Characterization of a casein kinase which interacts with the rabbit progesterone receptor. Differences with the in vivo hormone-dependent phosphorylation

Casein kinase II activity in the brain of an insect, Acheta domesticus: characterization and hormonal regulation

This study documented casein kinase II (CK II) activity in Acheta domesticus brain using specific antibodies and its regulation by polyamines. In control animals a transient decrease in CK II activity at day 3 after imaginal moult was observed in the brain but not in the fat body. If deprived of ecdysone by ovariectomy a different pattern was observed, with CK II activity being significantly higher on days 3 and 4 after emergence. After ecdysone injection in ovariectomized females, CK II activity decreased to levels similar to those in controls. The implications of ecdysone regulation of brain CK II activity are discussed.

Evidence for a second pathway in the action mechanism of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Significance of Ah-receptor mediated activation of protein kinase under cell-free conditions

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) when administered directly to a nuclear-free subcellular homogenate of guinea pig adipose tissue, caused a significant rise in protein kinase activities within 1-10 min. Such a rapid response was not expected, based on the classic transcriptional mechanism of action for TCDD, i.e. TCDD first binds with its cytosolic Ah-receptor, translocates into the nucleus, dimerizes with "arnt" (a nuclear transcription factor), and activates genes containing "xenobiotic-responsive element" (XRE). The above actions of TCDD on protein kinases were clearly blocked by two specific Ah-receptor blockers, even under cell- and nucleus-free conditions. TCDD-induced increases in protein phosphorylation occurred mainly in cytosolic preparations (i.e. 100,000 g supernatant) devoid of nucleus, microsomes and plasma membranes and were still observed in the presence of inhibitors of protein phosphatases. Furthermore, TCDD caused a rise in protein tyrosine kinase activity in a purified Ah-receptor preparation, as well as in an isolated heat shock protein 90 complex preparation containing the Ah-receptor. This activation took place in the presence of actinomycin D and cycloheximide, indicating a portion of TCDD's action that is unrelated to de novo protein synthesis in this process. We have also obtained evidence indicating that this action of TCDD triggers the protein kinase mediated growth factor signal transduction pathway, such as stimulation of mitogen activated protein kinase 2 and tyrosine kinase activity. These results clearly support the view that the basic action pathway for such a TCDD-induced activation of protein kinases is distinctly different from its conventional action pathway involving changes in gene transcription in the nucleus.

Phosphorylation of immunopurified rat liver glucocorticoid receptor by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase

We have examined phosphorylation of the rat liver glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and GR-associated protein kinase (PK) activity in the immunopurified receptor preparations. Affinity labeling of hepatic cytosol with [3H]dexamethasone 21-mesylate showed a covalent association of the steroid with a 94 kDa protein. GR was immunopurified with antireceptor monoclonal antibody BuGR2 (Gametchu & Harrison, Endocrinology 114: 274-279, 1984) to near homogeneity. A 23 degrees C incubation of the immunoprecipitated protein A-Sepharose adsorbed GR with [gamma-32P]ATP,Mg2+ and the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent PK (cAMP-PK) from bovine heart, led to an incorporation of radioactivity in the 94 kDa protein. Phosphorylation of GR was not evident in the absence of the added kinase. Of the radioinert nucleotides (ATP, GTP, UTP or CTP) tested, only ATP successfully competed with [gamma-32P]ATP demonstrating a nucleotide specific requirement for the phosphorylation of GR. Other divalent cations, such as Mn2+ or Ca2+, could not be substituted for Mg2+ during the phosphorylation reaction. Phosphorylation of GR was sensitive to the presence of the protein kinase inhibitor, H-8, an isoquinoline sulfonamide derivative. In addition, the incorporation of radioactivity into GR was both time- and temperature-dependent. The phosphorylation of GR by cAMP-PK was independent of the presence of hsp-90 and transformation state of the receptor. The results of this study demonstrate that GR is an effective substrate for action of cAMP-PK and that the immunopurified protein A-Sepharose adsorbed GR lacks intrinsic kinase activity but can be conveniently used for the characterization of the phosphorylation reaction in the presence of an exogenous kinase.

Progesterone receptor phosphorylation complexities in defining a functional role

All steroid receptors are phosphoproteins and several, including progesterone receptors (PRs), become hyperphosphorylated upon binding of ligand. PR phosphorylation is complex, occurring in different cellular compartments and perhaps requiring multiple serine kinases. A model that is emerging proposes that PR phosphorylation is progressive, occurring in at least a three-stage cascade. However, the functional significance of this phosphorylation cascade remains unclear.

Phosphorylation of chicken oviduct progesterone receptor by cAMP-dependent protein kinase

Phosphorylation of immunopurified chicken oviduct progesterone receptor (PR) was studied in intact cells and under cell-free conditions. Cytosol PR was isolated by incubation with anti-PR monoclonal antibody alpha PR22 adsorbed to protein A-Sepharose and suspended in a reaction mixture containing 10 mM Mg2+, 0.1 mM [gamma-32P]ATP, and the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAMP-PK) from bovine heart. All three major proteins of avian PR (PR-A, 79 kDa; PR-B, 110 kDa; 90 kDa) incorporated 32P-radioactivity on serine residues. The phosphorylation reaction was inhibited by synthetic inhibitors of protein kinases, H-8 and 20-residue peptide IP20. A 40 degrees C preexposure of PR oligomer increased phosphorylation of the 90-kDa protein, known to be a heat-shock protein (hsp-90). The extent of the phosphorylation reaction was temperature-dependent as the 32P-incorporation into PR-A and PR-B increased gradually, showing a maximum at 37 degrees C. Multiple phosphopeptides (4-7) were resolved by two-dimensional electrophoresis chromatography following cleavage of 32P-labeled peptides with trypsin. Both A and B forms of receptor showed similar phosphorylation patterns with B receptor digestion exhibiting two to three additional peptides. Under physiological conditions, preincubation of oviduct mince with forskolin, a regulator of intracellular cAMP levels, caused a greater extent of phosphorylation of PR-A and PR-B proteins. The results of this study demonstrate that chicken oviduct PR is an excellent substrate for the action of cAMP-PK in vitro and that this enzyme may be a physiological regulator of progesterone action in the oviduct.

Hormone-induced progesterone receptor phosphorylation consists of sequential DNA-independent and DNA-dependent stages: analysis with zinc finger mutants and the progesterone antagonist ZK98299

Human progesterone receptors (hPRs) are phosphorylated at multiple serine residues, first in a basal step and then in a hormone-induced step. To determine whether hormone-induced phosphorylation precedes or follows the interaction of hPRs with DNA two strategies were used. (i) DNA binding was prevented or altered with site-specific mutants of the A form of hPR; (ii) DNA binding of wild-type hPR forms A and B was prevented with the progesterone antagonist ZK98299. Two hPRA mutants were constructed: DBDCys, which lacks a critical cysteine residue in the first zinc finger, and DBDsp, which is mutated at three discriminatory amino acids to change its DNA binding specificity from a progesterone response element to an estrogen response element. Receptors were transiently expressed in PR-negative cells and were intranuclear. DBDCys did not bind DNA in vitro and DBDsp bound only the estrogen response element. Transiently expressed hPRA and DBDsp showed the upward shift in electrophoretic mobility characteristic of hormone-induced phosphorylation; it was absent with DBDCys. Hormone-induced [32P] orthophosphate incorporation into transiently expressed DBDCys was reduced 60% compared to hPRA and DBDsp but was not eliminated. ZK98299 binds hPRs but prevents their interaction with DNA. Compared to R5020, the antagonist reduced phosphorylation of hPRB and hPRA in T47D breast cancer cells by 60% and totally prevented the mobility shift. We conclude that the hormone-induced phosphorylation of hPR includes DNA-independent and DNA-dependent stages and that only DNA-dependent sites contribute to the mobility shift.

A model for the determination of the 3D-spatial distribution of the functions of the hormone-binding domain of receptors that bind 3-keto-4-ene steroids

A method of comparing the hydrophobic clusters of proteins (hydrophobic cluster analysis, HCA) has revealed that the 3D-folding pattern of the hormone-binding domain (HBD) of steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) may have an unexpectedly high degree of analogy with the known 3D-crystal structures of proteins belonging to the serine proteinase inhibitor (SERPIN) superfamily, e.g. alpha 1-antitrypsin and ovalbumin. The present paper briefly reviews some of the biochemical evidence that supports the structural validity of the SERPIN model and shows how the model can be used to establish hypothetical 3D-locations for functions attributed to different amino-acids or peptide sequences of the HBD: i.e. heat-shock protein binding, transcription activation, phosphorylation, steroid binding, but also ATP-binding. Indeed, the model has enabled the identification of a Rossmann-fold in SHRs that might bind ATP. Visualization of all these functions should help to interpret the chain of concerted events induced by steroid binding.

Receptor interconversion model of hormone action. 2. Requirement of both kinase and phosphatase activities for conferring estrogen binding activity to the estrogen receptor

Three interconvertible forms of the estrogen receptor have been identified in the oviduct of estrogen-stimulated chicks. The non-estradiol binding form (Rnb) can be converted to the lower affinity binding form (Ry, Kd = 0.8 nM) by a process requiring the gamma-phosphoryl moiety of ATP. The enzymatic activity (Fy) essential for this "receptor potentiation" has been isolated from oviduct cytosol using ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE chromatography, and HPLC size-exclusion chromatography. The potentiation appears to require both kinase and phosphatase activities. The Fy kinase characteristically phosphorylates casein, histones, and glycogen synthase. Comparison of the kinase with casein kinase II, which also phosphorylates casein and glycogen synthase, indicates that Fy represents a distinct protein kinase since its activity is not stimulated by spermine or inhibited by heparin. Fy-mediated conversion of Rnb to Ry is blocked by the phosphatase inhibitors vanadate, fluoride, and pyrophosphate. The substrate specificity of the Fy phosphatase activity is distinct from that of the two well-characterized protein phosphatases 1 and 2A. Moreover, the requirement for Fy phosphatase activity in converting Rnb to Ry could not be mimicked by its substitution with purified protein phosphatases 1 or 2A. The unique substrate specificity of the oviduct protein phosphatase and protein kinase, which are apparently necessary to confer estradiol binding characteristics to the receptor, implies that these enzymes play a key role in the control of the estrogen receptor in its function as a transcription factor.

Identification of a novel casein kinase activity in HeLa cell nuclei

Three casein kinase activities have been resolved by column chromatography of HeLa cell nuclear extracts. In addition to casein kinases NI and NII, which have been described in other cell types, HeLa nuclei contain a third casein kinase activity which we have named NIII. NIII is a cyclic nucleotide-independent casein kinase which uses either Mg2+ or Mn2+ as a divalent cation, but is inhibited by increasing NaCl concentrations in the presence of Mg2+ and has optimal activity at 50 mM NaCl in the presence of Mn2+. In Mg2+, NIII uses only ATP as a phosphate donor, but in Mn2+ NIII transfers phosphate from either ATP or GTP. NIII phosphorylates the serine and threonine residues of casein, but does not phosphorylate phosvitin or calf thymus histones.

Phosphorylation status of nuclear and cytosolic androgen receptors in the rat ventral prostate

We demonstrate that endogenous phosphatases are active in cytosolic and nuclear androgen receptor fractions from the rat ventral prostate. Under our androgen binding assay conditions, the effect of acid phosphatase inhibitors (sodium fluoride, tartaric acid, sodium orthovanadate) on the endogenous phosphatases could be correlated with an increase in dihydrotestosterone (DHT) binding to fractions of partially purified cytosolic androgen receptor. In contrast, tetramisole, an alkaline phosphatase inhibitor, did not alter the binding of DHT to the same receptor fraction. Immunoprecipitation of androgen receptor fractions with polyclonal anti-phosphotyrosine antibody resulted in the recovery of [3H]-DHT binding activity from nuclear receptor fractions and partially purified cytosolic receptor fractions prepared from 20- to 24-hr castrated rats. In control fractions depleted of androgen receptor, negligible levels of binding activity were recovered following immunoprecipitation with the antibody. Therefore, acid phosphatases may be acting on phosphotyrosyl residues of the androgen receptor, thus playing a role in the dephosphorylation and inactivation of the androgen receptor.