Histone Phosphatase Research Articles

The histone phosphatase inhibitory property of plant nucleosome assembly protein-related proteins (NRPs)

SET/I(2)(PP2A), a member of the family of nucleosome assembly proteins (NAPs), has been previously described as a multifunctional protein inhibiting protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)-mediated histone H3((pSer10)) dephosphorylation during the heat shock response in animal cells. In the present work we demonstrate that its plant orthologs, designated as NAP-related proteins (NRPs), have a similar invitro biochemical activity and interact with PP2A and histone H3((pSer10))invivo. Although heat shock gene promoters were found to be associated with histone H3((pSer10))-marked chromatin following a high temperature treatment, heat shock gene expression was not affected in NRP-deficient mutant Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) plantlets. These observations indicate that NRPs are potential regulators of histone dephosphorylation in plants, but they are dispensable for gene expression reorganization in response to heat shock.

Histones and histone modifications.

Histone variants, distinct patterns of posttranslational modifications of histones, and histone tail binding proteins all contribute to establishment of various ‘open’ or ‘closed’ chromatin domains that have specialized folding properties and biological functions. Some of these domains can be propagated through DNA replication and mitosis, guaranteeing the inheritance of chromatin states to progeny. Histone lysine methylation may play a central role in the stability of these chromatin states, as to date no enzymes are known that catalyze lysine demethylation. Furthermore, several nonhistone proteins, such as HP1 or the PRC1 polycomb complex, not only bind to methylated histone lysines, but also recruit the methylase itself, thus providing a means for templating new histone methylation events – for example, following replication fork passage – or for spreading the domain to adjacent nucleosomes.How ‘open’ states are propagated through cell divisions is not clear, especially as histone lysine acetylation or serine phosphorylation can be rapidly reversed by HDACs or histone phosphatases. Future studies will no doubt continue to identify the functional and biochemical properties of new chromatin domains as well as to elucidate the principles that govern their maintenance and propagation.

Chromatin compaction and tumor cell radiosensitivity at 2 gray.

Mammalian cells at mitosis, differentiated lymphocytes, and some radiation-hypersensitive mutants in interphase contain all or a measurable portion of their chromatin in condensed/compacted form and are hypersensitive to ionizing radiation by the mechanism described by single-hit inactivation kinetics (alpha). These observations led to the investigation as to whether compacted chromatin in interphase is the target that determines the widely variable alpha-parameters and surviving fractions of 2 Gy (SF2Gy) measured for human tumor cell lines. Six cell lines whose SF2Gy ranged from 0.29 to 0.73 were used for this study. Their different radiosensitivities were associated mainly with differences in their single-hit inactivation parameters (alpha). Electron microscope images of interphase nuclei were optically scanned, and the pixel densities were digitized for quantitative analyses. A significant correlation between the percentage of nuclear pixels with densities similar to those found in mitotic chromosomes (percent compacted chromatin) and the alpha-inactivation parameters was observed. Digital analyses of electron and/or confocal microscope images of chromatin in interphase tumor cells in biopsy specimens could become a rapid assay for predicting the intrinsic radiosensitivity of tumor clonogens. This research has also identified some inhibitors of protein (histone) phosphatases that promote chromatin compaction and radiosensitize cells to 2-Gy dose fractions.

Tissue and subcellular distributions, and characterization of rat brain protein phosphatase 2A containing a 72-kDa delta/B" subunit.

A 74-kDa delta/B" subunit was isolated by heparin-Sepharose column chromatography from human erythrocyte protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) consisting of a 34-kDa catalytic subunit (alpha/C) and 63- and 74-kDa regulatory subunits (beta/A and delta/B") in a ratio of 1:1:1. The purified delta/B" was used as an immunogen in mice, to prepare specific antisera against delta/B". Immunoblot analyses with the antisera detected an immunoreactive 72-kDa protein in the cytosol from various rat tissues including erythrocytes, brain, lung, testis, adrenal gland, heart, spleen, kidney, and liver. The 72-kDa protein was highly abundant in brain and was distributed evenly in cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and brain stem. The 72-kDa protein was also detected in mitochondria and microsome fractions. An immunoreactive 68-kDa protein was detected mainly in nuclear and microsome fractions. The 72-kDa protein from rat brain cytosol copurified with phosphorylated H2B histone phosphatase activity during successive chromatographies on DEAE-Toyopearl, AH-Sepharose, Sephadex G-150, H1 histone-Toyopearl, TSK DEAE-5PW, protamine-Toyopearl, and TSK G3000SW columns. The purified enzyme migrated as a single protein band on nondenaturing PAGE and as three protein bands of 34, 63, and 72 kDa in a ratio of 1:1:1 on SDS-PAGE. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 170,000 from the s20,W value of 7.2 +/- 0.3 S and the Stokes radius of 5.5 +/- 0.1 nm. The rat brain enzyme was classified as PP2A, based on the following properties; (1) an IC50 for okadaic acid of 10(-9) M; (2) its preferential dephosphorylation of the a subunit of phosphorylase kinase; (3) its insensitivity to protein inhibitor 2; and (4) its heterotrimeric subunit structure. The Km value and the molecular activity of the enzyme for phosphorylated H2B histone were 72.3 +/- 0.3 microM and 192 +/- 2 mol Pi released/min/mol enzyme, respectively, and were comparable to those of human erythrocyte PP2A (alpha1 beta1 delta1/ CAB"). The 72-kDa subunit in the purified rat brain PP2A was phosphorylated in vitro by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

Fostriecin

Fostriecin is a novel antitumor antibiotic. In vitro studies showed that fostriecin inhibits DNA topoisomerase II (Topo II) catalytic activity, protein phosphatases involved with cell-cycle control and histone phosphatases. The relative contribution of these mechanisms to the antitumor activity has not been elucidated, but Topo II inhibition seems to be the major mechanism of action at in vitro cytotoxic fostriecin levels. Tumor cell lines with decreased Topo II content showed similar or increased sensitivity to fostriecin, compared to the parent cell lines. The reduced-folate carrier is probably responsible for the cellular uptake of fostriecin. The possible clinical consequences of these in vitro observations are discussed.

Purification and Characterization of Protein Phosphatase 2C in Rat Parotid Acinar Cells: Two Forms of Mg2+-Activated Histone Phosphatase and Phosphorylation by cAMP-Dependent Protein Kinase

Two forms of Mg2+-activated histone phosphatase activities were partially purified from rat parotid acinar cells using Mono Q and gel filtration chromatography. Both enzymes activities were dependent on the presence of Mg2+, showing little activity in the presence of EDTA. The activities fractionated on the Mono Q column into two peaks: the first was a minor peak of histone phosphatase activity; the second was a major peak. These two peaks eluted at distinct positions on the gel filtration column. The molecular masses of the two peak fractions corresponded to 46 and 55 kDa, respectively on SDS–gels. The first 46-kDa peak immunoreacted with anti-PP2Cα phosphatase antibody and like PP2Cα phosphatase could be phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The second 55-kDa peak showed neither reactivity with anti-PP2Cα phosphatase antibody nor phosphorylability by cAMP-dependent protein kinase, but retained a Mg2+or Mn2+dependence for its histone phosphatase activity. Ca2+showed a strong inhibition on this activity. On the basis of these observations, we have identified the first peak enzyme as PP2Cα phosphatase and the second peak as a novel PP2C-like phosphatase.

P34cdc2 phosphorylation sites in histone H1 are dephosphorylated by protein phosphatase 2A 1

The protein phosphatase activity in rat liver cytosol or nuclear extracts that dephosphorylates histone H1 which has been phosphorylated by p34cdc2 is inhibited completely by okadaic acid, but unaffected by inhibitor-2 or magnesium ions, demonstrating that the only enzyme in this tissue capable of dephosphorylating this substrate is a type 2A phosphatase. Fractionation of the cytosol by anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration demonstrated that histone H1 phosphatase activity coeluted with the major species of protein phosphatase 2A, termed PP2A 1 and PP2A 2. PP2A 1 was the most active histone H1 phosphatase, its histone phosphatase phosphorylase phosphatase activity ratio being 6-fold higher than PP2A 2 and 30-fold higher than the free catalytic subunit PP2A C. It is concluded that PP2A 1 is likely to be the enzyme which dephosphorylates p34cdc2-labelled histone H1 in vivo and that the A and B subunits which interact with PP2A C in this species each play a key role in facilitating dephosphorylation of this substrate. The results demonstrate that PP2A, in addition to being involved in suppressing the activation of p34cdc2 in vivo, can also function to reverse at least one of its actions.

Three distinct forms of type 2A protein phosphatase in human erythrocyte cytosol.

Two type 2A protein phosphatases, phosphatases I (Mr = 180,000) and III (Mr = 177,000), were purified to near homogeneity from human erythrocyte cytosol. Phosphatase I was composed of alpha (34 kDa), beta (63 kDa), and delta (74 kDa) subunits in a ratio of 1:1:1. Phosphatase III comprised alpha, beta, and gamma (53 kDa) subunits in the same ratio. Heparin-Sepharose column chromatography converted most of phosphatase I and 20% of phosphatase III into alpha 1 beta 1 which were indistinguishable from phosphatase IV (Usui, H., Kinohara, N., Yoshikawa, K., Imazu, M., Imaoka, T., and Takeda, M. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 10455-10463). The catalytic subunit alpha and the beta subunit of phosphatases I, III, and IV displayed identical V8 and papain peptide maps, respectively, while the peptide maps of the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta subunits were clearly distinct. The molar ratio of phosphatases I, III, and IV in erythrocyte cytosol was estimated to be 6:1:14. Comparison of molecular activities of alpha, alpha 1 beta 1, alpha 1 beta 1 delta 1, and alpha 1 beta 1 gamma 1 revealed that beta suppressed phosphorylase and P-H2B histone phosphatase activities of alpha but stimulated the P-H1 histone phosphatase activity, and delta suppressed all the phosphatase activities of alpha 1 beta 1. The gamma subunit stimulated the P-histone phosphatase activity of alpha 1 beta 1 but inhibited the phosphorylase and P-spectrin phosphatase activities. The beta subunit increased the Mg2+ or Mn2+ requirement for P-H2B histone phosphatase activity of alpha, an effect which was counteracted by delta. The effects of heparin, H1 histone, protamine, and polylysine on the phosphorylase phosphatase activity of phosphatases I, III, IV, and alpha were described and discussed in connection with the functions of the subunits.

Chromatographic resolution of soluble and particulate protein phosphatases from Dictyostelium discoideum

We have examined protein phosphatase activities that are present during the cellular differentiation of Dictyostelium. Utilizing differential centrifugation, ion exchange, gel filtration, and concanavalin A affinity chromatography we found a number of distinct protein phosphatase activities. Three peaks of soluble Kemptide phosphatase activity and a very broad and heterogeneous soluble histone phosphatase activity were resolved by anion exchange chromatography. Histone phosphatase was associated with the particulate fraction, while Kemptide phosphatase was not. The protein phosphatase activities were able to dephosphorylate sites that had been phosphorylated by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Therefore it is possible that their function in vivo may be to oppose the action of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. In addition several paranitrophenyl phosphate phosphatase activities are shown to be largely separable from the protein phosphatases. An apparent heat-stable inhibitor of histone phosphatase is shown to be artifactual in that instead of interacting with the enzyme it acts by complexing With histone.

Protein phosphatases in developing Dictyostelium discoideum cells

Protein phosphatase activities in developing Dictyostelium discoideum cells were investigated. Substrates were prepared by phosphorylation of histone H2b and kemptide (Leu-Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Leu-Gly) using cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Two histone phosphatase activities ( M r 170 000 and 520 000) and one kemptide phosphatase activity ( M r 230 000) were found in the cytosolic cell fraction. Histone phosphatase was also present in the particulate fraction, kemptide phosphatase was not. All phosphatase activities were present throughout development. No differences in protein phosphatase activities were found in prespore and prestalk cells. A heat-stable factor which inhibits the particulate and both soluble histone phosphatase activities was isolated.

Demonstration of separate phosphotyrosyl- and phosphoseryl-histone phosphatase activities in the plasma membranes of a human astrocytoma

A plasma membrane preparation from a human astrocytoma contained p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP), phosphotyrosyl histone, and phosphoseryl histone hydrolysis activities. The pNPPase and phosphotyrosyl histone phosphatase activities were inhibited by vanadate, whereas the phosphoseryl histone phosphatase activity was not; the latter activity was inhibited by pyrophosphate and nucleoside di- and triphosphates. When the membranes were solubilized by Triton X-100 and the solubilized proteins were subjected to column chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex, Sepharose 6B-C1, and wheat germ agglutinin-Sepharose 4B columns, the pNPPase activity coeluted with the phosphotyrosyl histone phosphatase activity, and was separable from the phosphoseryl histone phosphatase activity. The results from column chromatography also indicated that there may be multiple phosphotyrosyl and phosphoseryl protein phosphatases in the plasma membranes.

Phosphotyrosine and phosphoprotein phosphatase activity of alkaline phosphatase in mineralizing cartilage

We used embryonic skeletal cartilage known to have high levels of alkaline phosphatase activity to determine whether growing cartilage has phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity and phosphotyrosinyl histone phosphatase activity at physiologc pH. Embryonic chick pelvic cartilage and fetal pig scapular growth-plate cartilage were assayed using phosphotyrosine as substrate at pH 7.5 and the amount of tyrosine generated measured. Both cartilage models had K m for phosphotyrosine between 6 to 24 μmol/L. Phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity correlated with alkaline phosphatase activity as assessed by (1) distribution of histologic staining for alkaline phosphatase within the cartilages, (2) hormonal stimulation of cartilage alkaline phosphatase activity in vitro, (3) comparison of alkaline phosphatase and phosphotyrosine phosphatase activities in the presence of known inhibitors (vanadate, levamisole, homoarginine, and zinc), and (4) assaying chick epiphyseal cartilage alkaline phosphatase purified to homogeneity for phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity. Areas of cartilage with elevated alkaline phosphatase activity also had raised phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity. Triiodothyronine, a known stimulator of cartilage alkaline phosphatase, increased chick cartilage alkaline phosphatase activity 88% and phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity 106%, and stimulated porcine growth-plate cartilage alkaline phosphatase activity 91% and phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity 145% after 3 days of in vitro incubation. Each of the inhibitors block alkaline phosphatase and phosphotyrosine phosphatase activities. The purified alkaline phosphatase had a K m for phosphotyrosine of 18 μmol/L and V max of 5700 nmol tyrosine/mg protein/h, which is well over 1000-fold higher than the phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity found in the above preparations of pelvic and scapular cartilage. Furthermore, cartilage alkaline phosphatase dephosphorylated phosphotyrosinated histone and had little to no activity when histones phosphorylated at serine and threonine were used as substrate. Our studies support the hypothesis that alkaline phosphatase functions as a neutral phosphoprotein phosphatase, ie, a phosphotyrosine phosphatase, and is involved in the regulation of protein phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reactions.

The separation and properties of two phosphoprotein phosphatases from the dimorphic fungus Mucor rouxii

Soluble preparations from mycelium of the dimorphic fungus Mucor rouxii contained detectable amounts of phosphoprotein phosphatase activity. This cytosolic phosphatase activity exhibited a molecular weight below 80,000 and could be resolved into two different forms (enzymes I and II) by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose followed by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300. Enzyme I ( M r 64,000) was mainly a histone phosphatase activity, absolutely dependent on divalent cations, with a K 0.5 for MnCl 2 of 2 m m. Enzyme II ( M r 40,000) was active with histone and phosphorylase. Its activity was independent or slightly inhibited by Mn 2+. This enzyme was strongly inhibited by 50 m m NaF or 1 m m ATP. When partially purified enzymes I and II were separately treated with ethanol, the catalytic properties of enzyme II were apparently not affected while those of enzyme I were drastically changed. The activity with histone, which was originally dependent on Mn 2+, became independent or slightly inhibited by the cation. The treatment was accompanied by a notable increase in phosphorylase phosphatase activity which was strongly inhibited by Mn 2+. Treated enzyme I eluted from DEAE-cellulose and Sephacryl S-300 columns at a position similar to that of enzyme II.

Chromatographic characteristics and subcellular localization of synthase phosphatase, phosphorylase phosphatase and histone phosphatase in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Synthase phosphatase, phosphorylase phosphatase and histone phosphatase activity in a leukocyte homogenate were found to have different sedimentation characteristics: both synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase activity are associated with the microsomal fraction, while the majority of histone phosphatase activity (75-85%) was found in the cytosol. Synthase phosphatase, phosphorylase phosphatase and histone phosphatase activities accompanying the microsomal fraction are readily solubilized by 0.3% Triton X-100. When the solubilized microsomal enzymes were chromatographed on Sephadex G-200, the majority of synthase phosphatase, phosphorylase phosphatase and histone phosphatase activity migrated in single peaks corresponding to apparent molecular weights of 380 000, 250 000 and 68 000, respectively. A minor peak of 30 000, which had phosphatase activity against all three substrates was also obtained. Ethanol treatment resulted in solubilization and dissociation of the three phosphatase activities. It was found that although ethanol treatment resulted in a 4-fold increase of phosphorylase phosphatase activity, histone phosphatase activity was decreased (by 60%), while synthase phosphatase activity remained stable. Similar results were obtained when ethanol treatment was performed on the 17 000 X g supernatant. Chromatography of the ethanol-treated microsomes (or homogenate) on Sephadex G-200 showed that the phosphatase activity towards synthase D, phosphorylase a and phosphohistone coincided a Mr 30 000 species. Heat treatment of the Mr 30 000 peak resulted in dissociation of synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase activity. Synthase phosphatase was inhibited by phosphorylase a in a kinetically non-competitive manner while histone phosphatase activity was not inhibited by synthase D (8.5 unit/ml) or by phosphorylase a (12 unit/ml).

Resolution and reassociation of three distinct components from pig heart phosphoprotein phosphatase.

A partially purified pig heart phosphoprotein phosphatase was dissociated into three distinct components, namely alpha, beta, and gamma, by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 followed by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex in the presence of 6 M urea. Although alpha itself had phosphatase activities toward P-H2B histone, P-H1 histone, phosphorylase a, and glycogen synthase b, beta and gamma had no activity toward these substrates even in the presence of 1 mM Mn2+. The beta component (Mr = 80,000) combined with alpha (Mr = 31,000) in the absence of urea to produce Form 2 (Mr = 123,000) with concomitant increase in P-H1 histone phosphatase activity and Mg2+ requirement for P-H2B histone phosphatase activity (Imazu, M., Imaoka, T., Usui, H., Kinohara, N., and Takeda, M. (1981) J. Biochem. 90, 851-862). The gamma component (Mr = 62,000) reassociated with Form 2 to produce Form 1 (Mr = 199,000) which was similar to the original phosphoprotein phosphatase in substrate specificity and Mg2+ requirement. Binding of gamma to Form 2 strongly suppressed the phosphatase activities toward phosphorylase a and glycogen synthase b with marginal effects on the other phosphatase activities and Mg2+ requirement. However, gamma alone could not associate with alpha. The gamma component was sensitive to treatment with heat (60 degrees C for 2 min) or trypsin and was resistant to treatment with DNase or RNase. The pig heart phosphoprotein phosphatase was further purified to near homogeneity, as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis revealed that the purified enzyme (Mr = 171,000) was composed of three polypeptide components, namely alpha', beta', and gamma' with molecular weights of 34,000, 69,000, and 56,000, respectively. The component stoichiometry was determined to be alpha' 1 beta' 1 gamma' 1 by densitometric tracing of the Coomassie blue-stained bands on the acrylamide gel. After dissociation of alpha ' and other components by gel filtration of the purified enzyme on Sephacryl S-200 in the presence of 6 M urea, one alpha ' combined with one beta' to produce Form 2' of Mr = 106,000. Since Form 1 and the purified enzyme as well as Form 2 and Form 2' had similar catalytic properties and s20,w values, respectively, component compositions are suggested to be alpha 1 beta 1 gamma 1 for Form 1 and alpha 1 beta 1 for Form Form 2.

Histone variants and histone modifications in chromatin fractions from heterochromatin-rich Peromyscus cells

In order to investigate the relationship between condensed heterochromatin and histone modification by acetylation, phosphorylation and amino acid variation, chromatin from cultured Peromyscus eremicus cells, containing 35% constitutive heterochromatin, was fractionated into heterochromatin-enriched and heterochromatin-depleted fractions. The constitutive heterochromatin content of these fractions was determined from satellite DNA content. The distribution of phosphorylated and acetylated histones and amino acid variants of histone H2A in these chromatin fractions was examined by gel electrophoresis. Fractionation of histones demonstrated that endogenous histone phosphatase activity was high in chromatin fractions and could not be inhibited sufficiently to allow accurate histone phosphorylation measurements. However, sodium butyrate did inhibit deacetylation activity in the fractions, allowing histone acetylation measurements to be made. It was found that the constitutive heterochromatin content of these fractions was proportional to both their unacetylated H4 content and their more-hydrophobic H2A content. These observations support, by direct measurement, earlier experiments (Exp cell res 111 (1978) 373; 125 (1980) 377; 132 (1981) 201) suggesting that constitutive heterochromatin is enriched in unacetylated arginine-rich histones, and in the more hydrophobic variant of histone H2A.

Subcellular localisation and properties of histone phosphate phosphatase in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes: alterations in pregnancy and chronic granulocytic leukaemia and relationship to alkaline phosphatase

Using [ 32P]histone as substrate, an assay for histone phosphate phosphatase was optimised for human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Kinetic studies showed that the activity was optimal at pH 6.8, was stimulated by Mn 2+ and Co 2+, and inhibited by sodium sulphite and zinc chloride. The apparent K m of the enzyme for histone phosphate was 0.89 μmol/l. Neutrophils were homogenized in isotonic sucrose and, after low speed centrifugation, the supernatant was subjected to analytical subcellular fractionation. Gradient fractions were assayed for principal marker enzymes and for histone phosphate phosphatase. Histone phosphate phosphatase activity was shown to be solely located to the cytosol. No activity was detected in the alkaline phosphatase-containing granules. Neutrophils were isolated from the blood of control subjects, patients with chronic granulocytic leukaemia and women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The specific activity (milliunits/mg protein) of histone phosphate phosphatase was significantly reduced in patients with chronic granulocytic leukaemia compared to control values but this decrease was considerably less than that found for alkaline phosphatase. The possible implication of the reduced histone phosphatase activity in leukaemia neutrophils is discussed. There was no significant change in histone phosphate phosphatase in leucocytes from pregnant women. These results, together with the subcellular fractionation experiments and inhibitor studies, strongly indicate that histone phosphate phosphatase is not attributable to neutrophil alkaline phosphatase.

Interaction of calmodulin with histones. Alteration of histone dephosphorylation.

The Ca2+-dependent regulator protein (CDR), also frequently termed "calmodulin" was determined to influence the dephosphorylation of mixed calf thymus histones or purified histones 1, 2A, or 2B by a partially purified bovine brain phosphoprotein phosphatase. CDR increase the rate of dephosphorylation of mixed histones more than 20-fold. With increasing concentrations of mixed histones as substrate, a proportionate increase of CDR concentration was required to maintain maximal expression of histone phosphatase activity. Mixed histones suppressed the activation by CDR of a bovine brain cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity, with activation being restored by increased quantities of CDR. Dephosphorylation of casein and phosphorylase alpha by the phosphatase preparation was not affected by CDR. These observations support the interpretation that the effects of CDR on histone dephosphorylation are substrate-directed. The rates of dephosphorylation of histones 1, 2A, and 2B by the phosphatase were 4- to 12-fold more rapid at low (sub-micromolar) concentrations of free Ca2+ than at high (200 microM) Ca2+ in incubations containing CDR, but they were unaffected by Ca2+ in incubations without CDR. The addition of stoichiometric quantities of calmodulin increased the apparent Km of the phosphatase for the various histones 2- to 6-fold, while maximal velocities were 4- to 12-fold higher at low than at high added Ca2+. The inhibitory effect of Ca2+ on histone dephosphorylation was immediately reversible by chelation of Ca2+ with EDTA. Ca2+-dependent inhibition of histone 1 or 2B phosphatase activities was also produced by rabbit skeletal muscle troponin C, but not by rabbit skeletal muscle parvalbumin, by poly(L-aspartate) or poly(L-glutamate). The phosphorylated fragment from the NH2-terminal region of either H2A (generated by treatment with N-bromosuccinimide) or H2B (generated by treatment with cyanogen bromide) was dephosphorylated by the phosphatase, with the rates of dephosphorylation being reduced 3- to 6-fold by Ca2+ in incubations containing CDR.

Purification and subunit structure of rat-liver phosphoprotein phosphatase, whose molecular weight is 260000 by gel filtration (phosphatase IB).

1. Phosphoprotein phosphatase IB is a form of rat liver phosphoprotein phosphatase, distinguished from the previously studied phosphoprotein phosphatase II [Tamura et al. (1980) Eur. J. Biochem. 104, 347-355] by earlier elution from DEAE-cellulose, by higher molecular weight on gel filtration (260000) and by lower activity toward phosphorylase alpha. This enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, aminohexyl--Sepharose-4B, histone--Sepharose-4B, protamine--Sepharose-4B and Sephadex G-200. 2. The molecular weight of purified phosphatase IB was 260000 by gel filtration and 185000 from S20,W and Stokes' radius. Using histone phosphatase activity as the reference for comparison, the phosphorylase phosphatase activity of purified phosphatase IB was only one-fifth that of phosphatase II. 3. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis revealed that phosphatase IB contains three types of subunit, namely alpha, beta and gamma, whose molecular weights are 35000, 69000 and 58000, respectively. The alpha subunit is identical to the alpha subunit of phosphatase II. While the beta subunit is also identical or similar to the beta subunit of phoshatase II, the gamma subunit appears to be unique to phosphatase IB. 4. When purified phosphatase IB was treated with 2-mercaptoethanol at -20 degrees C, the enzyme was dissociated to release the catalytically active alpha subunit. Along with this dissociation, there was a 7.4-fold increase in phosphorylase phosphatase activity; but histone phosphatase activity increased only 1.6-fold. The possible functions of the gamma subunit are discussed in relation to this activation of enzyme.

Isolation of an inactive component from pig heart phosphoprotein phosphatase and its reassociation with an active component

Treatment of a pig heart phosphoprotein phosphatase (phosphoprotein phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.16) of M r 224 000 with 40% ethanol followed by gelfiltration on Sephadex G-150, dissociated the enzyme into an active component of M m 31 000 and an inactive component of M r 80 000. The inactive component reassociated with the active component, resulting in the formation of an enzyme form of M r 123 000. A large excess of either component in the reassociation produced only this enzyme form. The ability of the inactive component to associate with the active component was lost by treatment of the inactive component with trypsin and heat (60°C, 2 min) but not with DNAase and RNAase. Effects of the inactive component on the activities of the active component by the association were as followings. The inactive component: (1) stimulated slightly the 32P-H2B histone phosphatase activity in the presence of either NaCl or Mg (CH 3COO) 2 but inhibited strongly in the absence of the salts; (2) stimulated the 32P-H1 histone phosphatase activity in the presence of the salts; (3) inhibited the phosphorylase α phosphatase activity in the presence and absence of the salts; (4) enhanced the response to the stimulatory effects of the salts on the dephosphorylation of 32P-histone; and (5) protected the phosphorylase α phosphatase activity from inhibition by the salts.