Time Course Of Phosphorylation Research Articles

Dynamics of mammalian high‐molecular‐weight neurofilament subunit phosphorylation in cultured rat sympathetic neurons

To better understand the function(s) of the multiphosphorylation repeat (MPR) of the high molecular weight neurofilament (NF) subunit (NF-H), we sought to determine how phosphorylation within this region is regulated in cultured rat sympathetic neurons. To do this, monoclonal antibodies specific to phosphorylated or nonphosphorylated tandem repeats of the amino acid sequence Lys-Ser-Pro-Ala-Glu-Ala found within the MPR were identified and used to determine the extent of phosphorylation, the time course of phosphorylation, and the rate of turnover of phosphate groups within the NF-H MPR in cultured sympathetic neurons. We showed that (1) the synthesis and phosphorylation of NF-H occurs in these neurons cultured for 1 or 4 weeks; (2) the conversion from poorly to more highly phosphorylated variants of NF-H occurs slowly in cultured neurons; and (3) the turnover of phosphate groups on both poorly and highly phosphorylated variants of NF-H occurs more rapidly than the turnover of NF-H itself. In addition, we showed that the 200-kD highly phosphorylated NF-H can contain at least five consecutive nonphosphorylated tandem repeats as well as phosphorylated tandem repeats, whereas we were unable to detect consecutively phosphorylated tandem repeats in the 160-kD form of NF-H. These findings allow us to propose a mechanism whereby NF-H is initially phosphorylated singly at sites distributed throughout the MPR. This "poorly phosphorylated NF-H," which is the predominant form in immature neurons, is then converted by phosphorylation at additional sites within the MPR to the more "highly phosphorylated" species of NF-H typically found in mature neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Determination of the phosphorylation sites of smooth muscle caldesmon by protein kinase C

Smooth muscle caldesmon was phosphorylated by protein kinase C up to 1.90 mol P/mol caldesmon. Phosphorylated caldesmon was completely digested by trypsin and the produced phosphopeptides were purified by C-8 and C-18 reverse phase chromatography. Four phosphopeptides were isolated. The amino acid sequences of these peptides were determined and two phosphoserines were identified. Both were localized in the C-terminal domain at serine-587 and serine-726. By following the time course of phosphorylation, serine-587 was found to be the preferred site. Effects of the phosphorylation of caldesmon by protein C on the inhibition of acto-H-meromyosin ATPase activity was also examined. While unphosphorylated caldesmon inhibited the ATPase activity by 60%, phosphorylated caldesmon hardly inhibited the ATPase activity. Therefore, it was concluded that the phosphorylation at serine-726 and serine-587 reverses the inhibitory activity of caldesmon.

Phosrestins I and II: Arrestin homologs which undergo differential light-induced phosphorylation in the [formula omitted] photoreceptor in vivo

The 49-kDa phosphoprotein gene and Dmarrestin gene encode two distinct arrestin homologs in the Drosophila photoreceptor. We find that two DNA fragments representing the Dmarrestin gene hybrid-selected a mRNA the in vitro translation of which produced a protein corresponding to the 39-kDa phosphoprotein previously reported by us. We propose to name these phosphorylated homologs of arrestin phosrestin I (49-kDa protein) and phosrestin II (39-kDa protein or the Dmarrestin gene product). We find that phosrestins I and II follow different time courses of phosphorylation in vivo ; in the time period (∼seconds) during which 43% of phosrestin I became phosphorylated, the phosphorylated state of phosrestin II remained unchanged from that of the nonilluminated flies. These results indicate that phosrestins I and II probably occupy different functional roles in the Drosophila photoreceptor.

Protein phosphorylation in intact coronary endothelial cells by bradykinin

In cultured coronary endothelial cells obtained from guinea pig hearts, bradykinin (10 −6 M) stimulated the 32P i-incorporation into 5 substrate proteins with molecular weights corresponding to 27, 32, 60, 86 and 100 kDa. The time course of phosphorylation of the 60, 86 and 100 kDa proteins was rapid (within 30 s), but transient (max. within 1–2 min.), while the 32P i incorporation into the 27 and 32 kDa protein was delayed but increased within 10 minutes. Ca ++-ionophore A 23187 (10 −5 M) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (10 −5 M) both mimicked the effects of the bradykinin induced phosphorylation pattern. While A 23187 enhanced the phosphorylation of the 27, 60 and 100 kDa substrates, TPA increased the 32P i-incorporation into the 32 and 86 kDa proteins. Furthermore the time course of protein phosphorulation elicited by A 23187 and TPA showed marked similiarities to those obtained with bradykinin. Our findings are consistent with the view, that stimulation of coronary endothelial bradykinin-receptors activates both Ca ++-dependent protein kinases and protein kinase C.

Coordinate Phosphorylation of Insulin-Receptor Kinase and Its 175,000-Mr Endogenous Substrate in Rat Hepatocytes

To investigate the early events in insulin signal transmission in liver, isolated rat hepatocytes were labeled with 32P, and proteins phosphorylated in response to insulin were detected by immunoprecipitation with anti-phosphotyrosine and anti-receptor antibodies and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. In these cells, insulin rapidly stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of the 95,000-Mr beta-subunit of the insulin receptor and a 175,000-Mr phosphoprotein (pp175). Both proteins were precipitated by anti-phosphotyrosine antibody, whereas only the insulin receptor was recognized with anti-insulin-receptor antibody. In the insulin-stimulated state, both pp175 and the receptor beta-subunit were found to be phosphorylated on tyrosine and serine residues. Based on precipitation by the two antibodies, receptor phosphorylation was biphasic with an initial increase in tyrosine phosphorylation followed by a more gradual increase in serine phosphorylation over the first 30 min of stimulation. The time course of phosphorylation of pp175 was rapid and paralleled that of the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor. The pp175 was clearly distinguished from the insulin receptor, because it was detected only when boiling SDS was used to extract cellular phosphoproteins, whereas the insulin receptor was extracted with either Triton X-100 or SDS. In addition, the tryptic peptide maps of the two proteins were distinct. The dose-response curve for insulin stimulation was shifted slightly to the left of the insulin receptor, suggesting some signal amplification at this step. These data suggest that pp175 is a major endogenous substrate of the insulin receptor in liver and may be a cytoskeletal-associated protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Control of endogenous phosphorylation of the major cAMP-dependent protein kinase substrate in adipocytes by insulin and beta-adrenergic stimulation.

In isolated, 32Pi-loaded, rat adipocytes, we have examined phosphorylation of the major cAMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase) substrate, a protein that appears to be associated with the lipid storage droplet and migrates in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as a 65-67-kDa doublet. In control cells, a strong phosphorylation signal is detected as the (+/- cAMP) A-kinase activity ratio ranges from approximately 0.1 to approximately 0.3-0.4 with increasing isoproterenol concentrations. By contrast, insulin-treated cells exhibiting A-kinase activity ratios over the range of 0.1-0.25 contain less 32P in the 65-67-kDa protein than control cells exhibiting identical A-kinase activity ratios. At higher activity ratios (greater than 0.3), this reduction in phosphorylation of the 65-67-kDa protein by insulin disappears. It is concluded that insulin stimulates a phosphatase activity that acts on the 65-67-kDa protein. Insulin actions aside, these studies reveal two interesting phenomena. 1) Whereas elevated, steady-state A-kinase activities are established rapidly (1-2 min) upon isoproterenol stimulation, phosphorylation of the 65-67-kDa substrate proceeds through a burst, followed by a decline to a steady-state level by 10-12 min. An "adaptation" mechanism, providing for a constant response to a constant stimulus, may underlie this lack of parallelism between the time course of phosphorylation and A-kinase activity. 2) Removal of [32Pi] orthophosphate immediately before isoproterenol stimulation leads to a rapid (t approximately 10 min) loss in labeling of the 65-67-kDa protein, whereas the phosphorylation state of other phosphoproteins are not changed. These data suggest that elevation of A-kinase activity leads to a rapid exchange of external Pi with an ATP pool that is used by A-kinase.

Phosphorylation of smooth muscle caldesmon by calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Identification of the phosphorylation sites.

Smooth muscle caldesmon was phosphorylated by smooth muscle calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. The extent of phosphorylation obtained was 5.65 mol of phosphate/mol of caldesmon. Phosphorylated protein was subjected to the complete trypsin proteolysis and the produced phosphopeptides were purified by C-8 reverse phase chromatography. Nine phosphopeptides were isolated and by amino acid sequence analysis, eight phosphorylation sites were identified. According to the published amino acid sequence of chicken gizzard caldesmon (Bryan, J., Imai, M., Lee, R., Moore, P., Cook, R. G., and Lin, W.-G. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 13873-13879), these sites were serine 26, serine 59, serine 73, threonine 469, serine 475, serine 587, serine 620, and serine 726. The time course of phosphorylation of these sites was also measured and it was concluded that the first site was serine 73, the second site was serine 26, the third site was serine 726, and the fourth site was serine 587. The preferred phosphorylation sites were located in the amino terminus myosin binding domain whereas slower phosphorylation occurred in the carboxyl terminus actin/calmodulin domain.

Substance P contracts bovine tracheal smooth muscle via activation of myosin light chain kinase

At near-threshold substance P concentrations, the isometric tension response of bovine tracheal strips is almost completely abolished by atropine, indicating mediation of contraction via substance P-stimulated release of acetylcholine from prejunctional nerve terminals. At near-maximal concentrations, the atropine-inhibited component of the tension response is less than 25%, indicating mainly direct activation. Under conditions in which activation by substance P is direct, peak tension is reached in approximately 11 min. Immunoblot analysis of the time course of phosphorylation of the 20-kDa myosin light chain (LC20) reveals incorporation of approximately 0.5 mol phosphate/mol light chain at 10 min. Two-dimensional tryptic phosphopeptide analysis of phosphorylated light chain reveals a single major phosphopeptide. The peptide migrates identically with that produced by myosin light chain kinase phosphorylation of purified tracheal myosin in vitro. Contraction stimulated by acetylcholine is more rapid, with attainment of peak tension in 2.5 min and a peak LC20 phosphorylation of 0.65 mol/mol. These results indicate that 1) substance P mediates contraction of bovine trachea both directly and indirectly, and 2) under conditions in which activation is direct, the tension and phosphorylation responses qualitatively resemble those observed with acetylcholine.

Latch-bridge model in smooth muscle: [Ca2+]i can quantitatively predict stress

Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+])-dependent cross-bridge phosphorylation by myosin light chain kinase is postulated to be the primary regulator of stress development in smooth muscle. A four-state model of cross-bridge function, regulated only by [Ca2+]-dependent changes in myosin kinase activity, has been proposed to explain contraction and the latch state of smooth muscle (high force with reduced cross-bridge cycling and ATP consumption). A key test of this model is to determine whether changes in myoplasmic [Ca2+], per se, can quantitatively predict changes in myosin kinase activity, cross-bridge phosphorylation, and therefore force production. We find that changes in aequorin-estimated myoplasmic [Ca2+] can quantitatively predict the time course of phosphorylation and isometric stress production in response to stimulation with histamine and angiotensin II and during adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-mediated relaxation when [Ca2+] is not changing rapidly. These results suggest that changes in myoplasmic [Ca2+] and activation of myosin light chain kinase may be sufficient to explain both contraction and relaxation of agonist stimulated swine carotid arterial smooth muscle.

Constitutive Phosphorylation of the Receptor for Insulinlike Growth Factor I in Cells Transformed by the src Oncogene

Many oncogene products have been shown to bear strong homology to or to interact with components of normal cellular signal transduction. We have previously shown that a glycoprotein band of 95 kilodaltons (kDa) becomes tyrosine phosphorylated in chick cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus and that tyrosine phosphorylation of this protein band correlates tightly with phenotypic transformation in cells infected with a large and diverse panel of src mutants (L. M. Kozma, A. B. Reynolds, and M. J. Weber, Mol. Cell. Biol. 10:837-841, 1990). In this communication, we report that a component of the 95-kDa glycoprotein band is related or identical to the 95-kDa beta subunit of the receptor for insulinlike growth factor I (IGF-I). We found that the beta subunit of the IGF-I receptor comigrated on polyacrylamide gels with a component of the 95-kDa glycoprotein region from src-transformed cells under both reducing and nonreducing gel conditions and had a very similar partial phosphopeptide map. To further test the hypothesis that the beta subunit of the IGF-I receptor becomes tyrosine phosphorylated in cells transformed by pp60src, a human cell line that expressed the IGF-I receptor was transformed by src. Comparison of IGF-I receptors immunoprecipitated from normal and transformed cells revealed that the beta subunit of the IGF-I receptor became constitutively tyrosine phosphorylated in src-transformed cells. Moreover, IGF-I receptor phosphorylation induced by src was synergistic with that induced by the hormone: IGF-I-stimulated autophosphorylation of the receptor was much greater in src-transformed cells than in untransformed HOS cells even at maximal concentrations of IGF-I. This increased responsiveness to IGF-I was not due to increases in receptor number, time course of phosphorylation, or affinity for hormone. Finally, no IGF-I-like activity could be detected in culture supernatants collected from the src-transformed cells, suggesting that the increased receptor phosphorylation observed in the src-transformed cells may be mediated by an intracellular mechanism rather than an external autocrine stimulation. Our data demonstrate that the IGF-I receptor becomes constitutively tyrosine phosphorylated in src-transformed cells. This finding raises the possibility that pp60v-src alters growth regulation at least in part by phosphorylating and activating this growth factor receptor.

Constitutive phosphorylation of the receptor for insulinlike growth factor I in cells transformed by the src oncogene.

Many oncogene products have been shown to bear strong homology to or to interact with components of normal cellular signal transduction. We have previously shown that a glycoprotein band of 95 kilodaltons (kDa) becomes tyrosine phosphorylated in chick cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus and that tyrosine phosphorylation of this protein band correlates tightly with phenotypic transformation in cells infected with a large and diverse panel of src mutants (L. M. Kozma, A. B. Reynolds, and M. J. Weber, Mol. Cell. Biol. 10:837-841, 1990). In this communication, we report that a component of the 95-kDa glycoprotein band is related or identical to the 95-kDa beta subunit of the receptor for insulinlike growth factor I (IGF-I). We found that the beta subunit of the IGF-I receptor comigrated on polyacrylamide gels with a component of the 95-kDa glycoprotein region from src-transformed cells under both reducing and nonreducing gel conditions and had a very similar partial phosphopeptide map. To further test the hypothesis that the beta subunit of the IGF-I receptor becomes tyrosine phosphorylated in cells transformed by pp60src, a human cell line that expressed the IGF-I receptor was transformed by src. Comparison of IGF-I receptors immunoprecipitated from normal and transformed cells revealed that the beta subunit of the IGF-I receptor became constitutively tyrosine phosphorylated in src-transformed cells. Moreover, IGF-I receptor phosphorylation induced by src was synergistic with that induced by the hormone: IGF-I-stimulated autophosphorylation of the receptor was much greater in src-transformed cells than in untransformed HOS cells even at maximal concentrations of IGF-I. This increased responsiveness to IGF-I was not due to increases in receptor number, time course of phosphorylation, or affinity for hormone. Finally, no IGF-I-like activity could be detected in culture supernatants collected from the src-transformed cells, suggesting that the increased receptor phosphorylation observed in the src-transformed cells may be mediated by an intracellular mechanism rather than an external autocrine stimulation. Our data demonstrate that the IGF-I receptor becomes constitutively tyrosine phosphorylated in src-transformed cells. This finding raises the possibility that pp60v-src alters growth regulation at least in part by phosphorylating and activating this growth factor receptor.

Constitutive and induced phosphorylation of the alpha- and beta-chains of the CD11/CD18 leukocyte integrin family. Relationship to adhesion-dependent functions.

We sought to determine whether the activation event which renders the CD11/CD18 leukocyte integrin/Leu-CAM glycoproteins capable of promoting cell to cell adhesion was associated with the induced posttranslational modification of phosphorylation. In neutrophils, two species of alpha-chains, a predominant CD11b 165-kDa subunit and a minor 150-kDa CD11c subunit were found to be constitutively phosphorylated. However, the 95-kDa CD18 common beta-chain was not phosphorylated in resting cells but became strongly phosphorylated in cells incubated with PMA. The beta-chain was phosphorylated in a dose-related manner within 1 min of the addition of PMA, reached maximal intensity between 4 to 10 min, and remained fully phosphorylated at 30 min. The similarities of the kinetics of homotypic aggregation induced by PMA to the time course of phosphorylation suggest that phosporylation may be relevant to at least this type of Leu-CAM-dependent adhesion. In contrast, in the presence of FMLP which induces aggregation with different kinetics than PMA, no phosphorylation of the common beta-chain was observed over a time interval of from 30 s to 10 min further emphasizing the apparent differences in the two modes of activation to an adhesive state. The phosphorylated species on neutrophils were readily detected by immunoprecipitation with each CD18 mAb and most but not all CD11b mAb which otherwise precipitated 125I-labeled CD11b species suggesting that the CD11b alpha-chain labelled with 32P may differ slightly from the 125I-labeled species in terms of its recognition by certain CD11b mAb. In mononuclear cells, similar constitutive phosphorylation of the CD11a and CD11c alpha-chains was observed that remained unchanged in the presence of either FMLP or PMA. As was demonstrated in neutrophils, phosphorylation of the CD18 beta-chains of mononuclear cells was not constitutive but was induced in the presence of PMA and not FMLP. Taken together these data suggest the existence of specific recognition sites on beta-chains for a regulatory kinase-phosphatase system.

Phosphorylation of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase in guinea pig peritoneal macrophages stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate

The plasma membrane-bound NADPH-cytochrome c reductase of guinea pig macrophages (Mφ) was found to be phosphorylated when [ 32P]phosphate-labeled cells were stimulated with 12-phorbol 13-myristate acetate (PMA). The time course of phosphorylation was parallel to that of O − 2-generating activity elicited. These results suggest that the reductase participates as a flavoprotein in activation of the respiratory burst NADPH oxidase, when phosphorylated.

Myosin dephosphorylation during rapid relaxation of hog carotid artery smooth muscle

Changes in myosin light chain phosphorylation were measured during histamine-induced rhythmic contractions of hog carotid artery smooth muscle strips. Histamine made the muscle strips contract spontaneously every 1-5 min, and this allowed measurement of the time course of phosphorylation in relation to force development under conditions where diffusion of the agonist through tissue would not complicate the interpretation of the data. In the absence of histamine, phosphorylation was low [0.12 +/- 0.04 mol P/mol of the 20,000-Da light chain (LC 20)]. Phosphorylation was slightly (but not significantly) higher in the presence of 10 microM histamine in the relaxed state between contractions (0.20 +/- 0.03 mol P/mol LC 20). In muscle strips frozen during force development, when force had reached half of its peak value, phosphorylation was 0.38 +/- 0.06 mol P/mol LC 20. The highest levels of phosphorylation (0.49 +/- 0.04 mol P/mol LC 20) were found in strips frozen at the peak of the rhythmic contractions. Strips frozen when force had declined to half of the peak force showed low levels of phosphorylation (0.17 +/- 0.07 mol P/mol LC 20), indicating that the myosin light chain phosphatase activity was quite high. Mathematical modeling of the kinase and phosphatase reactions suggested that the apparent first-order phosphatase rate constant was at least 0.08 s-1 under these conditions. To obtain a better estimate of this rate constant, a second series of phosphorylation measurements were made early in the relaxation phase of the rhythmic contractions. The highest phosphatase rate constant obtained from these measurements was 0.23 s-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A role for protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation in the mobilization of arachidonic acid in mouse macrophages

Mouse peritoneal macrophages respond to activators of protein kinase C and to zymosan particles and calcium ionophore by rapid enhancement of a phospholipase A pathway and mobilization of arachidonic acid. The pattern of protein phosphorylation induced in these cells by 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol, exogenous phospholipase C and by zymosan and ionophore A23187 was found to be virtually identical. The time course of phosphorylation differed among the phosphoprotein bands and in only some of those identified (i.e., those of 45 and 65 kDa) was the phosphorylation sufficiently rapid to be involved in the activation of the phospholipase A pathway. Phosphorylation of lipocortin I or II could not be detected. Down-regulation of kinase C by a 24-h pretreatment with PMA resulted in extensive inhibition of both protein phosphorylation and the mobilization of arachidonic acid in response to PMA or dioctanoylglycerol. The phosphorylation of the 45 kDa protein in response to zymosan and A23187 was also inhibited by pretreatment with PMA, while only arachidonic acid release induced by zymosan was inhibited by this pretreatment. Depletion of intracellular calcium had little effect on kinase C-dependent phosphorylation, although arachidonic acid mobilization is severely inhibited under these conditions. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide and lipid A induced a phosphorylation pattern different from that induced by PMA, and down-regulation of protein kinase C did not affect lipopolysaccharide-induced protein phosphorylation. The results indicate (i) that protein kinase C plays a critical role also in zymosan-induced activation of the phospholipase A pathway mobilizing arachidonic acid; (ii) that such activation requires calcium at some step distal to kinase C-mediated phosphorylation and (iii) that phosphorylation of lipocortins does not explain the kinase C-dependent activation.

The in vitro phosphorylation of calmodulin by the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase

Calmodulin, a ubiquitous Ca 2+-binding regulatory protein, is phosphorylated exclusively on tyrosine-99 in an insulin-dependent manner by wheat germ lectin-purified preparations of insulin receptors from rat adipocyte plasma membranes. Calmodulin is phosphorylated in the presence of polylysine, histone Hf2b, and protamine sulfate, but not in the absence of these cofactors or in the presence of other basic compounds known to interact with calmodulin, such as mellitin, myelin basic protein, chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine, substance P, glucagon, polyarginine, mastoparin, β-endorphin, spermine, spermidine, and putrescine. The incorporation of 32P into calmodulin, expressed in terms of moles of phosphate per moles of calmodulin and assayed at calmodulin concentrations of 1.2 and 0.06 μ m, is 0.023 + 0.002 and 0.046 + 0.006, respectively. This low stoichiometry is likely due to the relative impurity of the receptor preparation, as similar studies not shown here, using highly purified human insulin receptors, yield a stoichiometry of 1 mol phosphate/mol calmodulin. The time course of phosphorylation is characterized by a short initial lag phase of approximately 5 min, a rapid linear rate from approximately 5 to 40 min, with a steady state of 32P incorporation being approached at approximately 60 min. The K 0.5 for ATP is 104 + 18 μ m. Phosphorylated calmodulin is partially purified by HPLC on a C 4 column using a trifluoroacetic acid/ acetonitrile gradient solvent system. Phosphoamino acid analysis and limited thrombin digestion were used to determine that the site of insulin-induced phosphorylation of calmodulin is exclusively on tyrosine-99 regardless of the basic protein cofactor used. Phosphorylated calmodulin does not exhibit the characteristic Ca 2+ shift normally observed with calmodulin in electrophoretic gels, an observation that is consistent with this modification affecting the biological activity of the molecule. Thus, the tyrosine phosphorylation of calmodulin represents a potentially important post-translational modification altering calmodulin's ability to regulate a variety of enzymes involved in growth, differentiation, and metabolic regulation.

Phosphorylation of alpha alpha- and beta beta-tropomyosin and synthetic peptide analogues.

A tropomyosin kinase partially purified from chicken embryos was used to study the phosphorylation mechanism of alpha alpha- and beta beta-tropomyosin and synthetic peptides containing the site of phosphorylation at Ser-283 and corresponding to residues 264-284 of the tropomyosin isoforms. The apparent Km is 47 microM for alpha alpha- and 265 microM for beta beta-tropomyosin, whereas the Vmax values are similar. The alpha [264-284] and beta [264-284] peptides have apparent Km values of 500 microM and 650 microM, respectively, and Vmax values similar to that of the intact tropomyosin. This indicates that the conformation of the phosphorylation site at the COOH-terminal end of tropomyosin contributes significantly to the phosphorylation of the substrate. Furthermore, the marginal difference in the Km values of the alpha- and beta-peptide cannot account for the 5-fold difference in the Km of the native alpha alpha and beta beta isoforms, suggesting that the conformations of alpha alpha- and beta beta-tropomyosin at the phosphorylation sites are significantly different. Phosphorylation of beta-peptide analogues, each with a single substitution corresponding to the alpha sequence, indicates that His-276 and Ile-284 have negative influences on the phosphorylation of the beta-peptide, whereas Met-281 improves it. Direct analyses of the time courses of phosphorylation of alpha alpha-tropomyosin at 37 degrees C, where head-to-tail polymerization is minimized, show that a single exponential can fit the data satisfactorily. This indicates a random phosphorylation of two identical chains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Agonist-dependent phosphorylation of the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor by the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase.

Desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor, a receptor which is coupled to the stimulation of adenylate cyclase, may be regulated via phosphorylation by a unique protein kinase. This recently discovered enzyme, known as the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase, only phosphorylates the agonist-occupied form of the beta-adrenergic receptor. To assess whether receptors coupled to the inhibition of adenylate cyclase might also be substrates, we examined the effects of beta-adrenergic receptor kinase on the partially purified human platelet alpha 2-adrenergic receptor. Phosphorylation of the reconstituted alpha 2-adrenergic receptor was dependent on agonist occupancy and was completely blocked by coincubation with alpha 2-antagonists. The time course of phosphorylation of the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor was virtually identical to that observed with the beta-adrenergic receptor with maximum stoichiometries of 7-8 mol of phosphate/mol of receptor in each case. In contrast, the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor, which is coupled to stimulation of phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis, is not a substrate for the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase. These results suggest that receptors coupled to either stimulation or inhibition of adenylate cyclase may be regulated by an agonist-dependent phosphorylation mediated by the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase.

Abnormal phosphoinositide metabolism and protein phosphorylation in platelets from a patient with the grey platelet syndrome

SummaryWashed platelets isolated from one patient suffering from the inherited grey platelet syndrome were studied during thrombin‐induced activation. The agonist‐induced changes in (i) morphology, (ii) typical functional cell responses, (iii) membrane phospholipid metabolism and protein phosphorylation were studied and compared with the changes obtained with normal platelets. The morphology of the platelets as visualized by electron microscopy confirmed the almost total absence of intracellular alpha‐granules and marked vacuolization. During thrombin stimulation the morphological changes were clearly delayed as compared to normal platelets, the granule centralization and aggregation occurring only 15s after thrombin addition instead of 5 s in normal platelets. After 15 s, however, even though no alpha‐granules were observed, a ring‐like structure occurred centrally, indicating that they are not a prerequisite for this reaction. The whole release reaction, i.e. liberation of [14C]ser‐otonin from dense granules and β‐n‐acetylglucosaminidase activity from lysosomes, and the thromboxane synthesis were delayed and remained lower than in normal platelets. No thrombin‐induced phosphatidyl 4,5‐bisphosphate breakdown was measurable on 32P‐prelabelled platelets although [32P]phosphatidate formation occurred normally. Phosphorylation time courses of myosin light chain (P20) and of protein P43 (mol wt 43 000) markedly differed from those of controls, being less than half of the normal during the first 15 s and remaining subnormal even after complete aggregation. These results suggest that in platelets devoid of alpha‐granules a deficient transmembrane signalling system is likely responsible for the impaired physiological responses.

1,2-Dioctanoylglycerol but not 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol inhibits agonist-induced platelet responses. Dependence of effects on extent of 45-kDa protein phosphorylation and agonist type.

1. The effect of the membrane-permeable diacylglycerol analogues, 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol (Oco2Gro) and 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol (OleAcGro) on agonist-induced platelet activation processes were compared with those of the phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), using appropriately labelled washed human platelets. 2. Pre-treatment (10-300 s) with Oco2Gro (15-60 microM) or PMA (16 nM) before addition of thrombin (0.2 U/ml) or, addition of these agents 10-20 s after thrombin, resulted in a significant reduction (20-80%) in the extent of thrombin-induced intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) mobilisation and arachidonate/thromboxane B2 release. OleAcGro (62-125 microM) had no effect on thrombin-induced [Ca2+]i elevations but had a slight (15%) inhibitory effect on thrombin-induced arachidonate release with a 5-min pre-incubation. Addition of Oco2Gro, PMA or OleAcGro on their own caused no rise in [Ca2+]i levels or arachidonate release. 3. Collagen (20 micrograms/ml) induced substantial arachidonate release without a detectable rise in [Ca2+]i. Pretreatment (10-300 s) with Oco2Gro (15-60 microM), PMA (16 nM) or OleAcGro (62 microM) before collagen addition or addition of these agents 30-60 s after collagen addition resulted in a significant potentiation of arachidonate release (1.2--2-fold over control), even though thromboxane B2 formation in response to collagen was inhibited in the presence of Oco2Gro or PMA. 4. Both Oco2Gro and PMA had dual effects on 5-hydroxytryptamine secretion induced by thrombin or collagen. Short pre-incubations (less than 2 min) with these agents caused a potentiation of sub-maximal agonist-induced secretion, while not affecting secretion induced by maximal agonist concentrations. With longer pre-incubation times (5-15 min) however, a significant reduction in the level of agonist-induced secretion in the presence of Oco2Gro or PMA was observed. Inhibition of secretion was also observed in platelets treated with indomethacin (10 microM), suggesting that inhibition of thromboxane B2 formation alone does not account for inhibition of 5-hydroxytryptamine secretion. OleAcGro had no inhibitory effects on agonist-induced secretion even though it potentiated it (with less than 2-min incubations) at sub-maximal agonist concentrations. 5. Time courses of phosphorylation of a 45-kDa protein, a marker of protein kinase C activation, in 32P-labelled platelets showed that while Oco2Gro (60 microM) and PMA (16 nM) caused a 4--5-fold increase in 32P-labelling of this protein over a 5-min incubation period, OleAcGro (62-125 microM) caused a 1.5-fold increase in labelling which was only maintained for a 10--30-s period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)