Muscarinic Receptor Kinase Research Articles

Stimulus-dependent Phosphorylation of G-protein-coupled Receptors by Casein Kinase 1α

We have previously demonstrated that the phospholipase C-coupled m3-muscarinic receptor is phosphorylated in an agonist-sensitive manner by a protein kinase of approximately 40 kDa purified from porcine cerebellum (Tobin, A. B., Keys, B., and Nahorski, S. R. (1996) J. Biol Chem. 271, 3907-3916). This kinase, called muscarinic receptor kinase (MRK), is distinct from second messenger-regulated protein kinases and from beta-adrenergic receptor kinase and other members of the G-protein-coupled receptor kinase family. In the present study we propose that MRK is casein kinase 1alpha (CK1alpha) based on the following evidence: 1) the amino acid sequence from two proteolytic peptide fragments derived from purified MRK corresponded exactly to sequences within CK1alpha. 2) Casein kinase activity co-eluted with MRK activity from the final two chromatography steps in the purification of porcine brain MRK. 3) Recombinant CK1alpha expressed in Sf9 cells is able to phosphorylate both casein and the bacterial fusion protein, Ex-m3, that contains a portion of the third intracellular loop of the m3-muscarinic receptor downstream of glutathione S-transferase. 4) Partially purified CK1alpha increased the level of muscarinic receptor phosphorylation in an agonist-sensitive manner when reconstituted with membranes from Chinese hamster ovary-m3 cells expressing the human recombinant m3-muscarinic receptor. 5) Partially-purified CK1alpha phosphorylated rhodopsin, contained in urea-treated bovine rod outer segment membranes, and the extent of phosphorylation was increased in the presence of light. These data demonstrate that the kinase previously called MRK is CK1alpha, and that CK1alpha offers an alternative protein kinase pathway from that of the G-protein-coupled receptor kinase family for the stimulus-dependent phosphorylation of the m3-muscarinic receptor, rhodopsin, and possibly other G-protein-coupled receptors.

Identification of a Novel Receptor Kinase That Phosphorylates a Phospholipase C-linked Muscarinic Receptor

Phosphorylation of G-protein-linked receptors is thought to play a central role in receptor regulation and desensitization. Unlike the case of the extensively studied beta-adrenergic receptor/adenylate cyclase pathway, in which receptor-specific phosphorylation is known to be mediated by beta-adrenergic receptor kinase ( beta-ARK), the kinases responsible for phosphorylation of phospholipase C-linked receptors have yet to be identified, although a role for beta-ARK has been implicated. This study describes the purification of a novel 40-kDa receptor kinase from porcine cerebellum that is able to phosphorylate the phospholipase C-linked m3-muscarinic receptor in an agonist-dependent manner. The assay for kinase activity was based on the ability of the kinase to phosphorylate a bacterial fusion protein, Ex-m3, containing amino acids Ser345-Leu463 of the third intracellular loop of the m3-muscarinic receptor. Purification of the muscarinic receptor kinase from a high speed supernatant fraction of porcine cerebellum was achieved using the following steps: (i) 30-60% ammonium sulfate cut and successive chromatography on (ii) butyl-Sepharose (iii) Resource Q, (iv) Resource S, and (v) heparin-Sepharose. The purified protein kinase represented an approximately 18,600-fold purification and was a single polypeptide with a molecular weight of approximately 40 kDa. Based on the chromatographic mobility, molecular weight, and kinase inhibitor studies, the kinase, designated MRK, was shown to be distinct from previously characterized second messenger regulated protein kinases, beta-ARK, and other members of the G-protein-linked receptor kinase family. It therefore represents a new class of receptor kinase.

Differential time course for desensitization to muscarinic effects on K+ and Ca2+ channels.

The time course of muscarinic effects on K and Ca currents was investigated at 22-24 degrees C in guinea-pig atrial myocytes, using the whole-cell voltage clamp. At a holding potential of -40 or -50 mV, short exposures to 100 microM acetylcholine (ACh) or carbachol (CCh) reproducibly induced outward K currents (IK,ACh). During long exposures to these agonists, IK,ACh faded with time. In cells not dialysed with guanosine triphosphate (GTP), IK,ACh could dissipate completely following 15-20 min of agonist exposure. After agonist washout, lost sensitivity was not recovered. In cells dialysed with GTP (0.2-1 mM), IK,ACh still faded but normal sensitivity to agonists was restored with washout. Fade of IK,ACh was not prevented by intracellular heparin or dextran, excluding the involvement of either beta-adrenergic or muscarinic receptor kinase. IK,ACh induced by bethanechol or adenosine also faded, and subsequent CCh application after washout revealed a diminished response. Intracellular guanosine-5'-o-(3-thiotriphosphate (GTP gamma S) induced IK,ACh which faded, and subsequent exposure to CCh was without effect. Equally, after full desensitization with CCh, GTP gamma S failed to induce IK,ACh. The Ca current (ICa) was activated by voltage steps to 0 mV and increased with 1-3 microM isoproterenol. This increase could be reversed by CCh, even when IK,ACh had completely faded. Prolonged muscarinic agonist exposure sometimes also caused fade of the effect on ICa, which always occurred after loss of IK,ACh. The results show that desensitization is heterologous and may involve the guanine nucleotide-binding (G) protein. The differential desensitization to the effects on IK,ACh and ICa suggests the involvement of two different signalling pathways in the muscarinic control of K and Ca channels.

Phosphorylation of a phosphoinositidase C-linked muscarinic receptor by a novel kinase distinct from β-adrenergic receptor kinase

Muscarinic receptor kinase activity previously described in intact CHO cells transfected with human m3-muscarinic receptor cDNA (CHO-m3 cells) [Tobin, A.B and Nahorski, S.R (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268,9817\\3-9823] was found to be associated, at least in part, with a crude membrane fraction of CHO-m3 cell lysates. Phosphorylation of the m3-muscarinic receptor was agonist dependent, reaching a maximum after 10 min exposure to carbachol (1 mM) and was completely blocked by atropine (10μM). m3-Muscarinic receptor phosphorylation was insensitive to Zn 2+ (0.1 mM) and heparin (1 μg ml ), concentrations that inhibit endogenous β-adrenergic receptor kinase activity present in CHO-m3 cells strongly suggesting that the m3-muscarinic receptor kinase is distinct fromβ-adrenergic receptor kinase. A role for protein kinase C can also be eliminated on the basis that the potent protein kinase C inhibitor, Ro-318220 (1μM), had no effect on agonist-mediated m3-muscarinic receptor phosphorylation. Further, the inability of calcium (300μM), cAMP (0.2 mM) and cGMP (0.2 mM) to elevate the basal phosphorylation state of m3-muscarinic receptors eliminates a role for protein kinases regulated by these second messengers. Finally, agonist mediated phosphorylation appears to be independent of G-protein activation as both GDP-β-S (500μM) and GTP-γ-S (100μM) did not influence m3-muscarinic receptor phosphorylation.

Activation by G protein beta gamma subunits of beta-adrenergic and muscarinic receptor kinase.

We have shown previously that GTP-binding regulatory protein (G protein) beta gamma subunits stimulate the agonist- or light-dependent phosphorylation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) and rhodopsin by a protein kinase partially purified from porcine brain (mAChR kinase) but not the phosphorylation of rhodopsin by rhodopsin kinase (Haga, K., and Haga, T. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 2222-2227). We report here that the mAChR kinase phosphorylates beta-adrenergic receptors (beta-ARs) purified from bovine lung in an agonist-dependent manner, and the phosphorylation is also stimulated by G protein beta gamma subunits. We also report that recombinant beta-adrenergic receptor kinase 1 (beta-ARK1) expressed in COS-7 cells phosphorylates mAChRs (human m2 subtype) and rhodopsin in an agonist- or light-dependent manner, respectively, and that this phosphorylation is stimulated by G protein beta gamma subunits. By contrast, the beta gamma subunits do not stimulate the phosphorylation of mAChRs or rhodopsin by a beta-ARK1 mutant lacking a part of the carboxyl-terminal region which is present in beta-ARKs but not in rhodopsin kinase. These results indicate that the beta-ARK1 is the same as or very similar to the mAChR kinase but is distinguished from the rhodopsin kinase with respect to activation by the beta gamma subunits and that the extra carboxyl-terminal sequence in beta-ARKs is required for the stimulation by the beta gamma subunits.