Phosphorylase phosphatase from skeletal muscle membranes

Cell-cycle-dependent association of protein phosphatase 1 and focal adhesion kinase

Immunofluorescence studies with protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) isoforms-specific antibodies detected PP1delta, but not alpha or gamma1, at focal adhesions. PP1delta also co-immunoprecipitated with the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and the alphav-integrin. In the present study glutathione S-transferase (GST)-PP1delta pulled-down FAK from fibroblasts extract and the interaction domain localized between residues 159 and 295 of delta. The association was confirmed by the ability to GST-FAK-related non-kinase (FRNK) to pull-down PP1delta from fibroblasts extract. GST-FRNK also pulled-down purified muscle PP1 catalytic subunit, thus indicating direct interaction between FAK and PP1. FAK displays consensus sequences for phosphorylation by cell division cycle kinase-2-cyclin B, and might be a PP1 substrate. In fact, FAK immunoprecipitated from metabolically-labelled mitotic HeLa cells without tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors was phosphorylated on Ser only and was dephosphorylated in vitro by purified muscle PP1, with loss of phospho-Ser. No PP1 was associated with FAK immunoprecipitated from mitotic HeLa cells. However, progressively more PP1 activity was assayed in FAK-immunoprecipitates obtained from cells released from mitosis. The associated activity was maximal at 2 h from the mitotic release (when 85-90% of the cells remained round) and decreased to basal level by 8 h (when cells were all polygonal). At the same time FAK underwent dephosphorylation, which was completed by 4 h. FAK obtained from cells at 1.5 h was Ser-phosphorylated, and underwent dephosphorylation during in vitro incubation, with loss of phospho-Ser, indicating the presence of active FAK-bound phosphatase. The only FAK-associated PP1 isoform between 1 and 8 h was PP1delta. The results suggest that FAK dephosphorylation by PP1delta occurs in cells released from mitosis, and confirmed the specific association of PP1delta, as detected previously in adherent cells.

Protein phosphatase 1 isoforms in differentiating C2C12 myocytes

In muscle protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) is involved in growth factor signal transduction and metabolic regulations. Three isoforms of the catalytic subunit are found in mammalian cells (PP1alpha, PP1gamma1 and PP1delta), with potentially different functions. We investigated the changes in the PP1 isoforms in differentiating C2C12 myoblasts. Few hours after differentiation induction the soluble PP1 activity was reversibly increased, displaying a peak at 6h. This was due to activation mainly of PP1alpha, with no change in the immunodetected protein. A further indication of PP1alpha involvement came from the observation that electroporation of inactive PP1alpha into myoblasts induced a differentiation delay of at least 24h. Subsequently, starting from 9-12 h, the activities and protein levels of all the three soluble PP1 isoforms decreased, reaching a minimum around 48 h. By this time the cells had undergone morphological changes and myosin became immunodetectable. We conclude that PP1 may be involved in myoblast differentiation, based on: 1) its higher activity in myoblasts than in myocytes, 2) the reversible activation of soluble PP1alpha during the first 6h from differentiation induction, 3) the delay in differentiation onset following electroporation of inactive PP1alpha into myoblasts.

Protein phosphatase 1 delta is associated with focal adhesions

In all mammalian cells protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) exists in three isoforms, defined as alpha, gamma 1 and delta. Immunofluorescence studies with isoform-specific antibodies indicated that delta, but not alpha or gamma 1, is enriched at focal adhesions in HeLa cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and keratinocytes. This was confirmed also by interference reflection microscopy, which indicated that PP1 delta was in areas of tight adhesion of the membrane to the extracellular matrix at sites where the microfilament cytoskeleton is organized. In all the cell types so far considered the PP1 delta in focal adhesions represented only a small aliquot of the total PP1 delta, which was predominantly localized to the nucleus. The association of PP1 delta to focal adhesions was confirmed by the co-immunoprecipitation of PP1 delta with the focal adhesion kinase pp125FAK and with the alpha v integrin. Comparison between the amount of PP1 delta associated with focal adhesion proteins and that of PP1 delta recovered in an anti-PP1 delta immunoprecipitate confirmed that only a minor amount of the enzyme was associated with the focal adhesions. Since some focal adhesion proteins are phosphorylated on Ser/Thr, it is likely that PP1 delta may be involved in the regulation of focal adhesion functions and particularly in the signaling pathway generated by cell-substratum adhesion.

Trypsin-Mn(2+)-resistant form of type 1 protein phosphatase in human muscle

Reduced type 1 protein phosphatase (PP-1) activity in human muscle extracts may contribute to the reduced insulin-stimulated glycogen synthase activity associated with insulin resistance for glucose disposal in humans. Because inactive forms of PP-1 can be activated with trypsin plus Mn2+, these reagents were used to compare the PP-1 activities in skeletal muscle extracts before and after separation into cytosolic and glycogen microsomal (GM) fractions. PP-1 activities were reduced in the GM fraction from insulin-resistant subjects (54 +/- 2 vs. 61 +/- 1, P < 0.01) but, in contrast to our previously published results, were elevated in the extract (33 +/- 6 vs. 18 +/- 3, P < 0.05). Recombination of the cytosol and GM fractions (reconstituted extract) demonstrated that the low extract PP-1 activities could only be regenerated when the GM fraction from insulin-sensitive subjects was recombined with cytosol from either group. The results indicate that the elevated PP-1 activity observed in extracts of insulin-resistant compared with insulin-sensitive subjects is caused by an inhibitor of extract PP-1 activity that sediments with the GM pellet and is more active in the insulin-sensitive subjects.

Identification of a putative collagen-binding protein from chicken skeletal muscle as glycogen phosphorylase

We have purified and generated antisera to a 95 kDa skeletal muscle protein that constitutes the largest mass fraction of gelatin-agarose binding proteins in skeletal muscle. Preliminary results indicated that this 95 kDa chicken skeletal muscle protein bound strongly to gelatin-agarose and type IV collagen-agarose, suggesting a possible function in muscle cell adhesion to collagen. However, N-terminal sequencing of proteolytic fragments of the 95 kDa protein indicates that it is the chicken skeletal muscle form of glycogen phosphorylase, the binding of which to gelatin-agarose is unlikely to be biologically relevant. Further characterization showed that the skeletal muscle form of glycogen phosphorylase is immunologically distinct from the liver and brain forms in the chicken, and suggests that, unlike mammalian skeletal muscle, chicken skeletal muscle may have two phosphorylase isoforms. Furthermore, immunolocalization data and solubility characteristics of glycogen phosphorylase in muscle extraction experiments suggest the enzyme may interact strongly with an unidentified component of the muscle cytoskeleton. Thus, this study yields a novel purification technique for skeletal muscle glycogen phosphorylase, provides new information on the distribution and isoforms of glycogen phosphorylase, and provides a caveat for using gelatin affinity chromatography as a primary step in purifying collagen-binding proteins from skeletal muscle.

The structure, role, and regulation of type 1 protein phosphatases

Type 1 protein phosphatases (PP-1) comprise a group of widely distributed enzymes that specifically dephosphorylate serine and threonine residues of certain phosphoproteins. They all contain an isoform of the same catalytic subunit, which has an extremely conserved primary structure. One of the properties of PP-1 that allows one to distinguish them from other serine/threonine protein phosphatases is their sensitivity to inhibition by two proteins, termed inhibitor 1 and inhibitor 2, or modulator. The latter protein can also form a 1:1 complex with the catalytic subunit that slowly inactivates upon incubation. This complex is reactivated in vitro by incubation with MgATP and protein kinase FA/GSK-3. In the cell the type 1 catalytic subunit is associated with noncatalytic subunits that determine the activity, the substrate specificity, and the subcellular location of the phosphatase. PP-1 plays an essential role in glycogen metabolism, calcium transport, muscle contraction, intracellular transport, protein synthesis, and cell division. The activity of PP-1 is regulated by hormones like insulin, glucagon, alpha- and beta-adrenergic agonists, glucocorticoids, and thyroid hormones.

The phospholamban phosphatase associated with cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum is a type 1 enzyme

Canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles contain intrinsic protein phosphatase activity, which can dephosphorylate phospholamban and regulate calcium transport. This phosphatase has been suggested to be a mixture of both type 1 and type 2 enzymes (E. G. Kranias and J. Di Salvo, 1986, J. Biol. Chem. 261, 10,029-10,032). In the present study the sarcoplasmic reticulum phosphatase activity was solubilized with n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside and purified by sequential chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, polylysine-agarose, heparin-agarose, and DEAE-Sephadex. A single peak of phosphatase activity was eluted from each column and it was coincident for both phospholamban and phosphorylase a, used as substrates. The partially purified phosphatase could dephosphorylate the sites on phospholamban phosphorylated by either cAMP-dependent or calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase(s). Enzymatic activity was inhibited by inhibitor-2 and by okadaic acid (I50 = 10-20 nM), using either phosphorylase a or phospholamban as substrates. The sensitivity of the phosphatase to inhibitor-2 or okadaic acid was similar for the two sites on phospholamban, phosphorylated by the cAMP-dependent and the calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinases. Phospholamban phosphatase activity was enhanced (40%) by Mg2+ or Mn2+ (3 mM) while Ca2+ (0.1-10 microM) had no effect. These characteristics suggest that the phosphatase associated with cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum is a type 1 enzyme, and this activity may participate in the regulation of Ca2+ transport through dephosphorylation of phospholamban in cardiac muscle.

Deficiency in phosphorylase phosphatase activity despite elevated protein phosphatase type-1 catalytic subunit in skeletal muscle from insulin-resistant subjects

Glycogen synthase is activated by protein phosphatase type-1 (PP-1). The spontaneous PP-1 activity accounts for only a small fraction of total PP-1 activity, which can be exposed by trypsin digestion of inhibitor proteins in the presence of Mn2+. We determined total PP-1 activity in muscle biopsies from insulin-sensitive and -resistant nondiabetic Pima Indians. Inhibitor-2 sensitive PP-1 represented 90% of total phosphatase activity. Spontaneous and total PP-1 activities were reduced in insulin resistant subjects (P less than 0.05-0.01), suggesting that the reduced PP-1 activity is not the result of inhibition by trypsin-labile phosphatase regulatory subunits. This difference was further investigated by Western blots using two different antibodies. An antibody raised against the rabbit muscle PP-1 catalytic subunit was used to analyze muscle extracts concentrated by DEAE-Sepharose adsorption. An antibody raised against a peptide derived from the COOH-terminal end of the PP-1 catalytic subunit was used to analyze crude muscle extracts. Both antibodies recognized a PP-1 catalytic subunit of approximately 33 kD, which unexpectedly was more abundant in insulin-resistant subjects (P less than 0.05-0.01). The increase in the tissue PP-1 protein content may be a response to compensate for the impairment in the enzyme activity.

Protein phosphatase-1 and -2A, kinase FA, and casein kinase II in skeletal muscle of streptozotocin diabetic rats

Protein phosphatase-1 (PP-1) and -2A (PP-2A), two regulatory subunits of PP-1, the glycogen-binding subunit G and inhibitor-2 (I-2), kinase FA, and casein kinase II (CK-II) were investigated in skeletal muscle of diabetic rats 2 days after streptozotocin injection. FA and CK-II activate PP-1 in vitro and might be involved in the activation of PP-1 by insulin. Following muscle fractionation we found that (1) diabetes decreased both basal and trypsin-stimulated PP-1 activities; the decrease was more significant in the glycogen-bound and microsomal fractions than in the cytosol (cytosolic PP-1 decreased as specific activity but not as activity/g of muscle); also PP-2A was lower in diabetic cytosols; (2) less G was immunoprecipitated from diabetic glycogen-bound fractions compared to controls, while I-2 was not significantly changed; (3) diabetes decreased also FA (assayed as PP-1 activator) and CK-II (assayed using a synthetic peptide as substrate); (4) diabetes did not have any effect on phosphorylase (a + b) activity in the glycogen-bound fraction. Altogether the data show that acute diabetes decreased PP-1, one of its regulatory subunits and two potentially physiological regulators of PP-1, in addition to PP-2A. This may indicate that insulin is responsible for the long-term regulation of the same enzymes that are also under acute insulin control.

Effect of NaF on type-1 phosphatase aggregation

In muscle cytosolic and glycogen fractions prepared in the presence of 50 mM NaF phosphorylase phosphatase was a approximately 70 kDa complex instead of the 250 kDa or higher seen in the absence of NaF. A approximately 70 kDa complex was also formed when purified 37 kDa phosphatase-1 catalytic subunit (but not its 33 kDa tryptic fragment) was exposed to NaF. Treating this latter complex with a cross-linker led to disappearance of the 37 kDa protein and formation of a approximately 66 kDa band (detected by SDS electrophoresis), thus indicating the dimeric nature of the approximately 70 kDa complex.

Targetting of protein phosphatase 1 to the sarcoplasmic reticulum of rabbit skeletal muscle by a protein that is very similar or identical to the G subunit that directs the enzyme to glycogen

The amount of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) activity in rabbit skeletal muscle associated with membranes (predominantly sarcoplasmic reticulum) is similar to that bound to glycogen-protein particles. Membrane-vesicle-associated (sarcovesicular) PP1 can be solubilised with 0.5% Triton X-100 (but not 0.5M NaCl) and is complexed to a protein that is structurally and functionally very similar or identical to the G subunit which targets PP1 to glycogen-protein particles. This conclusion is based on immunoblotting and immunotitration experiments using two different preparations of G-subunit-specific antibodies, binding of Triton-solubilised sarcovesicular enzyme to glycogen, stimulation of phosphorylase phosphatase activity by glycogen, phosphorylation of the same tryptic peptides by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase) and release of catalytic subunit following phosphorylation by A-kinase. Membrane-association is not mediated via glycogen because sarcovesicular PP1 is (1) not released by digestion with alpha-amylase or at dilutions which fully dissociate the glycogen-bound enzyme, and (2) is solubilised by Triton X-100 (whereas glycogen-associated PP1 is not). These findings demonstrate that sarcovesicular PP1 is highly homologous to, or the same as, glycogen-associated PP1G and raises the possibility that a common targetting subunit may direct PP1 to different subcellular locations.

Purification and partial characterization of protein phosphatases from rat thymus

Protein phosphatases assayed with phosphorylase alpha are present in the soluble and particulate fractions of rat thymocytes. Phosphorylase phosphatase activity in the cytosol fraction was resolved by heparin-Sepharose chromatography into type-1 and type-2A enzymes. Similarities between thymocyte and muscle or liver protein phosphatase-1 included preferential dephosphorylation of the beta subunit of phosphorylase kinase, inhibition by inhibitor-2 and retention by heparin-Sepharose. Similarities between thymocyte and muscle or liver protein phosphatase-2A included specificity for the alpha subunit of phosphorylase kinase, insensitivity to the action of inhibitor-2, lack of retention by heparin-Sepharose and stimulation by polycationic macromolecules such as polybrene, protamine and histone H1. Protein phosphatase-1 from the cytosol fraction of thymocytes had an apparent molecular mass of 120 kDa as determined by gel filtration. The phosphatase-2A separated from the cytosol of thymocytes may correspond to phosphatase-2A0, since it was completely inactive (latent) in the absence of polycation and had activity only in the presence of polycations. The apparent molecular mass of phosphatase-2A0 from thymocytes was 240 kDa as determined by gel filtration. The catalytic subunit of thymocyte type-1 protein phosphatase was purified with heparin-Sepharose chromatography followed by gel filtration and fast protein liquid chromatography on Mono Q column. The purified type-1 catalytic subunit exhibited a specific activity of 8.2 U/mg and consisted of a single protein of 35 kDa as judged by SDS-gel electrophoresis. The catalytic subunit of type-2A phosphatase from thymocytes appearing in the heparin-Sepharose flow-through fraction was further purified on protamine-Sepharose, followed by gel filtration. The specific activity of the type-2A catalytic subunit was 2.1 U/mg and consisted of a major protein of 34.5 kDa, as revealed by SDS-gel electrophoresis.

Glycogen-bound type-1 phosphatase: isolation and dissociation of a complex containing undegraded G-subunit

A high molecular mass type-1 phosphatase complex can be isolated from muscle glycogen particles by a fast procedure that preserves the glycogen-binding subunit of phosphatase called G from proteolysis. G can be dissociated from such complex by ion exchange chromatography on FPLC SI column, with recovery of unproteolyzed G completely separated from phosphatase catalytic subunit.

Purification and characterization of a Mn2+/phospholipid-dependent protein phosphatase from pig brain membranes

A Mn2+/phospholipid-dependent protein phosphatase has been identified and characterized from brain membranes. The phosphatase contains three subunits with molecular weights of 64,000, 54,000, and 35,000 in a 1:1:1 molar ratio. On gel filtration, the enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of approximately 180,000. The phosphatase was active on many substrates, including p-nitrophenyl phosphate, phosphotyrosine, phosphothreonine, phosphorylase a, myelin basic protein, histones, type 1 phosphatase inhibitor-2, microtubule tau protein, and synapsin I. To dephosphorylate phosphoproteins, the phosphatase was dependent on such acidic phospholipids as phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine but not on neutral phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. The phospholipid-mediated activation of the phosphatase was time and dose dependent and could be reversed by Triton X-100 or gel filtration. Kinetic study further indicates that phospholipid was able to increase the Vmax of the phosphatase but had no effect on the Km value for substrates, suggesting a direct interaction of phospholipids with the phosphatase. Conversely, in order to dephosphorylate phosphoamino acids such as phosphotyrosine and phosphothreonine, this phosphatase was entirely dependent on Mn2+. Phospholipids had no effect on the dephosphorylation of phosphoamino acids, whereas Mn2+ had no effect on the dephosphorylation of phosphoproteins. It is concluded that this Mn2+/phospholipid-dependent membrane phosphatase has two distinct activation mechanisms. The enzyme requires Mn2+ to dephosphorylate micromolecules, whereas acidic phospholipids are needed to dephosphorylate macromolecules. This suggests that Mn2+ and phospholipids may play a role in regulating the substrate specificity of this multisubstrate membrane phosphatase.

Identification of the ATP + Mg-dependent and polycation-stimulated protein phosphatases in the germinal vesicle of the Xenopus oocyte

Two protein phosphatase activities were characterized in the germinal vesicle of Xenopus laevis oocytes after manual dissection of the nucleus. One enzyme can be classified as an active form of the ATP + Mg-dependent (AMD) phosphatase, the other as a polycation-stimulated (PCS) phosphatase. The activity of the PCS phosphatase is localized exclusively in the soluble compartment of the nucleus (nucleoplasm). The catalytic subunit of the AMD phosphatase activity is associated either with the nuclear particulate fraction or with an inhibitory subunit in the nucleoplasm.

Identification and partial characterization of a latent ATP, Mg-dependent protein phosphatase in rabbit skeletal muscle cytosol

Fractionation of rabbit skeletal muscle cytosol on Aminohexyl-Sepharose has resulted in the identification of a latent ATP, Mg-dependent protein phosphatase whose catalytic subunit is in the active conformation, but is inhibited by the presence of more than one modulator unit. The partially purified enzyme is converted to an inactive, kinase FA-dependent form upon incubation at 30 degrees C unless modulator-specific polyclonal antibodies are added to the preparation. The immunoglobulins also relieve the inhibition which is responsible for the low basal phosphatase activity of the enzyme, and they counteract all of the heat-stable inhibitor activity present in the preparation. Addition of free catalytic subunit abolishes the inhibition of the latent enzyme in a dose-dependent way, but cannot prevent the inactivation process. The inactivated phosphatase and the original latent enzyme exhibit the same apparent Mr in sucrose density-gradient centrifugation (70,000) and in gel filtration (110,000).

Dephosphorylation of the human T lymphocyte CD3 antigen

Previous studies demonstrated that activation of T lymphocytes by phorbol ester or mitogenic lectin leads to phosphorylation of Ser 126 of the CD3 antigen gamma chain, whereas treatment with ionomycin results in phosphorylation of both Ser 123 and 126 [Davies, A. A. et al. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 10918-10921]. In the present study, the dephosphorylation of Ser 123 and Ser 126 of the gamma chain was investigated. Phorbol-ester-induced phosphorylation of the gamma-chain Ser 126 in vivo was reversed following removal of phorbol ester. Dephosphorylation of both Ser 123 and 126 was also observed in vitro using the microsome fraction of T lymphocytes. In order to identify the phosphatases acting at these two sites, the immunoprecipitated gamma chain was used as substrate either following treatment with protein kinase C in vitro, in which case phosphorylation occurs mainly at Ser 123, or following in vivo phosphorylation of Ser 126. Purified oligomeric forms of the polycation-stimulated phosphatases were more effective in dephosphorylating both phosphorylated forms of the gamma chain compared with equivalent amounts of ATP,Mg2+-dependent phosphatases or calcineurin. By using phosphopeptide analogues of the CD3 gamma chain containing Ser 123 or Ser 126 as substrates (A3 and A6), it was shown that polycation-stimulated phosphatases selectively dephosphorylated Ser 123 compared to Ser 126. In order to determine which phosphatases dephosphorylate the gamma chain in microsomes, A3 and A6 were used as substrates for characterising phosphatases in microsomes from human T leukaemia Jurkat 6 cells. Three phosphopeptide phosphatases (250-400 kDa) co-eluted through five purification steps with three forms of polycation-stimulated phosphorylase phosphatase. The partially purified A3/A6 phosphopeptide phosphatases were insensitive to Ca2+, calmodulin and inhibitor-1, and dephosphorylated A3 preferentially compared with A6. A latent form of microsomal ATP,Mg2+-dependent phosphorylase phosphatase was stimulated 10-fold by trypsinisation, but did not dephosphorylate phosphopeptides A3 and A6. The results show that high-Mr forms of polycation-stimulated phosphatases are the only enzymes in human T leukaemia cell microsomes which dephosphorylate gamma chain phosphopeptides. The data point to an important role for polycation-stimulated phosphatases in regulating the phosphorylation state, and so function(s), of the CD3 antigen.

The association of type 1, type 2A and type 2B phosphatases with the human T lymphocyte plasma membrane

Several putative plasma-membrane-associated components of the T-lymphocyte signal-transduction pathway are phosphorylated during the initial events of cellular activation. Little is known about the control of dephosphorylation of these components. We have shown by immunoblotting that the type 1 phosphatase, the type 2A phosphatase and type 2B phosphatase (calcineurin) are associated with the plasma membrane of normal human T lymphoblasts and the human T leukaemic cell line Jurkat 6. The type 1 phosphorylase phosphatase activity is present in a latent form which can be stimulated synergistically by deinhibitor and p-nitrophenyl phosphate. The PCSH form of the type 2A phosphatase appears to be the predominant oligomer in the plasma-membrane fraction. All three phosphatases can be extracted from membranes with Nonidet P40, but whereas the type 1c and type 2Ac phosphatases separate into the detergent-poor phase of Triton X-114, calcineurin separates into both detergent-rich and -poor phases. It is probable that one or more of these three plasma-membrane-associated phosphatases play regulatory roles in determining the phosphorylation state of membrane-bound proteins involved in human T-cell activation.

Stimulation of protein phosphatase activity by insulin and growth factors in 3T3 cells

Incubation of Swiss mouse 3T3-D1 cells with physiological concentrations of insulin resulted in a rapid and transient activation of protein phosphatase activity as measured by using [32P]phosphorylase a as substrate. Activation reached a maximum level (140% of control value) within 5 min of addition and returned to control levels within 20 min. The effect of insulin was dose-dependent with half-maximal activation occurring at approximately 5 nM insulin. This activity could be completely inhibited by addition of the heat-stable protein inhibitor 2, which suggests the presence of an activated type-1 phosphatase. Similar effects on phosphatase activity were seen when epidermal growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor were tested. These results suggest that some of the intracellular effects caused by insulin and growth factors are mediated through the activation of a protein phosphatase.