Endogenous phosphorylation of platelet membrane proteins

Abstract

The characteristics of the phosphorylating activity of platelet membranes have been studied. Plasma membranes of human platelets isolated by the glycerol lysis technique were shown to incorporate significant amounts of [ 32P]phosphate into specific membrane proteins. This activity was only partially cyclic 3′:5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP)-dependent but had most of the other characteristics of protein kinases derived from other sources. Maximal stimulation of endogenous phosphorylation was obtained at 1 × 10 −7, m cyclic AMP and exceeded by approximately 30% the [ 32P]phosphate incorporation in the absence of this cyclic nucleotide. The platelet membrane protein kinase was able to phosphorylate exogenous proteins, e.g., histone, fibrinogen etc., as well as endogenous membrane proteins. The latter solubilized by sodium dodecyl sulfate and separated by dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis incorporated [ 32P]phosphate into three polypeptides of apparent molecular weights 52,000, 31,000, and 20,000. The phosphorylation of the polypeptide of molecular weight 52,000 was cyclic AMP-dependent.