Parallel regulation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and phosphoprotein phosphatase in rat thyroid

Insulin-induced increases in the activity of the spontaneously active and ATP.Mg-dependent forms of phosphatase-1 in alloxan-diabetic rat liver

Liver supernatant from normal and alloxan-diabetic rats was fractionated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and the separated phosphoprotein phosphatase fractions were assayed with [32P]histone f2b, [32P]phosphorylase a and [32P]phosphorylase kinase as substrates. In diabetic rat liver, one of the phosphatase fractions found in the normal liver was significantly reduced. This fraction was identified as a mixture of the spontaneously active form and the ATP . Mg-dependent form of phosphoprotein phosphatase-1 (Fc) based on sensitivity to inhibitor-2, substrate specificity, and the fact that it could be activated 42-70% by glycogen synthase kinase-3 in the presence of ATP . Mg. Further analysis of this fraction showed that liver cytosol from diabetic rats contained 62-79% lower spontaneously active phosphatase-1 activity and 40-51% lower combined spontaneously active and ATP . Mg-dependent protein phosphatase-1 (Fc) activity. Insulin administration increased the spontaneously active and the ATP . Mg-dependent protein phosphatase-1 activities approximately 45% and 36%, respectively, in alloxan-diabetic rats. These data imply that the lower levels of spontaneously active phosphatase-1 activity in diabetic rat liver cannot be explained by presuming phosphatase-1 to have been present as Fc, the inactive form. Moreover, insulin restored the total activity of the spontaneously active and activatable forms of phosphatase-1 to those present in normal liver implying that both forms of phosphatase-1 activity are under hormonal control.

Differential effects of polyamines on rat thyroid protein kinase activities

Ornithine decarboxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis, has been shown to be regulated in thyroid by thyrotropin both in vivo and in vitro. Little, however, is known of the role of polyamines in thyroid cell function. Since studies in other tissues suggest that polyamines may influence protein phosphorylation, we studied the effect of the polyamines on various protein kinase activities in rat thyroid. Putrescine, spermidine, and spermine inhibit cyclic-AMP-dependent histone H1 kinase activity when measured in the cytosol fraction of rat thyroid; this effect is largely reproduced by NaCl concentrations of equivalent ionic strength. Both spermidine and spermine effect a 1.6-2.4-fold increase in cytosolic cyclic-AMP-independent (messenger-independent) casein kinase activity; stimulation by both polyamines is maximal at 5mM. A similar profile of stimulation is observed for messenger-independent casein kinase activity in crude nuclear preparations. Sodium chloride fails to stimulate both cytosolic and nuclear messenger-independent casein kinase activities at ionic strength equivalent to the spermine concentrations used. Spermine, but not putrescine, spermidine, or sodium chloride, inhibits calcium/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C activity in cytosol extracts partially purified by DEAE chromatography. These findings suggest that regulation of protein kinase(s) by polyamines may represent a proximal locus (i) of action of thyrotropin-regulated ornithine decarboxylase activity in thyroid.

Regulation of phosphoprotein phosphatase by somatostatin

Cyclic somatostatin inhibited phosphoprotein phosphatase activity in rat liver slices, as well as a partially purified phosphoprotein phosphatase from rat liver. This change was accompanied by a concomitant decrease in cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Studies in vivo showed similar trends in the variation of both enzymes.

Protein kinase patterns in hyperplastic rat thyroids and in human non-toxic nodular goitres

Patterns of cAMP-dependent protein kinases and cAMP-independent histone and casein kinases of hyperplastic rat thyroid glands and of human nodular non-toxic goitres have been analysed in two subcellular compartments, cytosol and particulate fraction. In hyperplastic rat glands the different compartmentalization of the two cAMP-dependent isoenzymes was preserved and the pattern of cAMP-independent protein kinases was not changed qualitatively, but the activities of the three classes of protein kinases were enhanced to different degrees: the highest increase was observed for the cAMP-dependent enzymes and the lowest for the cAMP-independent casein kinases. Analysis of individual peaks of cAMP-dependent kinases showed selective stimulation of the cytosolic Type II form and independent control of the Type I activity in the two subcellular compartments. Among cAMP-independent protein kinases only two histone kinase peaks were selectively enhanced; other kinase entities were changed to a lesser degree. During the involution of hyperplastic glands, a transient but differential enhancement of nearly all kinases was noted at first, which was followed later by a strong decrease, more or less rapid, of almost all kinase activities. In the regressed glands, neither the thyroid weight nor the pattern of different kinase entities corresponded to those of control, untreated glands, indicating that some of the protein kinase alterations in hyperplastic tissues are partly irreversible. In spite of great similarities, human and rat goitre tissues are not identical. The most important difference was the loss of compartmentalization of the cAMP-dependent isoenzymes in human tissue. The different ratios of the light and heavy peaks of cytosolic cAMP-independent histone kinases was the second characteristic which distinguished human and rat glands.

Discrimination of multiple forms of phosphoprotein phosphatase in bovine thyroid

Phosphoprotein phosphatases (phosphoprotein phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.16) were partially purified from bovine thyroid with phosphorylated mixed histones, H1 histone and casein as substrates. Utilizing DEAE-cellulose chromatography, (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, gel filtration before and after freeze-thawing in 0.2 M 2-mercaptoethanol and histone-Sepharose chromatography, four fractions of enzyme activity were obtained and were designated as phosphatases I, IIA, IIB, and III. Phosphatases I had an apparent molecular weight of 155,000 and was dependent on Mn2+ for maximal activity. The enzyme had the greatest activity with histone H1 and was greatly stimulated by NaCl with phosphohistones as substrate. Phosphatases IIA and IIB had a molecular weight of about 70,000, were stimulated over 5-fold by Mn2+ and had much higher activities with phosphohistones than with casein in the presence of the cation. Phosphatase III, a possible catalytic subunit of larger molecular weight forms, had an apparent molecular weight of 30,000, was generally independent of Mn2+ and had high activities using all three substrates. Phosphatases I, IIA, and III were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by sodium pyrophosphate (PPi), ATP, potassium phosphate (Pi) and sodium fluoride (NaF) when they were added directly to the reaction mixture with phosphorylated mixed histones as substrate. PPi was the most potent inhibitor and phosphatase III was the most sensitive to inhibition. PPi, ATP and NaF probably inactivated phosphatase III activity by removing an essential metal ion. After extensive dialysis to remove these inhibitors, the inactivated enzyme could be fully activated by Mn2+, but not by Mg2+, Ba2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, Ca2+, Zn2+ and Fe2+. Whereas the enzyme pretreated with Pi retained about 80% activity after dialysis, its activity was not further stimulated by Mn2+. The inactivated (demetallized) enzyme was less reactivated by Mn2+ in the presence of mM concentration of Pi. Moreover, the Mn2+-reactivated enzyme was again inactivated by Pi, NaF and ATP. Among them Pi was the most potent inactivator. These results suggest that Pi may have another inhibitory effect on metal ion binding besides on substrate binding and also that phosphatase III might be a metalloenzyme. In bovine thyroid, there are at least two major phosphoprotein phosphatases which may have different properties. Metal ion stimulation of phosphatase I and IIA activities may be through an interaction with the substrate or with a metal ion binding site on the regulatory subunit. The lowest molecular weight enzyme (phosphatase III) probably does not exist naturally in the cell.

Thyrotropin-induced increase in phosphoprotamine phosphatase activity in rat thyroid

Phosphoprotamine phosphatase activity in the rat thyroid was examined by studying the release of inorganic phosphate from [32P]-phosphorylated protamine. Rats were given a normal diet supplemented or not with thyroxine (T4) (3 mg/l in 0.05% bovine serum albumin solution) or propylthiouracil (1 g/l in 1% sucrose solution) in drinking water for various periods. TSH was injected ip, 100 mU per animal. A significant increase of phosphatase specific activity-units per mg protein (3-fold) as well as units per gland- was observed following goitrogen treatment, whereas a decrease (50%) was seen in response to T4. Both the soluble and particle activities were similarly affected. As total activity decreased after T4 treatment, it appeared that only the Mn2+-stimulating enzyme was concerned, the Mn2+-unstimulated part remaining unaltered. In vitro cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP at concentrations from 10 micro M to 200 micro M had no effect on these phosphatase activities. TSH injected in chronically T4-treated rats (32 days treatment) failed to produce any significant enhancement in phosphatase activity whatever the time of injection before sacrifice (from 2 to 6 h). On the contrary a single injection of TSH in animals subjected to short treatment with T4 (2 days) induced an elevation of the enzyme activity, restoring partially the initial level. These findings suggest that TSH controls protein dephosphorylation activities in the thyroid. Furthermore, they offer additional evidence that prolonged T4 administration leads to decreased responsiveness to TSH.