMP or heat-stable inhibitor protein of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. The enzyme was inhibited about 60% by the presence of glycogen, half-maximal effect at 25 micrograms/ml. The heparin-activated protein kinase is clearly distinguishable from other known glycogen synthase kinases.

Interaction of the insulin receptor kinase with serine/threonine kinases in vitro

Insulin causes rapid phosphorylation of the beta subunit (Mr = 95,000) of its receptor in broken cell preparations. This occurs on tyrosine residues and is due to activation of a protein kinase which is contained in the receptor itself. In the intact cell, insulin also stimulates the phosphorylation of the receptor and other cellular proteins on serine and threonine residues. In an attempt to find a protein that might link the receptor tyrosine kinase to these serine/threonine phosphorylation reactions, we have studied the interaction of a partially purified preparation of insulin receptor with purified preparations of serine/threonine kinases known to phosphorylate glycogen synthase. No insulin-dependent phosphorylation was observed when casein kinases I and II, phosphorylase kinase, or glycogen synthase kinase 3 was incubated in vitro with the insulin receptor. These kinases also failed to phosphorylate the receptor. By contrast, the insulin receptor kinase catalyzed the phosphorylation of the calmodulin-dependent kinase and addition of insulin in vitro resulted in a 40% increase in this phosphorylation. In the presence of calmodulin-dependent kinase and the insulin receptor kinase, insulin also stimulated the phosphorylation of calmodulin. Phosphoamino acid analysis showed an increase of phosphotyrosine content in both calmodulin and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase. These data suggest that the insulin receptor kinase may interact directly and specifically with the calmodulin-dependent kinase and calmodulin. Further studies will be required to determine if these phosphorylations modify the action of these regulatory proteins.

Control of glycogen synthase phosphorylation in isolated rat hepatocytes by epinephrine, vasopressin and glucagon

Isolated rat hepatocytes were incubated in a medium containing 0.1 mM [32P]phosphate (0.1 mCi/ml) before exposure to epinephrine, glucagon or vasopressin. 32P-labeled glycogen synthase was purified from extracts of control or hormone-treated cells by the use of specific antibodies raised to rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase. Analysis of the immunoprecipitates by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate indicated that a single 32P-labeled polypeptide, apparent Mr 88000, was removed specifically by the antibodies and corresponded to glycogen synthase. Similar electrophoretic analysis of CNBr fragments prepared from the immunoprecipitate revealed that 32P was distributed between two fragments, of apparent Mr 14000 (CB-1) and 28000 (CB-2). Epinephrine, vasopressin or glucagon increased the 32P content of the glycogen synthase subunit. CB-2 phosphorylation was increased by all three hormones while CB-1 was most affected by epinephrine and vasopressin. These effects correlated with a decrease in glycogen synthase activity. From studies using rat liver glycogen synthase, purified by conventional methods and phosphorylated in vitro by individual protein kinases, it was found that electrophoretically similar CNBr fragments could be obtained. However, neither cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase nor three different Ca2+-dependent enzymes (phosphorylase kinase, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, and protein kinase C) were effective in phosphorylating CB-2. The protein kinases most effective towards CB-2 were the Ca2+ and cyclic-nucleotide-independent enzymes casein kinase II (PC0.7) and FA/GSK-3. The results demonstrate that rat liver glycogen synthase undergoes multiple phosphorylation in whole cells and that stimulation of cells by glycogenolytic hormones can modify the phosphorylation of at least two distinct sites in the enzyme. The specificity of the hormones, however, cannot be explained simply by the direct action of any known protein kinase dependent on cyclic nucleotide or Ca2+. Therefore, either control of other protein kinases, such as FA/GSK-3, is involved or phosphatase activity is regulated, or both.

Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase by the Ca2+- and phospholipid-activated protein kinase (protein kinase C)

The Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) has been found to phosphorylate and inactivate glycogen synthase. With muscle glycogen synthase as a substrate, the reaction was stimulated by Ca2+ and by phosphatidylserine. The tumor-promoting phorbol esters 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate was also a positive effector, half-maximal activation occurring at 6 nM. Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase, but not histone, was partially inhibited by glycogen, half-maximally at 0.05 mg/ml, probably via a substrate-directed mechanism. The rate of glycogen synthase phosphorylation was approximately half that for histone; the apparent Km for glycogen synthase was 0.25 mg/ml. Protein kinase C also phosphorylated casein, the preferred substrate among the individual caseins being alpha s1-casein. Glycogen synthase was phosphorylated to greater than 1 phosphate/subunit with an accompanying reduction in the -glucose-6-P/+glucose-6-P activity ratio from 0.9 to 0.5. Phosphate was introduced into serine residues in both the NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal CNBr fragments of the enzyme subunit. The two main tryptic phosphopeptides mapped in correspondence with the peptides that contain site 1a and site 2. Lesser phosphorylation in an unidentified peptide was also observed. Rabbit liver and muscle glycogen synthases were phosphorylated at similar rates by protein kinase C. The above results are compatible with a role for protein kinase C in the regulation of glycogen synthase as was suggested by a recent study of intact hepatocytes.

Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase in isolated rabbit hepatocytes

Specific antibodies were used to purify glycogen synthase from isolated rabbit hepatocytes that had been incubated in a medium containing [32P]phosphate. The enzyme gave rise to two main 32P-labeled CNBr fragments of electrophoretic mobilities similar to those obtained after phosphorylation of the enzyme by individual protein kinases in vitro.

Glycogen synthase kinases. Classification of a rabbit liver casein and glycogen synthase kinase (casein kinase-1) as a distinct enzyme

A protein kinase, able to phosphorylate casein, phosvitin, and glycogen synthase, was purified approximately 9000-fold from rabbit liver, and appeared analogous to an enzyme studied by Itarte and Huang (Itarte, E., and Huang, K.-P. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 4052-4057). This enzyme, designated here casein kinase-1, was shown to be a distinct glycogen synthase kinase and in particular to be different from the protein kinase GSK-3 (Hemmings, B.A., Yellowlees, D., Kernohan, J.C., and Cohen, P. (1981) Eur. J. Biochem. 119, 443-451). Casein kinase-1 had native molecular weight of 30,000 as judged by gel filtration. The enzyme phosphorylated beta-casein A or B better than kappa-casein or alpha s1-casein, and modified only serine residues in beta-casein B and phosvitin. The apparent Km for ATP was 11 microM, and GTP was ineffective as a phosphoryl donor. The phosphorylation of glycogen synthase by casein kinase-1 was inhibited by glycogen, half-maximally at 2 mg/ml, and by heparin, half-maximally at 0.5-1.0 microgram/ml, but was unaffected by Ca2+ and/or calmodulin, or by cyclic AMP. Phosphorylation of muscle glycogen synthase proceeded to a stoichiometry of at least 6 phosphates/subunit with reduction in the +/- glucose-6-P activity ratio to less than 0.4. Phosphate was introduced into both a COOH-terminal CNBr fragment (CB-2) as well as a NH2-terminal fragment (CB-1). At a phosphorylation stoichiometry of 6 phosphates/subunit, 84% of the phosphate was associated with CB-2 and 6.5% with CB-1. The remainder of the phosphate was introduced into another CNBr fragment of apparent molecular weight 16,500. Phosphorylation by casein kinase-1 correlated with reduced electrophoretic mobilities, as analyzed on polyacrylamide gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, of the intact glycogen synthase subunit, as well as the CNBr fragments CB-1 and CB-2.

Rabbit liver glycogen synthase. Purification and comparison of the properties of glucose-6-P-dependent and glucose-6-P-independent forms of the enzyme

Methods are described for the purification, close to homogeneity, of rabbit liver glycogen synthase in forms dependent on (D-form) or independent (I-form) of glucose-6-P for activity. In previous studies (Camici, M., DePaoli-Roach, A. A., and Roach, P. J. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 9898-9901), the D-form enzyme was shown to have apparent subunit molecular weight by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (Mapp) of 90,000 and to be susceptible to partial proteolytic degradation. We report here that the purified I-form consisted of a single polypeptide of Mapp = 85,000, even when protease inhibitors were present during the purification. However, appropriate phosphorylation of the I-form enzyme led to a decrease in the electrophoretic mobility of the subunit to generate a species of Mapp = 90,000, identical to that of the D-form. Exposure of the I-form enzyme (subunit Mapp = 85,000) to trypsin caused degradation in the sequence 85,000----82,000----79,000----72,000; concomitantly, the enzyme underwent partial inactivation whether assayed in the presence or absence of glucose-6-P. As purified, the I-form enzyme had a Vmax, determined from variation of UDP-glucose concentration, some 35 times greater than that of the D-form. The UDP-glucose concentration necessary for half-maximal activity was not greatly different, in the range 1-2 mM, for the two enzyme forms.

Phosphorylation of rabbit liver glycogen synthase by multiple protein kinases

Purified rabbit liver glycogen synthase was found to be a substrate for six different protein kinases: (i) cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, (ii) two Ca2+-stimulated protein kinases, phosphorylase kinase (from muscle) and a calmodulin-dependent glycogen synthase kinase, and (iii) three members of a Ca2+ and cyclic nucleotide independent class, PC0.7, FA/GSK-3, and casein kinase-1. Greatest inactivation accompanied phosphorylation by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (to 0.5-0.7 phosphate/subunit, +/- glucose-6-P activity ratio reduced from approximately 1 to 0.6) or FA/GSK-3 (to approximately 1 phosphate/subunit, activity ratio, 0.46). Phosphorylation by the combination FA/GSK-3 plus PC0.7 was synergistic, and more extensive inactivation was achieved. The phosphorylation reactions just described caused significant reductions in the Vmax of the glycogen synthase with little effect on the S0.5 (substrate concentration corresponding to Vmax/2). Phosphorylase kinase achieved a lesser inactivation, to an activity ratio of 0.75 at 0.6 phosphate/subunit. PC0.7 acting alone, casein kinase-1, and the calmodulin-dependent protein kinase did not cause inactivation of liver glycogen synthase with the conditions used. Analysis of CNBr fragments of phosphorylated glycogen synthase indicated that the phosphate was distributed primarily between two polypeptides, with apparent Mr = 12,300 (CB-I) and 16,000-17,000 (CB-II). PC0.7 and casein kinase-1 displayed a decided specificity for CB-II, and the calmodulin-dependent protein kinase was specific for CB-I. The other protein kinases were able, to some extent, to introduce phosphate into both CB-I and CB-II. Studies using limited proteolysis indicated that CB-II was located at a terminal region of the subunit. CB-I contains a minimum of one phosphorylation site and CB-II at least three sites. Liver glycogen synthase is therefore potentially subject to the same type of multisite regulation as skeletal muscle glycogen synthase although the muscle and liver enzymes display significant differences in both structural and kinetic properties.

Modification of glycogen synthase activity in isolated rat hepatocytes by tumor-promoting phorbol esters: evidence for differential regulation of glycogen synthase and phosphorylase

Glycogen synthase (UDPglucose:glycogen 4-alpha-D-glucosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.11), in isolated rat hepatocytes, has been identified as a novel intracellular target for tumor-promoting phorbol esters such as phorbol 12-tetradecanoate 13-acetate (TPA). Exposure of hepatocytes to TPA resulted in a 50% decrease in the activity ratio of glycogen synthase without/with glucose 6-phosphate. The inactivation was dose dependent and was half-maximal at a TPA concentration of approximately 16 nM (10 ng/ml). Phorbol and phorbol 13-monoacetate, ineffective tumor promoters, had little influence on glycogen synthase activity. Other biologically active diesters, phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, and phorbol 12,13-dibenzoate, caused significant inactivation of glycogen synthase. Glycogen phosphorylase (1,4-alpha-D-glucan:orthophosphate alpha-D-glucosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.1) activity, however, was unaffected by TPA or any of the tumor-promoting phorbol esters mentioned above. It is concluded that phorbol diesters can interact in the regulatory pathway for glycogen synthase, but the lack of effect on phosphorylase argues that distinct mechanisms can operate for the control of glycogen synthase and phosphorylase.

Multiple phosphorylation of rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase. Evidence for interactions among phosphorylation sites and the resolution of electrophoretically distinct forms of the subunit

Phosphorylation of rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase by a cyclic nucleotide and Ca2+-independent protein kinase, PC0.7, caused the enzyme to be a better substrate for phosphorylation by another cyclic nucleotide and Ca2+-independent protein kinase, FA/GSK-3. In contrast, phosphorylation by the combination of FA/GSK-3 and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase led to less phosphorylation than predicted from the individual actions of the protein kinases. These results are explained in part by the existence of cooperative interactions among the phosphorylation sites of glycogen synthase. Phosphorylation by FA/GSK-3 also correlated with a reduction in the electrophoretic mobility, in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, of the glycogen synthase subunit from an apparent molecular weight of 85,000-86,000 to values of 88,000 and ultimately 90,000. The synergistic phosphorylation by PC0.7 and FA/GSK-3 was associated with an increased formation of the species of reduced electrophoretic mobility. The effects on subunit mobility were also reflected in the behavior of a larger phosphorylated CNBr fragment of glycogen synthase, CB-2, which gave apparent molecular weights of 22,000-27,000 depending on its phosphorylation state.

Hormonal control of glycogen synthase in rat hemidiaphragms. Effects of insulin and epinephrine on the distribution of phosphate between two cyanogen bromide fragments

The effects of insulin and epinephrine on the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase were investigated using rat hemidiaphragms incubated with [32P]phosphate. Antibodies against rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase were used for the rapid purification of the 32P-labeled enzyme under conditions that prevented changes in its state of phosphorylation. The purified material migrated as a single radioactive species (Mapp = 90,000) when subjected to electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. Insulin decreased the [32P]phosphate content of glycogen synthase. This effect occurred rapidly (within 15 min) and was observed with physiological concentrations of insulin (25 microunits/ml). The amount of [32P]phosphate removed from glycogen synthase by either different concentrations of insulin or times of incubation with the hormone was well correlated to the extent to which the enzyme was activated. Epinephrine (10 microM) inactivated glycogen synthase and increased its content of [32P]phosphate by about 50%. Cleavage of the immunoprecipitated enzyme with cyanogen bromide yielded two major 32P-labeled fragments of apparent molecular weights equal to approximately 28,000 and 15,000. The larger fragment (Fragment II) displayed electrophoretic heterogeneity similar to that observed with the corresponding CNBr fragment (CB-2) from purified rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase phosphorylated by different protein kinases. Epinephrine increased [32P]phosphate content of both fragments; however, the increase in the radioactivity of the smaller fragment (Fragment I) was more pronounced. Insulin decreased the amount of [32P] phosphate present in Fragments I and II by about 40%. The results presented provide direct evidence that both insulin and epinephrine control glycogen synthase activity by regulating the phosphate present at multiple sites on the enzyme.

Rabbit liver glycogen synthase. Susceptibility of the enzyme subunit to proteolysis

Rabbit liver glycogen synthase have been purified close to apparent homogeneity in a form dependent on glucose-6-P for full activity. From analyses of the purified enzyme by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, some five polypeptides, apparent molecular weights in the range 79,000 to 90,000, correlated with enzyme activity. The relative abundance of the species varied in different preparations but enzyme could be prepared that was composed almost entirely of a 90,000-dalton polypeptide. Treatment of such enzyme with trypsin generated smaller polypeptides in the sequence 90,000 leads to 85,000 leads to 82,000 leads to 80,000; concomitantly, the enzyme was activated when assayed either in the presence or absence of glucose-6-P. Tryptic proteolysis caused as much as a 16-fold increase in Vmax and a 20-fold increase in the concentration of its substrate, UDP-glucose, necessary for half-maximal activity. The concentration of the activator, glucose-6-P, needed for half-maximal stimulation was decreased 3.5-fold. We propose that rabbit liver glycogen synthase in a glucose-6-P-dependent form has a subunit of apparent molecular weight approximately 90,000, larger than previously reported, and that the enzyme is sensitive to proteolytic degradation.

Rabbit liver glycogen synthase kinases. Characterization of a protein kinase (PC0.7) able to phosphorylate glycogen synthase and phosvitin

A rabbit liver protein kinase (PC0.7), able to phosphorylate glycogen synthase and phosvitin, has been extensively purified. The enzyme had apparent Mr = 170,000-190,000 as judged by gel filtration and was associated with two major polypeptide species, alpha (Mr = 43,000) and beta (Mr = 25,000). Two other polypeptides, Mr = 38,000 and Mr = 35,000, were also detected. Treatment with trypsin led to an enzyme composed only of polypeptides of Mr = 35,000 and Mr = 25,000. The beta-polypeptide underwent autophosphorylation when incubated with Mg2+ and ATP or GTP. The protein kinase was effective in utilizing both ATP and GTP as the phosphoryl donor (apparent Km values 5-11 microM and 9-19 microM, respectively). The enzyme phosphorylated phosvitin, casein, and glycogen synthase but not histone or phosphorylase and was inhibited by heparin. Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase proceeded to approximately 0.5 phosphate/subunit with little inactivation of the glycogen synthase. The phosphorylation occurred predominantly in a 21,000-dalton CNBr fragment of glycogen synthase that had been previously shown to reside toward the COOH terminus of the molecule. The liver PC0.7 appeared very similar to an analogous enzyme isolated from rabbit muscle (DePaoli-Roach, A. A., Ahmad, Z., and Roach, P. J. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 8955-8962). The present work, therefore, provides a point of contact between the Ca2+ and cyclic nucleotide-independent glycogen synthase kinases of rabbit liver and muscle.

Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase and of the beta subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor two by a common protein kinase

A protein kinase from rabbit reticulocytes, able to phosphorylate the beta subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2), has been demonstrated to phosphorylate also glycogen synthase. A glycogen synthase kinase (PC0.7) from rabbit skeletal muscle has been shown to phosphorylate the beta subunit of eIF-2. Comparison of highly purified preparations of the two protein kinases has indicated several similarities of properties. 1) Both enzymes were associated with two major polypeptide species, alpha (Mr = 43,000) and beta (Mr = 25,000), and exhibited apparent native molecular weights of 176,000-180,000 by gel filtration and 130,000-140,000 by sucrose density gradient sedimentation. 2) Both enzymes phosphorylated glycogen synthase, eIF-2 beta, phosvitin, and casein and were effective in utilizing GTP and ATP as phosphoryl donors. 3) Both enzymes displayed the same chromatographic behavior on phosvitin-Sepharose, phosphocellulose, and DEAE-cellulose. 4) Both enzymes underwent an autophosphorylation of the beta polypeptide when incubated with ATP and Mg2+. On the basis of these and other properties, we propose that the two protein kinases, if not identical, are very similar enzymes.

Characterization of a rabbit skeletal muscle protein kinase (PC0.7) able to phosphorylate glycogen synthase and phosvitin

A protein kinase (designated PC0.7 in DePaoli-Roach, A. A., Roach, P. J., and Larner, J. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 12062-12068) that phosphorylated both glycogen synthase and phosvitin, has been extensively purified from rabbit skeletal muscle, close to apparent homogeneity. The enzyme activity was associated with two polypeptides, alpha (Mr = 43,000) and beta (Mr = 25,000), present in approximately equimolar amounts. The apparent molecular weight of the enzyme was 180,000, as determined by gel filtration, and 130,000, as judged from sucrose density gradient sedimentation. Unless precautions were taken during the purification, the alpha polypeptide underwent degradation, probably as a result of protease action. The beta polypeptide itself could be phosphorylated upon incubation of the enzyme with ATP and Mg2+ but no significant change in activity accompanied this phosphorylation reaction. The protein kinase was effective in utilizing both ATP and GTP as phosphate donors, with apparent Km values of 13 microM and 20-35 microM, respectively. The apparent Km values for phosvitin and glycogen synthase were 15 microM and greater than 10 microM, respectively. PC0.7 phosphorylated glycogen synthase to a level of approximately 0.5 phosphate/subunit, with little inactivation of the glycogen synthase. Phosphorylation occurred predominantly in a 21,000-dalton cyanogen bromide fragment of glycogen synthase, the same fragment preferentially phosphorylated by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. This phosphorylation was also located in an approximately 17,000-dalton COOH-terminal region of the glycogen synthase molecule that is removed by limited tryptic proteolysis. Phosphorylation of glycogen synthase by PC0.7 occurred at serine residues whereas in phosvitin both serine and threonine residues were modified by PC0.7 action.