Determination of soluble cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity in guinea-pig tracheal smooth muscle. Preferential use of kemptide as a phosphorylating substrate

A non-radioactive assay for the cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity in rat brain homogenates and age-related changes in hippocampus and cortex

Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity was involved in a number of brain functions such as cognitive process or aging. The measurement of PKA activity is traditionally based on the use of [(32)P]ATP in phosphorylation of specific protein. Recently non-isotopic PKA assays have been developed, but none has been tested on brain homogenates. This work aimed to adapt a fluorimetric method of PKA activity into a novel assay never applied before in brain homogenate, and to characterize the enzyme activity and ratio in hippocampus and cortex from rats of different ages. Optimal conditions of homogenization and enzyme protection were determined. The method was sensitive and reproducible (intra-assay and interassay variation was 5.0% and 9.0%, respectively). In hippocampal cytosol, PKA activity was 27+/-8 and 80+/-9 nmol/min per mg protein in basal and cAMP-stimulated activity, respectively, and accounted for 80% of total cell PKA activity. The non-PKA activity, assessed by the use of the PKA specific inhibitor (PKI) accounted for 49.0% and 65.0% of endogenous levels in cytosol and membrane, respectively. cAMP-augmenting drugs effects were measured and increase of 53%, 273% and 118% over basal by 10 microM isoproterenol, 100 microM forskolin, 1 microM Sp-AMP, respectively, was observed. With respect to the changes in animal age, PKA activity increased from newborn to the mature rats but decreased in older rats. The PKA ratio was higher in cytosol than in particulate fraction, and was decreased in hippocampal sample from old rats (P<0.05). This last result was interpreted as related to the loss of cognitive capacities in old animals.

TECHNICAL NOTE: measurement of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity using a fluorescent-labeled kemptide

BACKGROUND

Traditional protein kinase assays include the use of [32P] labeled ATP as phosphate donor and a substrate protein or peptide as phosphoreceptor. Since this approach has a number of drawbacks in addition to generating ionizing radiation, several non-isotopic methods have been developed. Although shown to reflect the activity of purified enzymes, none have been demonstrated to detect physiological changes in endogenous enzyme activity in cell homogenates.

METHODS

Studies were performed to examine the kinetics, reproducibility, and optimal assay conditions of a novel non-radioisotopic kinase assay that detects PKA activity by phosphorylation of the peptide substrate Kemptide covalently bound to a fluorescent molecule (f-Kemptide). Basal and agonist-induced PKA activity in epithelial cell homogenates was measured.

RESULTS

The kinetics of f-Kemptide were similar to the standard radioisotopic method with intraassay and interassay variations of 5.6 +/- 0.8% and 14.3 +/- 2.6%, respectively. Neither fluorescence quenching nor enhancing effects were found with consistent amounts of homogenate protein. Specific PKA activity was determined as the IP20-inhibitable fraction to account for nonspecific phosphorylation, perhaps due to S6 kinase or a similar enzyme. The basal activity of 38% of total PKA in A6 cells increased by 84% after exposure to vasopressin and by 58% after short exposure to forskolin. In T84 cells exposed to VIP there was a 360% increase over basal activity.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that f-Kemptide exhibits acceptable kinetics, and that the assay system can quantitatively and reproducibly measure basal and stimulated PKA activity in cell homogenates.

Vasopressin-induced activation of protein kinase C in renal epithelial cells

Recent studies indicate that the actions of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and other agonists that stimulate electrogenic sodium transport in renal epithelial A6 cells are linked to a Ca(2+)-mobilizing signal transduction mechanism that involves generation of inositol trisphosphate. Since diacylglycerol is the other product in this pathway, studies were performed to determine the possible role of PKC in the stimulation of sodium transport. AVP induced a biphasic increase in diacylglycerol generation, characterized by an initial rapid rise and then a sustained elevation, and PKC activation, reflected by phosphorylation of a specific 80 kDa myristoylated alanine-rich PKC substrate (MARCKS). To determine the PKC isoform(s) involved in this process, immunoblot analysis was performed using antisera that recognize both classical PKC isoforms, XPKC-I and XPCK-II, cloned from Xenopus oocytes. The transcripts of both isoforms were expressed in the A6 cell. Since protein recognized by antisera was translocated from cytosol to the particulate fraction after exposure to AVP, one or both isoforms were activated in the A6 cell. Further studies showed that cyclohexyladenosine and insulin, additional agonists of sodium transport in A6 cells, also stimulated phosphorylation of MARCKS. These results argue that Ca(2+)-dependent PKC is involved in the action of AVP, and that of other agonists, which stimulate sodium transport.

Identification and characterization of MARCKS in Xenopus laevis

MARCKS proteins are widely distributed in mammalian cells and subserve an important role as probes in the examination of signal transduction processes because they are specific endogenous phosphoreceptors for activated protein kinase C. Experiments were performed to determine whether MARCKS proteins are present in amphibia and to show their usefulness as substrates for stimulated PKC activation, using cultured renal epithelial cells (A6) derived from Xenopus laevis as an experimental model.

Selective inhibition of a high affinity type IV cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in bovine trachealis by AH 21-132. Relevance to the spasmolytic and anti-spasmogenic actions of AH 21-132 in the intact tissue

The ability of a papaverine-derived bronchodilator, AH 21-132, to inhibit cyclic nucleotide hydrolysis and to increase the cAMP content and the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase) was evaluated in bovine tracheal smooth muscle (BTSM) and related to the mechanical effects elicited by this compound in vitro. AH 21-132 (100 nM-1 mM) produced a concentration-related relaxation of BTSM pre-contracted with methacholine (MCh) that was subject to marked functional antagonism. AH 21-132 (100 microM) also displayed anti-spasmogenic activity preventing the generation of tone induced by low, but not high, concentrations of MCh. Neither the spasmolytic nor anti-spasmogenic effects of AH 21-132 were antagonized by the beta 2-adrenoceptor blocking drug ICI 118551 (50 nM). Three Ca(2+)- and calmodulin-independent cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDE) were resolved from the soluble fraction of BTSM homogenates by Q-Sepharose anion exchange chromatography. These PDEs were identified by kinetic and inhibitor sensitivity criteria as the Type II (cGMP-stimulated), Type IV (Ro 20-1724-inhibited) and Type V (cGMP-specific) isoenzymes. A small amount (approximately 5%) of a Type III PDE seemed to be present but this was not identified with certainty. AH 21-132 selectively inhibited Type IV PDE in a competitive manner with an IC50 and KI of 3.7 and 2.7 microM, respectively. AH 21-132 similarly increased the cAMP content (from 5.3 to 23.1 pmol/mg protein after 1 mM AH 21-132) and activated A-kinase (from 29.6% to 53.5% after 1 mM AH 21-132) in intact BTSM over the same concentration range at which this compound influenced tone. In addition, AH 21-132 in high concentrations (greater than 100 microM), while exerting no direct effect on A-kinase itself, markedly potentiated (ca. four-fold at 3 mM AH 21-132) the ability of cAMP to activate A-kinase without affecting the affinity of cAMP for this enzyme. It is concluded that the spasmolytic and anti-spasmogenic effects of AH 21-132 in BTSM may be related, in part, to its ability to inhibit Type IV PDE, increase the intracellular cAMP content and so activate A-kinase. A cyclic nucleotide-dependent mechanism is therefore proposed. In addition, the ability of AH 21-132 to augment cAMP-dependent phosphorylation in a cell-free system, when Type IV PDE is inhibited fully, provides the possibility that the observed relaxation elicited by high concentrations of AH 21-132, while cAMP-dependent, does not require any further increase in the intracellular cAMP concentration.