The protein phosphatases involved in cellular regulation. 3. Fatty acid synthesis, cholesterol synthesis and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis

High-salt intake negatively regulates fat deposition in mouse

High-salt (HS) intake contributes to hypertension and cardiopathy, but the effect of HS on fat deposition is controversial. Feed intake, fat mass, the percentage of abdominal fat, heat production, rate of oxygen consumption and the respiratory exchange ratio of mice on a HS diet were significantly decreased (P < 0.01 or 0.05) compared with mice on a normal-salt (NS) diet. An in vitro experiment with differentiating pre-adipocytes showed reduced fat deposition in the presence of high concentrations of NaCl (>0.05 M). Abdominal fat mRNA profiles and protein measurements showed that 5 known genes involved in lipolysis were up-regulated significantly and 9 genes related to lipogenesis were down-regulated in HS mice. Abundant genes and some proteins (ATP2a1, AGT, and ANGPTL4) related to calcium ion metabolism or the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) were differentially expressed between HS and NS mice. Of special interest, CREB1 phosphorylation (S133 and S142), a key factor involved in calcium signaling and other pathways, was up-regulated in HS mice. By IPA analysis, a network mediated by calcium was established providing the molecular mechanisms underlying the negative effect of HS on fat deposition.

Protein Phosphatase 1-α Regulates AS160 Ser588 and Thr642 Dephosphorylation in Skeletal Muscle

Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) phosphorylation on Thr(642) and Ser(588) by Akt is essential for insulin's full effect on glucose transport. However, protein phosphorylation is determined by the balance of actions by kinases and phosphatases, and the specific phosphatase(s) controlling AS160 dephosphorylation is (are) unknown. Accordingly, we assessed roles of highly expressed skeletal muscle serine/threonine phosphatases (PP1, PP2A, PP2B, and PP2C) on AS160 dephosphorylation. Preliminary screening of candidate phosphatases used an AS160 dephosphorylation assay. Lysates from insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle were treated with pharmacological phosphatase inhibitors and assessed for AS160 Ser(588) and Thr(642) dephosphorylation. AS160 dephosphorylation on both phosphorylation sites was unaltered by PP2B or PP2C inhibitors. Okadaic acid (low dose inhibits PP2A; high dose inhibits PP1) delayed AS160 Ser(588) (both doses) and Thr(642) (high dose only) dephosphorylation concomitant with greater Akt phosphorylation (both doses). AS160 was coimmunoprecipitated with PP1-α but not with PP1-β, PP1-γ1, or PP2A. Recombinant inhibitor-2 protein (a selective PP1 inhibitor) delayed AS160 dephosphorylation on both phosphorylation sites without altering Akt phosphorylation. Furthermore, knockdown of PP1-α but not PP1-β or PP1-γ1 by small interfering RNA caused greater AS160 Ser(588) and Thr(642) phosphorylation concomitant with unaltered Akt phosphorylation. Together, these results identified PP1-α as a regulator of AS160 Thr(642) and Ser(588) dephosphorylation in skeletal muscle.

Glucose controls phosphoregulation of hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase through the protein phosphatase 2A-related phosphatase protein, Ppe1, and Insig in fission yeast

HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) catalyzes a rate-limiting step in sterol biosynthesis and is a key control point in the feedback inhibition that regulates this pathway. Through the action of the membrane protein Insig, HMGR synthesis and degradation are regulated to maintain sterol homeostasis. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe encodes homologs of HMGR and Insig called hmg1(+) and ins1(+), respectively. In contrast to the mammalian system, Ins1 regulates Hmg1 by a nondegradative mechanism involving phosphorylation of the Hmg1 active site. Here, we investigate the role of the Ins1-Hmg1 system in coupling glucose sensing to regulation of sterol biosynthesis. We show that Ins1-dependent Hmg1 phosphorylation is strongly induced in response to glucose withdrawal and that HMGR activity is correspondingly reduced. We also find that inability to activate Hmg1 phosphorylation under nutrient limiting conditions results in overaccumulation of sterol pathway intermediates. Furthermore, we show that regulation of Hmg1 phosphorylation requires the protein phosphatase 2A-related phosphatase Ppe1 and its regulator Sds23. These results describe a mechanism by which cells tune the rate of sterol synthesis to match nutrient availability.

A homogeneous scintillation proximity assay for acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase coupled to fatty acid synthase

We have devised a rapid and sensitive homogeneous assay for acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) in a scintillation proximity assay format suitable for high-throughput screening. In this assay, ACC is coupled to fatty acid synthase (FAS). Malonyl CoA, the product of the ACC reaction, and acetyl CoA serve as substrates for FAS to synthesize palmitic acid. When [(3)H]acetyl CoA is used in the ACC/FAS coupled system, [(3)H]palmitic acid, the final product, is readily detected by scintillation proximity in a FlashPlate or Image FlashPlate coated with phospholipid. The [(3)H]palmitic acid binds to the coated phospholipid through hydrophobic interaction which brings it into close proximity of the scintillant on the FlashPlate or the Image FlashPlate, yielding photons that are read in a TopCount or LeadSeeker, respectively. The current assay consists of simple reagent addition, incubation, and detection of signal. The signal is approximately 30-fold over the background and the Z' value is approximately 0.80, suggesting that this assay is robust and highly reproducible. To our knowledge this ACC/FAS coupled scintillation proximity assay is the only assay format that is compatible with high-throughput screening for systematic search of inhibitors against mammalian ACC.

The regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase--a potential target for the action of hypolipidemic agents

ACC exists as two major isoforms ACC1 or ACC alpha, and ACC2 or ACC beta, and there is evidence that they play separate roles in the production of malonyl-CoA for fatty acid synthesis and the control of mitochondrial beta-oxidation, respectively. ACC alpha can be regulated at the level of gene expression, allosteric regulation of the enzyme, and reversible phosphorylation by AMP-PK. Emerging lines of research suggest that similar mechanisms of regulation exist for ACC beta. Its inactivation in heart and skeletal muscle through phosphorylation by AMP-PK is becoming well-established. ACC is an important target of certain hypolipidemic drugs such as the fibrates. This is not simply because ACC alpha inhibition decreases the synthesis of a lipid component of VLDL because fatty acids synthesized de novo in liver are not always major contributors to VLDL lipid (158); it is also because ACC beta inhibition leads to a decrease in malonyl-CoA levels and the disinhibition of fatty acid oxidation. Partitioning fatty acids towards oxidation and away from esterification is an important aspect of the lipid-lowering effects of fibrates. Fibrates could use any of the mechanisms of ACC regulation to decrease activity. They could repress ACC gene expression through the activation of PPAR alpha, and fibroyl-CoA esters could inhibit ACC allosterically just as TOFyl-CoA does. However, we have demonstrated a rapid inactivation of ACC in cultured rat hepatocytes by gemfibrozil that is mediated by activation of AMP-PK and the subsequent phosphorylation of ACC. The end result is the inhibition of hepatic fatty acid synthesis and a possible activation of beta-oxidation as evidenced by the increased production of ketone bodies. The mechanism through which fibrates activate the AMP-PK cascade, the role of PPAR alpha, the physiological responses of biosynthesis and oxidation and the use of these mechanisms by other hypolipidemic agents are areas of ongoing investigation.

Distinct type-2A protein phosphatases activate HMGCoA reductase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in liver

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase and HMGCoA reductase are inactivated by the same AMP-activated protein kinase and are activated by type-2A protein phosphatase. To determine whether the same species of protein phosphatase-2A were involved, we studied the interconversion of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and HMGCoA reductase in isolated rat hepatocytes. We show that (i) these enzymes are differently regulated in hepatocytes and (ii) the species of type-2A protein phosphatase involved in their activation are different and can be separated by anion-exchange chromatography.

Specificity of different isoforms of protein phosphatase-2A and protein phosphatase-2C studied using site-directed mutagenesis of HMG-CoA reductase

We have expressed the catalytic domain of Chinese hamster HMG-CoA reductase, and 13 point mutations involving the region around the single phosphorylation site for AMP-activated protein kinase. After phosphorylation, these were used to test the specificity of isoforms of protein phosphatase-2A [bovine PP2A(C) (catalytic subunit) and PP2A1 (ABC heterotrimer)] and protein phosphatase-2C (human alpha; mouse alpha, beta1, beta2, beta3, beta4, beta5). PP2A1 had > 50-fold higher activity for HMG-CoA reductase variants than PP2A(C), but their relative selectivity for different variants was similar. Although the specificities of PP2A and PP2C were distinct, no dramatic differences in selectivity were observed between different PP2C isoforms.

Biochemical characterization and deletion analysis of recombinant human protein phosphatase 2C alpha

The use of protein phosphatase inhibitors has been instrumental in defining the intracellular roles of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), PP2A and PP2B. Identification of the role of PP2C in vivo has been hampered, in part, by the unavailability of specific inhibitors. In order to facilitate the identification of novel and specific inhibitors of PP2C by random screening of compounds, and to further characterize this enzyme at the molecular level by site-directed mutagenesis and X-ray crystallography, we have expressed active recombinant human PP2C alpha (rPP2C alpha) in Escherichia coli. Biochemical characterization of rPP2C alpha showed that it could hydrolyse p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) although, in contrast with native PP2C, this was not stimulated by Mg2+. As with native PP2C, okadaic acid failed to inhibit rPP2C alpha, whereas 50 mM NaF dramatically inhibited its activity. An alignment of the amino acid sequence of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) with those of other serine/threonine protein kinases around the regulatory phosphorylation site (subdomains VII-VIII) revealed a high degree of conservation. Phosphopeptides derived from this region of AMPK and containing the almost invariant threonine (Thr172 in AMPK) were found to be good substrates for rPP2C alpha. We also showed that rPP2C alpha can inactivate AMPK, but only in the presence of Mg2+. To define the regions of PP2C alpha important for catalytic activity, we expressed a number of truncated proteins based on the sequence and proposed domain structure of the PP2C alpha homologue from Paramecium tetraurelia. Deletion of 75 residues (9 kDa) from the C-terminus appeared to have little effect on the catalytic activity using pNPP, phosphopeptides or AMPK as substrates. This suggests that the residues important in catalysis lie elsewhere in the protein. A further deletion of the C-terminus led to a completely inactive and very poorly soluble protein.

Activation of hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase by glutamate and Mg2+ is mediated by protein phosphatase-2A

The activation of hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase by Na(+)-cotransported amino acids such as glutamine has been attributed mainly to the stimulation of its dephosphorylation by accumulating dicarboxylic acids, e.g. glutamate. We report here on a hepatic species of protein phosphatase-2A that activates acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the presence of physiological concentrations of glutamate or Mg2+ and, under these conditions, accounts for virtually all the hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphatase activity. Glutamate also stimulated the dephosphorylation of a synthetic pentadecapeptide encompassing the Ser-79 phosphorylation site of rat acetyl-CoA carboxylase, but did not affect the dephosphorylation of other substrates such as phosphorylase. Conversely, protamine, which stimulated the dephosphorylation of phosphorylase, inhibited the activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. A comparison with various species of muscle protein phosphatase-2A showed that the stimulatory effects of glutamate and Mg2+ on the acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphatase activity are largely mediated by the regulatory A subunit. Glutamate and Mg2+ emerge from our study as novel regulators of protein phosphatase-2A when acting on acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

Intracellular signal transduction of PBAN action in the silkworm, Bombyx mori: involvement of acyl CoA reductase

In the silkworm, Bombyx mori, production of the sex pheromone bombykol is regulated by a neurohormone termed PBAN. We have detected the activity of acyl CoA reductase in the pheromone gland of B. mori by using palmitoyl CoA as a substrate. The acyl CoA reductase requires NADPH, but not NADH, as a proton dono. When the pheromone gland was incubated with the PBAN fragment peptide TKYFSPRLamide, palmitoyl CoA was incorporated and converted into the corresponding C16 alcohols. Radio HPLC analysis revealed that these C16 alcohols were hexadecan-1-ol (81.2%), (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-ol (12.3%), and (E, Z)-10, 12-hexadecadien-1-ol (= bombykol, 6.5%). The production of C16 alcohols in the pheromone gland was inhibited by the known bombykol biosynthesis inhibitors EDTA, LaCl3, W-7, trifluoperazine, p-nitrophenyl phosphate, NaF and compactin. By contrast, when the pheromone gland homogenate was incubated in the presence of palmitoyl CoA and NADPH, production of C16 alcohols was affected by compactin, W-7 and trifluoperazine, but not by EDTA, LaCl3, p-nitrophenyl phosphate and NaF. These results indicate that compactin, W-7 and trifluoperazine directly suppress the step catalyzed by acyl CoA reductase, whereas EDTA, LaCl3, pNPP, and NaF inhibit bombykol production by affecting other biochemical steps in the signal transduction of PBAN action. The present results also imply that PBAN regulates the step catalyzed by acyl CoA reductase and that palmitoyl CoA could be used as a substrate of the acyl CoA reductase that regulates bombykol biosynthesis.

Intracellular signal transduction of PBAN action in the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura: effects of pharmacological agents on sex pheromone production in vitro

Pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) regulates sex pheromone production in the pheromone glands of many species of female moths. In order to probe the biochemical steps as well as underlying mechanisms regulated by PBAN, we have tested the effects of pharmacological agents on sex pheromone production of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura, using an in vitro assay. Among the pharmacological agents we tested, ionomycin (calcium ionophore) alone stimulated sex pheromone production, while LaCl3 (calcium channel blocker), W-7, trifluoperazine (calmodulin inhibitor), NaF, and p-nitrophenyl phosphate (phosphatase inhibitor) suppressed the pheromone production by a pheromonotropic peptide, TKYFSPRLamide. By contrast, forskolin (adenylate cyclase activator), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (protein kinase C activator), and cyclic nucleotides alone failed to stimulate sex pheromone production. These results suggest that Ca2+/calmodulin complex and phosphoprotein phosphatase are involved in the signal transduction of PBAN action in S. litura.

Intracellular signal transduction of PBAN action in lepidopteran insects: inhibition of sex pheromone production by compactin, an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor

Pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) regulates sex pheromone production in the pheromone glands of many species of female moths. In order to probe the biochemical steps as well as underlying mechanisms regulated by PBAN, we have tested the effect of chemicals on sex pheromone production by using an in vitro assay. Among the chemicals we tested here, compactin, a specific 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitor, clearly inhibited the pheromone biosynthesis in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, and the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura. Since the activation of HMG CoA reductase occurs by dephosphorylation mediated by a specific phosphatase and the biochemical step regulated by PBAN in bombykol biosynthesis is similar to the one catalyzed by HMG-CoA reductase in cholesterol biosynthesis, the present results support the idea that phosphoprotein phosphatase has a significant role to regulate bombykol production in the intracellular transduction of PBAN action in B. mori.

Regulation of rat liver microsomal cholesterol ester hydrolase by reversible phosphorylation

The regulation of neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase activity by changes in its phosphorylation state was studied in rat liver microsomes. Treatment with cAMP-dependent protein kinase resulted in increased enzyme activity, which was further enhanced by the addition of cAMP and MgATP. Consistent activations were also achieved with MgCl2 and MgATP, the magnesium effect being abolished by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and adenosine triphosphate. Cholesterol ester hydrolase was activated twofold by free calcium and Ca2+/calmodulin; this latter effect was blocked by the chelator ethylene-glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid and the calmodulin antagonist trifluoperazine. The phosphatase inhibitors pyrophosphate and glycerophosphate led to marked and dose-dependent increases in esterase activity, whereas okadaic acid elicited no effect. Furthermore, pyrophosphate and okadaic acid did not change the increases in enzyme activity promoted by Ca2+, Ca2+/calmodulin, Mg2+ and MgATP. Cholesterol ester hydrolase was inactivated in a concentration-dependent manner by nonspecific alkaline phosphatases. In cAMP-dependent protein kinase/cAMP- or Ca2+/calmodulin-activated microsomes, a time-dependent loss of activation in cholesteryl oleate hydrolysis was caused by alkaline phosphatase. These findings suggest that microsomal cholesterol ester hydrolase is activated through cAMP and Ca2+/calmodulin phosphorylation, whereas enzyme deactivation is dependent on phosphatase action.

Interleukin-3 inhibits cycloheximide induction of C-jun mRNA in human monocytes: possible role for a serine/threonine phosphatase

Cycloheximide is a strong inducer of the c-jun protooncogene mRNA at concentrations (< or = 50 ng/ml) that do not inhibit protein synthesis in human monocytes. This induction is transient lasting 30-60 min in contrast to the sustained induction obtained with concentrations that inhibit protein synthesis. The pluripotent colony stimulating factor interleukin-3 (IL-3) (10 ng/ml) is also a modest inducer of the c-jun gene in these cells; however, in combination with cycloheximide, IL-3 dramatically reduces the c-jun induction below levels induced by cycloheximide alone. This is a true inhibition and is not due to a change in temporal kinetics of induction because the suppression in the presence of IL-3 is observed at both 30 and 60 min after simultaneous addition of both IL-3 and cycloheximide. Preincubation of monocytes with 12.5 nM okadaic acid (a potent inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A) and cycloheximide prior to addition of IL-3 restored the level of c-jun induction to that mediated by cycloheximide alone. This concentration of okadaic acid inhibited almost 70% of the phosphorylase phosphatase activity in monocyte lysates. These observations suggest that activation of protein serine/threonine phosphatase(s) underlies the ability of IL-3 to inhibit cycloheximide induction of c-jun in monocytes.

Molecular cloning and primary structure of a protein phosphatase 2C isoform

Complementary DNA encoding the isoform of protein phosphatase 2C, termed PP2C2, has been isolated. The cDNA predicts a protein of 390 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 42,888 Da. The protein displays 76% identity to the PP2C1 isoform.

The actions of cyclic AMP on biosynthetic processes are mediated indirectly by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase

Adrenalin and glucagon inhibit glycogen, fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis by elevation of cyclic AMP, activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and increased phosphorylation of the rate-limiting enzymes of these pathways. Here, we review recent evidence which indicates that inhibition of these biosynthetic pathways in muscle, adipose tissue and liver is much more indirect than has previously been supposed. In particular, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase does not appear to inhibit glycogen synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and HMG-CoA reductase by phosphorylating them directly. It appears to achieve the same end result by inactivation of the protein phosphatases which dephosphorylate these regulatory enzymes in vivo, although this has only been established definitively in the case of glycogen synthesis.

Regulation of the choline, ethanolamine and serine base exchange enzyme activities of rat brain microsomes by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation

The base exchange enzyme activities of rat brain microsomes were estimated subsequent to preincubations under conditions for either protein phosphorylation or dephosphorylation. Quantitatively the choline base exchange activity was most affected by these treatments. Exposure of the microsomes to alkaline phosphatase resulted in a decrease of all three base exchange activities. Pretreatment with a cAMP-dependent protein kinase resulted in increases of all 3 enzyme activities. Conditions favoring protein kinase C phosphorylation resulted in stimulation of the choline base exchange activity.

Insulin stimulates the dephosphorylation and activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase

The mechanism underlying the ability of insulin to acutely activate acetyl-CoA carboxylase [acetyl-CoA: carbon-dioxide ligase (ADP-forming), EC 6.4.1.2; AcCoA-Case] has been examined in Fao Reuber hepatoma cells. Insulin promotes the rapid activation of AcCoACase, as measured in cell lysates, and this stimulation persists to the same degree after isolation of AcCoACase by avidin-Sepharose chromatography. The insulin-stimulated enzyme, as compared with control enzyme, exhibits an increase in both citrate-independent and -dependent activity and a decrease in the Ka for citrate. Direct examination of the phosphorylation state of isolated 32P-labeled AcCoACase after insulin exposure reveals a marked decrease in total enzyme phosphorylation coincident with activation. The dephosphorylation due to insulin appears to be restricted to the phosphorylation sites previously shown to regulate AcCoACase activity. All of these effects of insulin are mimicked by a low molecular weight autocrine factor, tentatively identified as an oligosaccharide, present in conditioned medium of hepatoma cells. These data suggest that insulin may activate AcCoACase by inhibiting the activity of protein kinase(s) or stimulating the activity of protein phosphatase(s) that control the phosphorylation state of the enzyme.

Quantitation by immunoblotting of the in vivo induction and subcellular distribution of hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase

The in vivo induction of rat liver acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) the rate-limiting enzyme of fatty acid biosynthesis, has been examined by immunoblotting, avidin blotting, and enzyme isolation. Three high-molecular-weight immunoreactive bands (Mr 220,000-260,000) were recognized in liver extracts by an anti-carboxylase polyclonal antiserum. Two bands, A and B, comigrated on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels with purified acetyl-CoA carboxylase, were avidin binding, and were dramatically induced following high carbohydrate refeeding. Only band A was recognized on immunoblots using a monoclonal antibody directed against acetyl-CoA carboxylase, suggesting that band B is a proteolytic fragment in which the epitope recognized by the monoclonal antibody is absent. Following refeeding, approximately 57% of acetyl-CoA carboxylase mass (band A + band B) was present in the high-speed supernatant fraction, while 34 and 9% were in the high-speed (microsomal) and low-speed pellet fractions, respectively. Refeeding caused a large increase in total acetyl-CoA carboxylase mass, the magnitude of which differed in the various fractions. In the low-speed supernatant, a 20-fold increase in ACC mass was observed, while a 12-fold increase was seen in the high-speed supernatant. The fold increase in the high-speed pellet was even greater (greater than 27-fold). Acetyl-CoA carboxylase purified by avidin-Sepharose chromatography from fasted/refed rats had an approximate 4-fold higher Vmax and a significantly lower Ka for citrate than enzyme purified from fasted animals. The results of this study indicate that the induction of hepatic ACC that occurs during high carbohydrate refeeding of the fasted rat predominantly involves increases in enzyme content in both cytosol and microsomes, but is also accompanied by an increase in enzyme specific activity.

Characterization of glycogen-synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase in subcellular liver fractions

Upon fractionation of a postmitochondrial supernatant from rat liver, the synthase phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.42) activity (assayed at high tissue concentrations) was largely recovered in the glycogen fraction and to a minor extent in the cytosol. In contrast, the phosphorylase phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.17) activity was approximately equally distributed between these two fractions, a lesser amount being recovered in the microsomal fraction. The phosphatase activities in the microsomal and glycogen fractions were almost completely inhibited by a preincubation with the modulator protein, a specific inhibitor of type-1 (ATP,Mg-dependent) protein phosphatases. In the cytosolic fraction, however, type-2A (polycation-stimulated) phosphatase(s) contributed significantly to the dephosphorylation of phosphorylase and of in vitro phosphorylated muscular synthase. Liver synthase b, used as substrate for the measurement of synthase phosphatase throughout this work, was only activated by modulator-sensitive phosphatases. Trypsin treatment of the subcellular fractions resulted in a dramatically increased (up to 1000-fold) sensitivity to modulator, a several-fold increase in phosphorylase phosphatase activity and a complete loss of synthase phosphatase activity. Similar changes occurred during dilution of the glycogen-bound enzyme. A preincubation with the deinhibitor protein, which is known to counteract the effects of inhibitor-1 and modulator, increased several-fold the phosphorylase phosphatase activity, but exclusively in the cytosolic and microsomal fractions. It did not affect the synthase phosphatase activity. Taken together, the results indicate the existence of distinct, multi-subunit type-1 phosphatases in the cytosolic, microsomal and glycogen fractions.

Vanadate and fluoride effects on Na+-K+-Cl- cotransport in squid giant axon

The effects of vanadate and fluoride on the Na+-K+-Cl- cotransporter of the squid giant axon were assessed. In axons not treated with these agents, intracellular dialysis with ATP-depleting fluids caused bumetanide-inhibitable 36Cl influx to fall with a half time of approximately 16 min. In the presence of either 40 microM vanadate or 5 mM fluoride, the decay of bumetanide-inhibitable 36Cl influx was significantly slowed; half time for vanadate-treated axons is 45 min and for fluoride-treated axons is 37 min. These agents are not exerting their effects on Na+-K+-Cl- cotransport by influencing the rate of ATP depletion of the axon, since they had no effect on the ATP hydrolysis rate of an optic ganglia homogenate. We therefore suggest that these data support the hypothesis that Na+-K+-Cl- cotransport in squid axons is regulated by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation mechanism and that vanadate and fluoride reduce the rate of dephosphorylation by inhibiting a protein phosphatase.

The regulatory and basal phosphorylation sites of hormone-sensitive lipase are dephosphorylated by protein phosphatase-1, 2A and 2C but not by protein phosphatase-2B

The activity of hormone-sensitive lipase, the rate-limiting enzyme in adipose tissue lipolysis, is controlled by cAMP-mediated phosphorylation at a specific regulatory phosphorylation site. The lipase is also phosphorylated at a site, termed basal, without any effects on its activity [Strålfors et al. (1984) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 81, 3317-3321]. The capacity of protein phosphatase-1, 2A, 2B and 2C to dephosphorylate the lipase, selectively phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase-4 and cAMP-dependent protein kinase at the basal and regulatory phosphorylation sites, was compared with that towards glycogen phosphorylase and phosphorylase kinase (alpha subunit). Protein phosphatase-1, 2A and 2C were found to dephosphorylate both phosphorylation sites of hormone-sensitive lipase, while protein phosphatase-2B had no measureable activity towards any of the sites. When the activities of protein phosphatase-1, 2A and 2C were normalized with respect to the reference substrates, they were found to dephosphorylate the lipase regulatory site in the approximate relations of 1:4:3 and the basal site in the approximate relations of 1:6:4. Protein phosphatase-1 showed 20% higher and protein phosphatase-2A and 2C 80% higher activity towards the basal site compared to the regulatory site. The two phosphorylation sites of the lipase were comparable to good substrates for protein phosphatase-2A and 2C, but relatively poor substrates for protein phosphatase-1. Protein phosphatase-2C activity towards the lipase was completely dependent on Mg2+ with a half-maximal effect at 3 mM. Protamine increased the lipase dephosphorylation by protein phosphatase-1 3-5-fold with half-maximal effect at 0.6 microgram/ml, and by protein phosphatase-2A about 2-fold with half-maximal effect at 3-5 micrograms/ml, thus illustrating the potential for control of these lipase phosphatase activities.

Stimulation by a tumor-promoting phorbol ester of acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity in isolated rat hepatocytes

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2) in hepatocytes from meal-fed rats was activated by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion. This activation can account for the PMA-induced stimulation of de novo fatty acid synthesis. Purified rat-liver acetyl-CoA carboxylase was found to be phosphorylated and activated by protein kinase C, thus providing a possible mechanism for the metabolic action of PMA in intact hepatocytes.

Regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase activity in mouse uterine epithelial cells

The regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase was studied in mouse uterine epithelium. The enzyme was rapidly inactivated during incubation with ATP/Mg2+ in vitro, and could be re-activated by incubation with partially purified rat liver phosphoprotein phosphatase. Enzyme activity was rapidly inhibited by mevalonate injection in vivo to approx. 30% of control. The percentage of total enzyme active in vivo was measured by inclusion of NaF in the isolation buffers. The percentage of enzyme active in vivo 18 h after stimulation by oestrogens remained at approx. 25% after inhibition of activity by mevalonate injection, cholesterol feeding or progesterone pretreatment. However, 9 h after oestrogen stimulation, cholesterol feeding inhibited enzyme activity to 57% of control, 94% of which was in the active form. We conclude that, although all components for a reversible phosphorylative regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity are present in uterine epithelial cells, a role in the rapid changes in epithelial enzyme activity has not been demonstrated.

Regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase by ADP-ribosylation

Because of certain similarities between acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and tubulin, and the recent demonstration of the ADP-ribosylation of tubulin by cholera toxin, we have investigated a potential role for ADP-ribosylation in the regulation of ACC activity. Incubation of purified rat liver ACC with cholera toxin in the presence of millimolar concentrations of [adenylate-32P]NAD results in a time-dependent incorporation of ADP-ribose into ACC of greater than 2 mol/mol of enzyme subunit, accompanied by a marked inactivation of enzyme activity. This effect is not mimicked by pertussis toxin, ADP-ribose, or ribose 5-phosphate. Incubation of labeled ACC with snake venom phosphodiesterase and alkaline hydrolysis release 32P-products tentatively identified by high-performance liquid chromatography as 5'-[32P]AMP and [32P]ADP-ribose, respectively. These data are consistent with a mono-ADP-ribosylation of ACC catalyzed by cholera toxin. Phosphodiesterase treatment of inactivated ACC partially restores enzyme activity. The effects of ADP-ribosylation of ACC are expressed both as a decrease in the enzyme Vmax and as an increase in the apparent Ka for citrate. These results suggest that ACC might be a substrate for endogenous ADP-ribosyltransferases and that this covalent modification could be an important regulatory mechanism for the modulation of fatty acid synthesis in vivo.

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.

The role of acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphorylation in the control of mammary gland fatty acid synthesis during the starvation and re-feeding of lactating rats

Activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase during incubation of crude extracts of lactating rat mammary gland with Mg2+ and citrate can be blocked by NaF, suggesting that it represents a dephosphorylation of the enzyme. The greater extent of activation in extracts from 24 h-starved rats (200%) compared with fed controls (70%) implies that the decrease in acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity in response to 24 h starvation may involve increased phosphorylation of the enzyme. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase was purified from the mammary glands of lactating rats in the presence of protein phosphatase inhibitors by avidin-Sepharose chromatography. Starvation of the rats for 24 h increased the concentration of citrate giving half-maximal activation by 75%, and decreased the Vmax. of the purified enzyme by 73%. This was associated with an increase in the alkali-labile phosphate content from 3.3 +/- 0.2 to 4.5 +/- 0.4 mol/mol of enzyme subunit. Starvation of lactating rats for 6 h, or short-term insulin deficiency induced by streptozotocin injection, did not effect the kinetic parameters or the phosphate content of acetyl-CoA carboxylase purified from mammary glands. The effects of 24 h starvation on the kinetic parameters and phosphate content of the purified enzyme were completely reversed by re-feeding for only 2.5 h. This effect was blocked if the animals were injected with streptozotocin before re-feeding, suggesting that the increase in plasma insulin that occurs on re-feeding was responsible for the activation of the enzyme. The effects of re-feeding 24 h-starved rats on the kinetic parameters and phosphate content of acetyl-CoA carboxylase could be mimicked by treating enzyme purified from 24 h-starved rats with protein phosphatase-2A in vitro. Our results suggest that, in mammary glands of 24 h-starved lactating rats, insulin brings about a dephosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase in vivo, which may be at least partly responsible for the reactivation of mammary lipogenesis in response to re-feeding.

The protein phosphatases involved in cellular regulation. Evidence that dephosphorylation of glycogen phosphorylase and glycogen synthase in the glycogen and microsomal fractions of rat liver are catalysed by the same enzyme: protein phosphatase-1

Glycogen synthase (labelled in sites-3) and glycogen phosphorylase from rabbit skeletal muscle were used as substrates to investigate the nature of the protein phosphatases that act on these proteins in the glycogen and microsomal fractions of rat liver. Under the assay conditions employed, glycogen synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase activities in both subcellular fractions could be inhibited 80-90% by inhibitor-1 or inhibitor-2, and the concentrations required for half-maximal inhibition were similar. Glycogen synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase activities coeluted from Sephadex G-100 as broad peaks, stretching from the void volume to an apparent molecular mass of about 50 kDa. Incubation with trypsin decreased the apparent molecular mass of both activities to about 35 kDa, and decreased their I50 for inhibitors-1 and -2 in an identical manner. After tryptic digestion, the I50 values for inhibitors-1 and -2 were very similar to those of the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase-1 from rabbit skeletal muscle. The glycogen and microsomal fractions of rat liver dephosphorylated the beta-subunit of phosphorylase kinase much faster than the alpha-subunit and dephosphorylation of the beta-subunit was prevented by the same concentrations of inhibitor-1 and inhibitor-2 that were required to inhibit the dephosphorylation of phosphorylase. The same experiments performed with the glycogen plus microsomal fraction from rabbit skeletal muscle revealed that the properties of glycogen synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase were very similar to the corresponding activities in the hepatic glycogen fraction, except that the two activities coeluted as sharp peaks near the void volume of Sephadex G-100 (before tryptic digestion). Tryptic digestion of the hepatic glycogen and microsomal fractions increased phosphorylase phosphatase about threefold, but decreased glycogen synthase phosphatase activity. Similar results were obtained with the glycogen plus microsomal fraction from rabbit skeletal muscle or the glycogen-bound form of protein phosphatase-1 purified to homogeneity from the same tissue. Therefore the divergent effects of trypsin on glycogen synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase activities are an intrinsic property of protein phosphatase-1. It is concluded that the major protein phosphatase in both the glycogen and microsomal fractions of rat liver is a form of protein phosphatase-1, and that this enzyme accounts for virtually all the glycogen synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase activity associated with these subcellular fractions.

Insulin regulation of protein phosphorylation in hepatocytes. Studies using two effectors: amiloride and natural aliphatic polyamines

The effects of amiloride and of natural aliphatic polyamines on basal and hormone-stimulated protein phosphorylations in hepatocytes were studied. Cells isolated from adult rats were incubated in suspension with (32P)-orthophosphate, in the absence or presence of the effectors at varying concentrations and for different times; hepatocytes were then exposed to various hormones for 10 min. Phosphoproteins contained in total cell lysates were analyzed by one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Amiloride and spermine (the most effective amine) decreased the basal level of phosphorylation of proteins of 46, 34 and 22 kDal, and increased that of 18 kDal and 93 kDal proteins. These effects were maximal with external concentrations of 1 mM and 7.5-10 mM amiloride and spermine, respectively. They were detectable after a lag period of about 10 min and reached a plateau after 45 min. Pretreatment of cells with these effectors almost completely prevented stimulation of the phosphorylation of the 46 and 34 kDal proteins by insulin. In contrast, the effects of vasopressin on the same proteins were only partly inhibited, whereas those of glucagon appeared largely unaffected. The major effect observed in intact cells (i.e., decreased phosphorylation) could be reproduced in a cell-free system where no kinase activity persisted. Amiloride or spermine added directly to cell extracts strongly accelerated the dephosphorylation of 46 kDal protein and also of the 61 kDal protein identified as pyruvate kinase. Furthermore, restoration of the activity of this enzyme occurred concomitantly with dephosphorylation of the 61 kDal protein, an observation supporting the notion that amiloride and spermine could activate a phosphoprotein phosphatase.

Effects of diabetes on the expressed and total activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase in rat liver in vivo. Reversal by insulin treatment

The expressed and total activities of HMG-CoA (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA) reductase (EC 1.1.1.34) were measured in microsomal fractions prepared from cold-clamped liver samples [Easom & Zammit (1984) Biochem. J. 220, 733-738] from control or insulin-treated diabetic animals. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes resulted in a marked decrease in total activity of HMG-CoA reductase and in the fraction of the enzyme in the active form, but appreciable effects were only observed in the liver of animals in which the blood glucose was above 20 mM. Intravenous infusion of insulin into diabetic rats resulted in a rapid (less than 20 min) and total dephosphorylation of the enzyme in vivo without any change in total activity. Longer-term (4 h) treatment with insulin (injected intraperitoneally) produced a rapid increase in expressed/total HMG-CoA reductase activity ratio to about 90%, followed, after a lag of 2-3 h, by a 5-6-fold increase in total activity. These observations are discussed with respect to the possible role of insulin in generating and maintaining the respective diurnal rhythms in total and in expressed/total HMG-CoA reductase activity ratio observed for normal animals in vivo [Easom & Zammit (1984) Biochem. J. 220, 739-745].

Streptococcal phosphoenolpyruvate: sugar phosphotransferase system: purification and characterization of a phosphoprotein phosphatase which hydrolyzes the phosphoryl bond in seryl-phosphorylated histidine-containing protein

Histidine-containing protein (HPr) of gram-positive bacteria was found to be phosphorylated at a seryl residue (P-ser-HPr) in an ATP-dependent reaction catalyzed by a protein kinase (J. Deutscher and M. H. Saier, Jr., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80:6790-6794, 1983). Here we describe the purification and characterization of a soluble enzyme of Streptococcus faecalis which splits the phosphoryl bond in P-ser-HPr. The enzyme has a molecular weight of ca. 7.5 X 10(4), as determined by its migration behavior on a Sephacryl S-200 column. On native polyacrylamide gels the purified enzyme produced only one protein band. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels we found one major protein band of molecular weight 2.9 X 10(4) and two minor protein bands of molecular weights 2.3 X 10(4) and 7 X 10(4). Fructose 1,6-diphosphate, which stimulated the ATP-dependent, protein kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of HPr, had no effect on the phosphatase activity. Other glycolytic intermediates also had no effect. However, inorganic phosphate, which inhibited the ATP-dependent HPr kinase, stimulated the P-ser-HPr phosphatase. EDTA at a concentration of 0.1 mM completely inhibited the phosphatase. Divalent cations like Mg2+, Mn2+, and Co2+ overcame the inhibition by EDTA. Fe2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ had no effect, whereas Ca2+ slightly inhibited the phosphatase. ATP was also found to inhibit the phosphatase. Under conditions in which ATP severely inhibited the phosphatase, ADP was found to have no effect on the enzyme activity. Besides P-ser-HPr of S. faecalis, the phosphatase was also able to hydrolyze the phosphoryl bond in P-ser-HPr of Streptococcus lactis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Lactobacillus casei. Phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside phosphorylation, catalyzed by the S. aureus phosphoenolpyruvate:lactose phosphotransferase system, was about 150-fold decreased in the presence of P-ser-HPr of S. aureus, as compared with HPr. However, when P-ser-HPr was first incubated with P-ser-HPr phosphatase to allow complete hydrolysis of the phosphoryl bond, it had the same activity as HPr. Besides this cytoplasmic phosphoprotein phosphatase, we detected a membrane-bound phosphatase which also hydrolyzed the phosphoryl bond in P-ser-HPr.

Protein phosphatases active on acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphorylated by casein kinase I, casein kinase II and the cAMP-dependent protein kinase

The protein phosphatases in rat liver cytosol, active on rat liver acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) phosphorylated by casein kinase I, casein kinase II and the cAMP-dependent protein kinase, have been partially purified by anion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The major phosphatase activities against all three substrates copurify through fractionation and appear to be identical to protein phosphatases 2A1 and 2A2. No unique protein phosphatase active on 32P-ACC phosphorylated by the casein kinases was identified.

The insulin-mimetic action of Mn2+: involvement of cyclic nucleotides and insulin in the regulation of hepatic hexokinase and glucokinase

Manganese causes a significant rise in hepatic glucokinase and hexokinase in 16-day-old suckling rats, and has an insulinomimetic effect in producing a precocious emergence of glucokinase (EC 2.7.1.2) and a rise in the low Km, hexokinases (EC 2.7.1.1) activities. These enzyme changes occur within 6 hr of manganese administration and there are accompanying increases in plasma insulin and hepatic cyclic GMP. That the effect of manganese is at a site other than, or in addition to, insulin secretion is suggested by the significant increases in glucokinase and hexokinase in 16-day-old streptozotocin-diabetic rats; in this group there is also an increase in hepatic cGMP similar in time scale to that of the normal-manganese-treated group. The effects of manganese and insulin were not additive. It is proposed that one site of action of manganese may be at the level of cyclic GMP systems. The results are also discussed in relation to the known action of manganese at the level of the protein phosphatases.

The protein phosphatases involved in cellular regulation. 1. Modulation of protein phosphatases-1 and 2A by histone H1, protamine, polylysine and heparin

The phosphorylase phosphatases in rat and rabbit liver cytosol that are markedly stimulated by histone H1, protamine and polylysine were identified as protein phosphatases-2A0, 2A1 and 2A2 by anion-exchange chromatography, gel-filtration and immunotitration experiments. Histone H1 and protamine also stimulated the dephosphorylation of phosphorylase kinase, glycogen synthase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, pyruvate kinase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and phenylalanine hydroxylase by phosphatases-2A1 and 2A2, and with several of these substrates activation was even more striking (20-100-fold) than that observed with phosphorylase (approximately 5-fold). Activation by basic polypeptides did not involve dissociation of these phosphatases to the free catalytic subunit. The dephosphorylation of phosphorylase by protein phosphatase-1 was suppressed by basic polypeptides, protamine and polylysine being the most potent inhibitors. However, the dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase, pyruvate kinase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase were markedly stimulated by histone H1 and protamine (2-13-fold). Consequently, with the appropriate substrates, protein phosphatase-1 can also be regarded as a basic-polypeptide-activated protein phosphatase. Heparin stimulated (1.5-2-fold) the dephosphorylation of phosphorylase by phosphatases-2A0 and 2A1, provided that Mn2+ was present, but phosphatase-2A2 and the free catalytic subunit of phosphatase-2A were unaffected. Heparin, in conjunction with Mn2+, also stimulated (1.5-fold) the dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase (labelled in sites 3 abc), phosphorylase kinase and phenylalanine hydroxylase by phosphatase-2A1, but not by phosphatase-2A2. By contrast, the dephosphorylation of phosphorylase and phosphorylase kinase by protein phosphatase-1 was inhibited by heparin. However, dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase and pyruvate kinase by phosphatase-1 was stimulated by this mucopolysaccharide. The studies demonstrate that basic proteins can be used to distinguish protein phosphatase-1 from protein phosphatase-2A, but only if phosphorylase is employed as substrate. Optimal differentiation of the two phosphatases is observed at 30 micrograms/ml protamine or at heparin concentrations greater than 150 microM.

The protein phosphatases involved in cellular regulation. 2. Purification, subunit structure and properties of protein phosphatases-2A0, 2A1, and 2A2 from rabbit skeletal muscle

Protein phosphatases-2A0, 2A1 and 2A2 have been purified to homogeneity from rabbit skeletal muscle. Approximately 1 mg of phosphatase-2A0 and 2A1, and 0.5 mg of phosphatase-2A2, was isolated from 4000 g muscle within 10 days. Protein phosphatases-2A0 and 2A1 each comprised three subunits, termed A, B' and C (2A0) or A, B and C (2A1), while phosphatase-2A2 contained only two subunits, A and C. The A and C components of phosphatases-2A0, 2A1 and 2A2 had indistinguishable mobilities on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gels and identical peptide maps. By these criteria, the C component was also identical to the catalytic subunit of phosphatase-2A purified from ethanol-treated muscle extracts. The electrophoretic mobilities of the B and B' subunits were slightly different, and their peptide maps were distinct. The molecular masses of the native enzymes determined by sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation were 181 +/- 6 kDa (2A0), 202 +/- 6 kDa (2A1) and 107 +/- 5 kDa (2A2), while those of the subunits estimated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were 60 kDa (A), 55 kDa (B), 54 kDa (B') and 36 kDa (C). These values, in conjunction with molar ratios estimated by densitometric analyses of the gels, suggest that the subunit structures of the enzymes are AB'C2 (2A0), ABC2 (2A1) and AC (2A2). Protein phosphatase-2A2 appears to be derived from 2A0 and/or 2A1 during purification through degradation or dissociation of the B' and/or B subunits. Protein phosphatases-2A0, 2A1 and 2A2 were the only phosphorylase phosphatases in rabbit skeletal muscle that were activated by the basic proteins, protamine (A0.5 = 0.25 microM), histone H1 (A0.5 = 0.3 microM) and polylysine (A0.5 = 0.04 microM). Activation by protamine varied over 5-20-fold for phosphatase-2A0 and 5-7-fold for phosphatases-2A1 and 2A2. The dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase was activated by basic proteins in a similar manner to the phosphorylase phosphatase activity. The isolated C subunit was also stimulated by histone H1 and protamine, but 5-10-fold higher concentrations were required, and with phosphorylase as substrate, maximum activation was only about 2-fold. Activation by basic proteins appears to involve their interaction with the A and/or C subunits, but not with the B or B' subunits, or substrates phosphorylase and glycogen synthase.