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Liver glycogen is synthesized after a meal in response to an increase in blood glucose concentration in the portal vein and endocrine and neuroendocrine signals, and is degraded to glucose between meals to maintain blood glucose homeostasis. Glycogen degradation and synthesis during the diurnal cycle are mediated by changes in the activities of phosphorylase and glycogen synthase. Phosphorylase is regulated by phosphorylation of serine-14. Only the phosphorylated form of liver phosphorylase (GPa) is catalytically active. Interconversion between GPa and GPb (unphosphorylated) is dependent on the activities of phosphorylase kinase and of phosphorylase phosphatase. The latter comprises protein phosphatase-1 in conjunction with a glycogen-targeting protein (G-subunit) of the PPP1R3 family. At least two of six G-subunits (GL and PTG) expressed in liver are involved in GPa dephosphorylation. GPa to GPb interconversion is dependent on the conformational state of phosphorylase which can be relaxed (R) or tense (T) depending on the concentrations of allosteric effectors such as glucose, glucose 6-phosphate and adenine nucleotides and on the acetylation state of lysine residues. The G-subunit, GL, encoded by PPP1R3B gene is expressed at high levels in liver and can function as a phosphorylase phosphatase and a synthase phosphatase and has an allosteric binding site for GPa at the C-terminus which inhibits synthase phosphatase activity. GPa to GPb conversion is a major upstream event in the regulation of glycogen synthesis by glucose, its downstream metabolites and extracellular signals such as insulin and neurotransmitters.

The MgATP-dependent phosphorylase phosphatase was found to have a broad substrate specificity. Its activity against all phosphoproteins tested was dependent upon preincubation with the activating factor FA and MgATP. The enzyme dephosphorylated and inactivated phosphorylase kinase and inhibitor 1, and dephosphorylated and activated glycogen synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Glycogen synthase was dephosphorylated at similar rates whether it had been phosphorylated by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase, phosphorylase kinase or glycogen synthase kinase 3. The enzyme also catalysed the dephosphorylation of ATP citrate lyase, initiation factor eIF-2, and troponin I. The properties of the MgATP-dependent protein phosphatase from either dog liver or rabbit skeletal muscle showed a remarkable similarity to highly purified preparations of protein phosphatase 1 from rabbit skeletal muscle. The relative activities of the two enzymes against all phosphoproteins tested was very similar. Both enzymes dephosphorylated the beta-subunit of phosphorylase kinase 40-fold faster than the alpha-subunit, and both enzymes were inhibited by identical concentrations of the two proteins termed inhibitor 1 and inhibitor 2, which inhibit protein phosphatase 1 specifically. These results demonstrate that the MgATP-dependent protein phosphatase is a type-1 protein phosphatase, and is distinct from type-2 protein phosphatases which dephosphorylate the alpha-subunit of phosphorylase kinase and are unaffected by inhibitor 1 and inhibitor 2. The possibility that the MgATP-dependent protein phosphatase is an inactive form of protein phosphatase 1 and that both proteins share the same catalytic subunit is discussed.

High glucose concentration suppresses hepatic glycogenolysis by allosteric inhibition and dephosphorylation (inactivation) of phosphorylase-a. The latter effect is attributed to a direct effect of glucose on the conformation of phosphorylase-a. Although glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), like glucose, stimulates dephosphorylation of phosphorylase-a by phosphorylase phosphatase, its physiological role in regulating glycogenolysis in intact hepatocytes has not been tested. We show in this study that metabolic conditions associated with an increase in G6P, including glucokinase overexpression and incubation with octanoate or dihydroxyacetone, cause inactivation of phosphorylase. The latter conditions also inhibit glycogenolysis. The activity of phosphorylase-a correlated inversely with the G6P concentration within the physiological range. The inhibition of glycogenolysis and inactivation of phosphorylase-a caused by 10 mmol/l glucose can be at least in part counteracted by inhibition of glucokinase with 5-thioglucose, which lowers G6P. In conclusion, metabolic conditions that alter the hepatic G6P content affect glycogen metabolism not only through regulation of glycogen synthase but also through regulation of the activation state of phosphorylase. Dysregulation of G6P in diabetes by changes in activity of glucokinase or glucose 6-phosphatase may be a contributing factor to impaired suppression of glycogenolysis by hyperglycemia.

A high yielding, simple synthesis is described starting from d -glucose to produce gram quantities of a glucopyranosylidene-spiro-thiohydantoin. This compound efficiently inhibited the activity of rat liver glycogen phosphorylase a ; moreover, it also activated phosphorylase phosphatase which, in turn, decreased the amount of glycogen phosphorylase a . Both effects result in the inhibition of glycogen mobilization and the formation of glucose from glycogen.

1. The effect of the phosphatase inhibitor, cantharidin (3-300 microM) on force of contraction was studied in isolated electrically driven right ventricular trabeculae carneae from human myocardium. 2. The positive inotropic effect of cantharidin started at a concentration of 100 microM with a positive inotropic effect to 199% and to 276% of the predrug value in nonfailing and failing human hearts, respectively. 3. Under basal conditions the contraction time parameters were prolonged in human heart failure vs. nonfailing preparations. However, the positive inotropic effect of cantharidin did not affect contraction time parameters. Thus, time to peak tension, time of relaxation and total contraction time were not shortened by cantharidin in nonfailing and failing preparations. 4. The phosphatase activity was unchanged in preparations from failing hearts compared to nonfailing hearts. 5. Cantharidin inhibited phosphatase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. The IC50 value of cantharidin was about 3 microM in both nonfailing and failing human myocardium. 6. The positive inotropic effect of cantharidin was similar in nonfailing and failing human hearts, accompanied by a similar inhibitory effect of cantharidin on the phosphatase activity. The positive inotropic effect of cantharidin in failing hearts was as strong as the effect of isoprenaline in nonfailing hearts. 7. It is concluded that the treatment with a phosphatase inhibitor may offer a new positive inotropic modality for the treatment of human heart failure.

We have used polyclonal antibodies against an internal peptide (residues 169 to 182; Ab169/182) and a peptide corresponding to the carboxyl terminus (residues 299 to 309; Ab299/309) to look for in vivo modifications of protein phosphatase 2A catalytic (PP2Ac) subunit. Treatment of extracts from human breast cancer (MCF7) cells with either alkali or ethanol increased immunoreactivity of PP2Ac subunit severalfold on Western blots with Ab299/309, but did not apparently change molecular weight or isoelectric point of the protein. In contrast, immunoreactivity with Ab169/182 was unchanged by these treatments. Subsequently, we demonstrated that the increase in PP2Ac subunit recognition by Ab299/309 coincides with the demethylation of this protein at the carboxyl-terminal leucine (Leu309). Methylation of PP2Ac subunit, in vitro, increases its activity toward both phosphorylase a and a phosphopeptide. The carboxyl-terminal sequence (TPDYFL) of PP2Ac subunit is completely conserved between mammals, yeast, fruit fly, and plants which suggests that regulation of this enzyme activity by carboxyl-terminal methylation has been conserved during evolution.

The alpha form of the A subunit of human protein phosphatase 2A was expressed in insect cells following infection with a recombinant baculovirus. A alpha was expressed as a soluble protein that comprised approximately 10% of total cellular protein. The expressed A alpha subunit was purified by chromatography on amino-hexyl-Sepharose and Mono Q with a yield of 2 mg/500-ml culture. The recombinant protein had the same apparent molecular mass as the bovine cardiac protein and was devoid of myosin light chain phosphatase activity. Biological activity of expressed A was assessed by assays of complex formation with the catalytic (C) and B subunits, purified from bovine cardiac tissue, and by inhibition of phosphatase activity. Purified A alpha had a high apparent affinity for C (IC50 = 0.10 nM) and bound with a stoichiometry of 1 mol of A/mol of C. Interaction of A alpha with the catalytic subunit caused a maximal inhibition of myosin light chain and phosphorylase phosphatase activities of 50 and 79%, respectively. The AC complex prepared by reconstitution of recombinant A alpha with C had the same electrophoretic mobility in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels and the same elution volume when chromatographed on a size exclusion column as the native AC complex purified from cardiac muscle. Similar chromatographic profiles were also observed for the heterotrimer reconstituted from recombinant A alpha, purified B and C, and the native bovine cardiac heterotrimeric holoenzyme. Cross-linking of the native enzyme and the reconstituted heterotrimer generated the same pattern of high molecular weight species. Immunological analyses of these complexes demonstrated that distinct cross-linked forms composed of ABC, AC, AB, and BC were obtained. These results suggest that each of the three subunits of protein phosphatase 2A forms direct contacts with both of the others.

Nuclei from bovine thymus contain a high level of partially latent protein phosphatase 1 (PP-1). More than 90% of this PP-1 is associated with the insoluble chromatin/matrix fraction and can be extracted with 0.3 M NaCl. The salt extract also contains three heat- and acid-stable inhibitory proteins of PP-1 that can be resolved on Mono Q. We have purified two of these nuclear inhibitors of PP-1 (NIPP-1a and NIPP-1b) until homogeneity. They are acidic proteins (pI = 4.4) with a molecular mass of 18 kDa (NIPP-1a) and 16 kDa (NIPP-1b) on SDS-PAGE. Judged from the larger molecular mass that was deduced from gel filtration (35 kDa), NIPP-1a and NIPP-1b appear to be asymmetric or dimeric proteins. The nuclear inhibitors totally inhibited the phosphorylase phosphatase activity of PP-1, but even at a 250-fold higher concentration they did not affect the activities of the other major serine/threonine protein phosphatases (PP-2A, PP-2B, and PP-2C). NIPP-1a and NIPP-1b inhibited the catalytic subunit of PP-1 with an extrapolated Ki of about 1 pM, which is some three orders of magnitude better than the cytoplasmic proteins inhibitor 1/DARPP-32 and modulator. The nuclear inhibitors were not inactivated by incubation with protein phosphatases that inactivate inhibitor 1 and DARPP-32. Unlike modulator, they were not able to convert the catalytic subunit of PP-1 into a MgATP-dependent form. Remarkably, the extent of inhibition of PP-1 by NIPP-1b depended on the nature of the substrate. The phosphorylase phosphatase and casein phosphatase activities of PP-1 were completely blocked by NIPP-1b, whereas the dephosphorylation of basic proteins was either not at all inhibited (histone IIA) or only partially (myelin basic protein). These data may indicate that the acidic NIPP-1b is inactivated through complexation by basic proteins. Indeed, nonphosphorylated histone IIA antagonized the inhibitory effect of NIPP-1b on the casein phosphatase activity of PP-1. Our data show that the nucleus contains specific and potent inhibitory proteins of PP-1 that differ from earlier described cytoplasmic inhibitors. We suggest that these novel proteins may control the activity of nuclear PP-1 on its natural substrate(s).

Insulin-stimulated glycogen synthase activity in human muscle is reduced in insulin-resistant subjects. Insulin regulation of human muscle glycogen synthase may require activation of a type-1 protein phosphatase (PP-1). We investigated the change of phosphorylase phosphatase and glycogen synthase activities in muscle biopsies obtained during a 2-h hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp in 12 insulin-sensitive (group S) and 8 insulin-resistant (group R) subjects. Fasting phosphorylase phosphatase activity was lower in group R than in group S, and did not increase significantly with insulin infusion in group R until 20 min. In group S, phosphorylase phosphatase was significantly stimulated by 10 min, remaining significantly higher than in group R at all time points. The insulin-mediated changes in phosphatase activities were not decreased by 3 nM okadaic acid but were completely inhibited by 1 microM okadaic acid, thereby verifying that insulin-stimulated phosphorylase phosphatase is accounted for by a PP-1. Subcellular fractionation demonstrated reduced fasting PP-1 activities in both the glycogen and cytosolic fractions of muscle obtained from subjects in group R compared to those in group S. These results suggest that insulin activation of PP-1 could contribute to the stimulation of glycogen synthase by this hormone in human muscle. Lower fasting PP-1 activity in cytosol and glycogen fractions plus lower insulin-stimulated PP-1 activity could explain, in part, reduced insulin-stimulated glycogen synthase in skeletal muscle of insulin-resistant subjects.

The catalytic subunit of rabbit skeletal muscle protein phosphatase-1 was expressed in Escherichia coli. Expression of phosphatase-1 in the pET3a vector, which is based on the use of the T7 promoter, resulted in the expression of the enzyme as an insoluble aggregate. The insoluble enzyme could be renatured by high dilutions of the urea-solubilized protein in buffers containing dithiothreitol, Mn2+, and high NaCl concentrations. However, under all conditions tested, only partial (less than 5%) renaturation was achieved. A second attempt was made using a vector with the trp-lac hybrid promoter. In this case it was possible to express the enzyme as a soluble protein at levels of 3-4% of the soluble E. coli protein. The recombinant enzyme was purified by DEAE-Sepharose and heparin-Sepharose chromatography. Approximately 20 mg of purified enzyme was reproducibly obtained from the cells derived from 2 liters of culture. The purified enzyme had a specific activity toward phosphorylase alpha comparable to that reported for the authentic protein and had an Mr of 37,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The recombinant enzyme displayed similar sensitivities to inhibition by inhibitor-2, okadaic acid, and microcystin-LR as for the protein isolated from rabbit muscle. At all stages of purification the recombinant phosphatase behaved as an essentially inactive enzyme that required the presence of microM Mn2+ for full expression of its activity.

This article presents a historical account of the discovery of reversible protein phosphorylation. The process was uncovered in the mid-1950s in a study designed to elucidate the complex hormonal regulation of skeletal muscle glycogen phosphorylase. This enzyme was originally thought to be regulated by AMP now known to serve as an allosteric effector. By contrast, hormonal regulation was found to result from a phosphorylation of the protein triggered by Ca2+ and ATP which activate phosphorylase kinase; the reverse reaction is catalyzed by a phosphorylase phosphatase. Although that reaction is extremely simple, it came nevertheless as a complete surprise because essentially nothing was known at that time about the structure and function of phosphoproteins. This study led to the establishment of the first hormonal cascade of successive enzymatic reactions, kinases acting on kinases, initiated by cAMP discovered by Earl Sutherland. It also showed how two different physiological processes (carbohydrate metabolism and muscle contraction) could be regulated in concert. The regulation of phosphorylase was so straightforward that it was thought to represent the prototype for these kinds of interconversions. We know today that it was almost the absolute exception.

Rat liver microsomes contain type-1 S6 phosphatase (acting on the serine residues phosphorylated by protein kinase A) and type-1 phosphorylase phosphatase activities. The main aim of this study has been to characterize the microsomal S6 phosphatase activity and to compare its properties with those of the phosphorylase phosphatase activity in the same microsomal preparation. The specific activities of both microsomal S6 phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase were 1.6- to 1.7-fold higher in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum than in the rough sarcoplasmic reticulum. Both phosphatase activities were inhibited to a similar extent by MgCl2 (10 m m ) and NaF (22 m m ), were completely suppressed by glycerophosphate (80 m m ) and ZnCl2(10 m m ), and were stimulated by MnCl2(1 m m ). When analyzed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 superfine, both phosphatase activities eluted as broad peaks, stretching from the void volume to 45-60 kDa. The microsomal S6 phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase activities also displayed the following distinct characteristics: (a) Mn2+ stimulated the S6 phosphatase activity 2.9-fold more than the phosphorylase phosphatase activity, (b) limited trypsin digestion of microsomal preparations increased the phosphorylase phosphatase activity 1.5- to 2-fold, but decreased the S6 phosphatase activity by 50%, (c) a synthetic peptide analog of S6 (S6229–239) (200 μ m ), which did not act as a substrate for the microsomal S6 phosphatase and did not affect its activity, inhibited the microsomal phosphorylase phosphatase activity by about 50%, and (d) the elution profile of the phosphorylase phosphatase activity was markedly broader than that of the S6 phosphatase activity. A series of in vivo studies showed that streptozotocin-diabetes and insulin replacement therapy as well as ip injection of insulin or vanadate, which modified the microsomal S6 phosphatase activity, had no statistically significant effects on the microsomal phosphorylase phosphatase activity. Taken together, these results suggest that the microsomal S6 phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase activities are due to two distinct enzyme populations.

The activities of phosphorylase b kinase and phosphorylase a phosphatase were determined during the phases of KCl-induced contraction in porcine carotid artery. Phosphorylase b kinase exhibited a biphasic pattern with activity increasing 70% above basal levels during the early phase of active force generation (45 s into contraction) followed by a decline in activity during the phase of steady-state tension maintenance. Phosphorylase a phosphatase was stimulated simultaneously with phosphorylase b kinase, with activity increasing 100% over basal levels at 45 s into contraction, but remaining elevated at 30 min. Incubation of arteries in 0.5 mM palmitate resulted in a 30% increase in basal activity of phosphorylase b kinase and 117% augmentation of basal phosphatase activity, with no further increase in activity of either enzyme with contraction. The results indicate that both the kinase and phosphatase are subject to regulation during contractile activation of the muscle, possibly by similar but not identical mechanisms.

Protein phosphatase 2A1 was purified from rat skeletal muscle and used to produce antisera to the three subunits of the holoenzyme. Affinity purified antibodies specific for the subunits of the phosphatase enzyme were found to recognize the type 2A1 and 2A2 phosphatase from rat skeletal muscle, heart, liver, brain and erythrocytes and were used to investigate the effects of diabetes on the levels of this enzyme in liver and heart. Phosphorylase phosphatase assays coupled with immunoblot analysis of fractionated rat liver and heart cytosol from normal and diabetic animals show no apparent differences in the quantity or activity of these enzymes following the induction of alloxan diabetes. When considering these results and the normal physiological concentrations of known effectors of these enzymes, it is likely that protein phosphatase 2A1 and 2A2 are not responsible for the dephosphorylation of phosphorylase a under physiological conditions.

The presence of endogenous phosphorylase kinase and phosphorylase phosphatase in crude extracts of fat bodies from the cockroaches Nauphoeta cinerea and Periplaneta americana is demonstrated in vitro by activation/inactivation of glycogen phosphorylase under appropriate conditions. Fractionation of fat body extracts of both cockroach species on an anion-exchange medium results in the elution of three peaks with phosphorylase activity. According to their AMP dependency these activity peaks are designated as phosphorylase b (inactive without AMP), phosphorylase ab (active without AMP, but several stimulated with AMP) and phosphorylase a (active without AMP). It is shown chromatographically that incubating crude extracts of fat bodies from both cockroaches, under conditions where the phosphorylase kinase is active, results in all phosphorylase b being converted to the ab- or a-form , whereas under conditions where the phosphorylase phosphatase is active all phophorylase a is converted to the ab- or b-form . Endogenous phosphorylase kinase of N. cinerea crude fat body extract can convert vertebrate phosphorylase b into the a-form , and, conversely, vertebrate muscle p hosphorylase kinase and phosphorylase phosphatase, respectively, are able to convert partially purified N. cinerea phosphorylase aborb and the ab- und a-form , respectively. In resting cockroaches most of the phosphorylase activity resides in the b-form and only a small fraction (10% ) in the a-form , whereas between 26% (N . cinerea) and 35% (P. americana) occurs in the ab-form . Injection of endogenous hypertrehalosaemic peptides into N. cinerea (the decapeptide Bld-HrTH ) or P. americana (the two octapeptides Pea-CAH -I and II) causes interconversion of phosphorylase; after injection, mainly (60% ) phosphorylase a is present, while 25% and 15% exists in the ab- und b-form , respectively. Purification of the three phosphorylase forms from N. cinerea is achieved by anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel followed by affinity chromatography on AMP-Sepharose. The final specific activities are 2.1, 6.9 and 27.2 U /mg protein for the a-, ab- und b-form . The molecular mass of the active molecules on gel filtration is between 173,000 and 177,000, and SDS gel electrophoresis reveals a subunit mass of 87,100, suggesting a homodimeric structure for all three form s. Kinetic studies show hyperbolic saturation curves for the substrates glycogen and Pi respectively, with Kᴍ-values of 0.021, 0.019 and 0.073% for glycogen and 8.3, 6.3 and 17.9 mᴍ for Pi (a-, ab- and b-form ). Phosphorylase a exhibits a more or less hyperbolic response to AMP and needs 70 |iM A M P for m axim al stim ulation. The kinetics for the ab- and b-form s are sigm oidal and maximal activities are displayed at about 3 mᴍ (half-maximum activation as calculated from Hill plots are 55 and 280 μᴍ for the ab- und b-form , respectively). Caffeine is a strong inhibitor of the b-form , but has only a slight inhibiting effect (10 -20 % ) on the ab- and a-form in the presence of AMP.

The effect of oral administration of sodium orthovanadate for 5 wk on hepatic glycogen metabolism was studied in control and streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes caused hyperglycemia (5-fold increase), hypoinsulinemia (85% decrease), and hyperglucagonemia (4-fold increase). There were also marked decreases in liver glycogen and activities of glycogen-metabolizing enzymes in liver. Although vanadate administration in control animals showed no significant effect on the various parameters measured except for a 70% decrease in plasma insulin, this treatment in diabetic rats restored these parameters to near control values. In diabetic rats, glycogen synthase a and the activity ratio (activity of glycogen synthase a divided by activity of total glycogen synthase) decreased to 30% of control levels and were restored to ∼70–80% of control values after vanadate administration. A similar pattern was observed for the activity of synthase phosphatase. The activities of glycogenolytic enzymes, i.e., phosphorylase (activity of phosphorylase a and activity of total phosphorylase), phosphorylase kinase, and protein kinase (in presence or absence of cAMP), were significantly decreased by 40–70% in diabetic rats. These enzyme activities were recovered to 70–100% of control values after vanadate treatment. Phosphorylase phosphatase was not altered by diabetes, but the vanadate treatment of both groups, i.e., control and diabetic rats, showed a 25% increase in its activity (P < 0.01). In conclusion, these results show insulinlike in vivo action of vanadate on various parameters related to hepatic glycogen metabolism.

Protein phosphatase-1 and 2A, accounting for all the hepatic activity regulating phosphorylase, were assayed in streptozotocin-induced (8 weeks) diabetic Wistar rats. Cytosolic protein phosphatase-1 and 2A were distinguished by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose and by inhibition with inhibitor-2. Approx. 25-35% increases in type-1 phosphorylase phosphatase activity measured in cytosols were registered in diabetic rats when compared with control and 24 h fasting animals. The enrichment of protein phosphatase-1 in the cytosol of streptozotocin-treated rat livers could not be attributed to the reduced glycogen content with the onset of diabetes, since this elevated level of type-1 phosphatase was not observed in fasting rats with low glycogen content. The translocation of type-1 phosphatase from the particulate fraction into the cytosol was also recorded in trypsin-treated samples of diabetic rat livers. The apparent molecular weight of type-1 phosphatase in the cytosol of control and fasted rats was 160,000 as judged by gel filtration. The type-1 phosphatase activity that was released from the particulate fraction by streptozotocin-induced diabetes identified a further enzyme species (Mr 110,000) in the cytosol. Our data imply that the higher levels of cytosolic protein phosphatase-1 in diabetic rat liver could be a consequence of the dissociation of the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase-1 and the glycogen-binding subunit in rat livers.

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses phosphoprotein inhibitors of protein phosphatase-1(PP1). Over 25 years ago, a search for proteins that could regulate phosphorylase phosphatase yielded heat-stable proteins that were called “inhibitor-1” (I-1) and “inhibitor-2” (I-2). I-1 potency as an inhibitor increased several hundred-fold after phosphorylation of Thr35 by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), whereas inhibitor-2 was effective without prior phosphorylation. Inhibitor-1 became the prototype for other phosphoprotein inhibitors of PP1. To distinguish protein phosphates in type-1 (PP1, sensitive to inhibitors) from type-2, these inhibitor proteins are made use of subsequently.. Several new PP1 inhibitor phosphoproteins, such as NIPP-1, inhibitor-4, CPI-17, PHI-1 and KEPI have been discovered in mammalian cells. Regulation of PP1 in cells incorporates the various inhibitor phosphoproteins to selectively target a subset of PP1 holoenzymes. This way the inhibitor proteins work in concert with the PP1 regulatory subunits. Study of the phosphorylation of the PP1 inhibitors takes on added significance for understanding signaling processes, and the chapter describes various methods developed for that purpose.

Protein phosphatase-1, originally studied as phosphorylase phosphatase, is one of the major ser/thr protein phosphatases. It has a long history and a complex enzymology. It consists of a catalytic subunit of 37 kDa, which is bound to a number of different regulatory or targeting subunits. These are believed to restrict its activity to its immediate microenvironment and thus define its specificity, as well as acting to regulate phosphatase activity. The existence of multiple protein phosphatase-1 binding proteins provides the mechanism whereby phosphatase-1 activity can be involved in a diverse range of cellular functions, and reflects a novel strategy for its evolutionary development.

Phosphorylase Phosphatase, Protein Phosphatase, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Aphosphatase, active towards phosphorylase a and phosphorylated proteins casein and histone II-A , was isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae 257. The enzyme dephosphorylated glycogen phosphorylase from commercial yeast rendering it inactive. The protein phosphatase activity was not influenced by any metal ions. Phosphorylase phosphatase activity was slightly stimulated by p -nitrophenyl phosphate and inhibited by heparin.

Our earlier studies indicated that the action of cantharidin (CA) in mice is associated with binding to protein phosphatase 2A in liver cytosol and inhibition of its phosphorylase a phosphatase activity. In this investigation, we find that CA totally inhibits the phosphorylase a phosphatase activity in mouse liver, muscle, and skin cytosol at 5000 nM, with IC50s of 110-250 nM. About 50% of the phosphorylase a phosphatase activity of brain cytosol is sensitive to CA with an IC50 of approximately 80 nM and the remaining half is not inhibited even at 5000 nM. Intraperitoneal treatment of mice with CA leads to a dose-dependent decrease in phosphorylase a phosphatase activity with the aforementioned tissues displaying differential CA sensitivity. At 60 min after a 10 mg/kg CA dose, there is 90-95% inhibition of phosphorylase a phosphatase activity in liver and skin cytosol, 50% in muscle cytosol, and almost no inhibition in brain cytosol. The phosphorylation state of several phosphoproteins examined with tissue cytosol and [gamma-32P]ATP is increased by CA, in a concentration-dependent manner, as follows: endogenous glycogen phosphorylase a in muscle both in vitro and in vivo, and unidentified phosphoproteins in brain (approximately 34 and approximately 75 kDa) and skin (approximately 34 kDa) in vitro. These findings confirm the importance of protein phosphatases as primary targets of CA action in a variety of mouse tissues and, more generally, the possible use of CA and its analogs to investigate and potentially control some processes modulated by the reversible phosphorylation of proteins.

The activities and concentrations of protein phosphates type 1 (PP1) and type 2A (PP2A) were compared in cytosol and particulate fractions of rat forebrain. Although the activity of PP2A was highest in the cytosol, immunoblot analysis with a PP2A-specific antibody showed that there were significant levels of the enzyme in the particulate fraction. There was no significant difference between the concentration of PP2A in the cytosol and particulate fractions such that the low activity of PP2A in the particulate fraction represents an inactivation of this form of the enzyme. Similar analysis in skeletal muscle, heart, and liver showed this finding was unique to the brain. Similarly, the majority of PP1 activity was recovered in the cytosol, but most PP1 enzyme was associated with the particulate fraction. Comparison with other tissues showed that the activities of PP1 in the particulate fractions were similar but that the forebrain contained significantly more enzyme than the other tissues. Thus, like PP2A it appears that the specific activity of PP1 in the particulate fraction of rat forebrain is much lower than that of the cytosol and of the particulate fractions of other tissues. Elution of PP1 and PP2A from membranes with 0.5 M NaCl plus 0.3% Triton X-100 resulted in severalfold activation of both enzymes. That the majority of PP1 and PP2A in rat forebrain are associated with membrane structures but in a low activity state suggests that novel regulatory mechanisms exist that have considerable and unique potential for activation of protein dephosphorylation.

Rainbow trout were used to investigate the hormonal regulation by glucagon and insulin of hepatic triacylglycerol (TG) lipase activation. Two purified preparations of the trout hepatic TG lipase enzyme, the 110,000-g preparation and the resuspended ammonium sulfate fraction (ASF), were activated up to 58% with (in mM) 0.5 ATP, 0.01 cAMP, 5 MgCl2, and exogenous protein kinase over control levels. ATP or cAMP alone had no effect on activation. Activation of the trout hepatic lipase was reversible; complete inactivation of the ASF was obtained within 3 h in the presence of exogenous phosphorylase phosphatase. Adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)/ATP-dependent 32P-phosphorylation of trout hepatic lipase was observed within 5 min of incubation with the cAMP/ATP-Mg2+ activation system and 25 microCi [32P]ATP. Hormonal modulation of trout hepatic lipase phosphorylation was studied in isolated hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were incubated with [32P]-monopotassium phosphate for 3 h, then exposed to mammalian glucagon (GLU). Within 5 min, increased lipolysis was accompanied by a 95% increase in phosphorylation of the enzyme. Mammalian insulin (INS) depressed GLU-stimulated phosphorylation by 56% and inhibited GLU-stimulated lipolysis. These results indicate that GLU and INS modulate lipolysis in trout liver by altering phosphorylation of the TG lipase enzyme.

The role of cytosolic and membrane-associated phosphatases in regulating dephosphorylation of the CD3 antigen gamma-chain has been investigated using streptolysin-O-permeabilized T lymphoblasts and Jurkat T leukaemia cells. Permeabilization of T cells caused a rapid extrusion of cytosolic type 2A phosphatases, but a membrane-associated phosphorylase phosphatase activity remained inside the cells. This activity had the properties characteristic of type 2A phosphatases, being resistant to inhibition by type 1 phosphatase inhibitors, though it was inhibited in a time-dependent manner by ATP or by non-hydrolysable ATP analogues, but not by GTP, CTP, ITP or PPi. The membrane-associated type 2A phosphatase in permeabilized cells did not dephosphorylate the CD3 antigen gamma-chain, suggesting that cytosolic phosphatases dephosphorylate the gamma-chain in situ. Cross-linking the CD2 and CD3 antigens with a bivalent monoclonal antibody in the absence of cytosolic phosphatases induced marked phosphorylation of the CD3 gamma-chain, immunoprecipitated using a novel gamma-chain peptide analogue directed antiserum (TG1). Phosphorylation was inhibited by a protein kinase C (PKC) pseudosubstrate inhibitor, indicating that CD2/CD3-induced gamma-chain phosphorylation is a PKC-mediated event. Activation of T cells either with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate or by CD2-CD3 cross-linking caused [32P]Pi incorporation into the same gamma-chain Ser residues. The site-mapping data suggested that PKC in situ may incorporate phosphate at the CD3 gamma-chain Ser-123 and Ser-126 residues, but that phosphate is rapidly lost from Ser-123 by cytosolic phosphatase action. Our findings underline the importance of the dual actions of kinases and phosphatases as potential regulators of T cell antigen-receptor complex function.

1. 1. Guinea-pig liver contained more phosphorylase in the active (phosphorylated) from and less synthase in the active (dephosphorulated) from when compared with rat liver. 2. 2. Activities of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and Ca2+-dependent phosphorylase kinase were the same in rat and guinea-pig livers. 3. 3. Activities of pjosphorylase and synthase phosphatase in the extract and glycogen plus microsomal fracrion of guinea-pig liver were significantly lower than those of rat liver. 4. 4. The existence if inhibitor-1 in the liver of guinea-pig can maintain a lower of type-1 protein phosphatase, especially when inhibitor-1 is phosphorylated by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

Glycogen synthase is activated by protein phosphatase type-1 (PP-1). The spontaneous PP-1 activity accounts for only a small fraction of total PP-1 activity, which can be exposed by trypsin digestion of inhibitor proteins in the presence of Mn2+. We determined total PP-1 activity in muscle biopsies from insulin-sensitive and -resistant nondiabetic Pima Indians. Inhibitor-2 sensitive PP-1 represented 90% of total phosphatase activity. Spontaneous and total PP-1 activities were reduced in insulin resistant subjects (P less than 0.05-0.01), suggesting that the reduced PP-1 activity is not the result of inhibition by trypsin-labile phosphatase regulatory subunits. This difference was further investigated by Western blots using two different antibodies. An antibody raised against the rabbit muscle PP-1 catalytic subunit was used to analyze muscle extracts concentrated by DEAE-Sepharose adsorption. An antibody raised against a peptide derived from the COOH-terminal end of the PP-1 catalytic subunit was used to analyze crude muscle extracts. Both antibodies recognized a PP-1 catalytic subunit of approximately 33 kD, which unexpectedly was more abundant in insulin-resistant subjects (P less than 0.05-0.01). The increase in the tissue PP-1 protein content may be a response to compensate for the impairment in the enzyme activity.

Phosphatase inhibitor 2 was mutagenized and expressed in Escherichia coli to produce a protein with a single cysteinyl residue at position 129. The newly introduced sulfhydryl group was labeled with a maleimide derivative of coumarin (CPM). The resulting fluorescent inhibitor 2 molecule (CPM-I2) retains biological activity and binds to the catalytic subunit of type 1 phosphatase (PP1-C) with a Kd similar to the Ki of native I2 (2-3 nM). Fluorescence anisotropy data indicate that kinase FA (glycogen synthase kinase 3) does not dissociate the CPM-I2.PP1-C complex but rather causes a conformational change in the I2 molecule that is retained even after the CPM-I2 is displaced by an excess of native I2. The fluorescence data presented here also indicate that okadaic acid and I2 are competitive for binding to PP1-C, even after kinase FA treatment of the CPM-I2.PP1-C complex.

In muscle cytosolic and glycogen fractions prepared in the presence of 50 mM NaF phosphorylase phosphatase was a approximately 70 kDa complex instead of the 250 kDa or higher seen in the absence of NaF. A approximately 70 kDa complex was also formed when purified 37 kDa phosphatase-1 catalytic subunit (but not its 33 kDa tryptic fragment) was exposed to NaF. Treating this latter complex with a cross-linker led to disappearance of the 37 kDa protein and formation of a approximately 66 kDa band (detected by SDS electrophoresis), thus indicating the dimeric nature of the approximately 70 kDa complex.

Half-maximal inhibition of phosphorylase a required a much lower concentration of alpha-D-glucose (4 mM) than of the beta-anomer (14 mM) and of 1-deoxyglucose (about 25 mM). beta-D-Glucose was almost ineffective at concentrations of 1-2.5 mM, but at 50 mM the two anomers were equipotent. A similar picture emerged when the stimulatory effects of the glucose anomers and of 1-deoxyglucose were investigated on the inactivation of phosphorylase by phosphorylase phosphatase. However, upon addition of either glucose anomer (5-20 mM) to a suspension of isolated hepatocytes, the inactivation of phosphorylase occurred at the same rate. It is shown that, in the latter conditions, the rate of intracellular mutarotation considerably exceeds the rate of glucose transport. This results presumably in a rapid anomeric equilibrium in the liver cells.

Protein phosphatases associated with the particulate fraction from rat liver were studied by chromatographing the fraction on a DEAE-cellulose column and assaying the eluate with phosphorylase alpha and glycogen synthase D as substrates. Phosphorylase phosphatase activity emerged as two peaks, termed P-1 and P-2 in order of elution, both of which were inhibited by Mn2+ and Mg2+. P-1 and P-2 were Mr = 50,000 and 32,000 proteins, respectively, and when treated with trypsin, P-1 converted to a form indistinguishable from P-2, to which protein phosphatase inhibitor-2 was a potent inhibitor. Thus P-2 appears to be the catalytic subunit of type-1 protein phosphatase even though it has been degrated proteolytically as evidenced by its relatively low Mr. The elution profile of glycogen synthase phosphatase activity was entirely different. The activity obtained with 5 mM Mn2+ resolved into three peaks, the second-migrating M-2 being the largest. M-2 is an Mr = 70,000 protein; but an attempt to purify it has been unsuccessful giving a product of Mr = 40,000 and closely similar to the type-1 catalytic subunit in properties including inhibition by inhibitor-2. These results suggest that phosphatases P-1 and M-2 have a common catalytic subunit (type-1), which is bound to different "regulatory" subunits. M-2 distributes in glycogen particles and microsomes evenly while P-1 is almost exclusively in microsomes.

The prominent protein phosphatases involved in liver glycogen metabolism are the AMD (ATP, Mg-dependent, type-1) and PCS (polycation-stimulated, type-2A) phosphatases. The glycogen synthase phosphatase activity, measured from the rate of activation of liver glycogen synthase, is virtually accounted for by AMD phosphatases; the bulk of the activity belongs to the glycogen-bound protein phosphatase G and a small part is present in the cytosol. The major part of the phosphorylase phosphatase activity present in the post-mitochondrial supernatant is shared by protein phosphatase G and cytosolic enzymes, and a minor part belongs to a microsomal AMD phosphatase. In the liver cytosol, the phosphorylase phosphatase activity is about equally distributed between AMD and PCS phosphatases. Studies in vivo as well as on isolated, perfused livers have shown that glucagon (which raises the level of cyclic AMP) as well as vasopressin (which increases the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration) decrease the phosphorylase phosphatase activity in liver extract or cytosol (filtered through Sephadex G-25) by about 25% within a few minutes. These effects were not additive, and the activity of glycogen synthase phosphatase was not affected. Conversely, insulin as well as glucose increased both phosphatase activities by about 25%, and these effects were additive. Vanadate mimicked the effect of insulin on the perfused liver. All the activity changes were only observed when the assays were performed at high tissue concentration. Upon subcellular fractionation all the effects were well expressed in the cytosol, but not in the particulate fraction (glycogen and microsomes). However, quantitatively the hormonal responses were largely lost during the fractionation procedure; they could be restored by recombination of the liver cytosol from a hormone-treated rat with the particulate fraction from either a treated or an untreated animal. It appears that the effects of glucagon, insulin and glucose are mediated by cytosolic, transferable effectors of the Vmax of protein phosphatases. These effectors are eluted in the void volume of a Sephadex G-25 column. Rats of the gsd/gsd strain, which have a genetic deficiency of hepatic phosphorylase kinase, responded to an injection of insulin plus glucose with a normal increase in the cytosolic phosphorylase phosphatase activity. In contrast, they failed to respond to glucagon as well as vasopressin. A transient 80% inhibition of the phosphorylase phosphatase activity could be induced in vitro in a concentrate liver cytosol from Wistar rats upon addition of MgATP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The phosphorylated form of liver glycogen phosphorylase (alpha-1,4-glucan : orthophosphate alpha-glucosyl-transferase, EC 2.4.1.1) (phosphorylase a) is active and easily measured while the dephosphorylated form (phosphorylase b), in contrast to the muscle enzyme, has been reported to be essentially inactive even in the presence of AMP. We have purified both forms of phosphorylase from rat liver and studied the characteristics of each. Phosphorylase b activity can be measured with our assay conditions. The phosphorylase b we obtained was stimulated by high concentrations of sulfate, and was a substrate for muscle phosphorylase kinase whereas phosphorylase a was inhibited by sulfate, and was a substrate for liver phosphorylase phosphatase. Substrate binding to phosphorylase b was poor (KM glycogen = 2.5 mM, glucose-1-P = 250 mM) compared to phosphorylase a (KM glycogen = 1.8 mM, KM glucose-1-P = 0.7 mM). Liver phosphorylase b was active in the absence of AMP. However, AMP lowered the KM for glucose-1-P to 80 mM for purified phosphorylase b and to 60 mM for the enzyme in crude extract (Ka = 0.5 mM). Using appropriate substrate, buffer and AMP concentrations, assay conditions have been developed which allow determination of phosphorylase a and 90% of the phosphorylase b activity in liver extracts. Interconversion of the two forms can be demonstrated in vivo (under acute stimulation) and in vitro with little change in total activity. A decrease in total phosphorylase activity has been observed after prolonged starvation and in diabetes.

A factor inactivating phosphorylase phosphatase was isolated from rabbit liver. The isolation procedure consisted of heat treatment at 85 degrees C, extraction with n-butyl alcohol, and chromatography on Dowex 1 and DEAE-cellulose columns. The purified factor was different from the known protein inhibitors and was shown to be tripeptide composed of equimolar amounts of glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine. The NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal amino acids were determined as glutamic acid and glycine, respectively. The factor was finally identified as glutathione disulfide by high voltage paper electrophoresis, paper chromatography, and liquid column chromatography using an amino acid analyzer. Addition of the purified factor or glutathione disulfide converted phosphorylase phosphatase to a stable, less active enzyme species, the extent of conversion depending on the amount added. The inactivated phosphatase was completely reactivated by addition of both glutathione (or 2-mercaptoethanol) and Mn2+ and partially reactivated by adding glutathione alone. Injection of glutathione disulfide into the portal vein of rabbits caused a rapid increase in phosphorylase alpha activity in the liver. These results suggest that glutathione disulfide is involved in regulation of phosphorylase activity in vivo, by causing inactivation of phosphorylase phosphatase in the liver.

The protein phosphatase activities involved in regulating the major pathways of intermediary metabolism can be explained by only four enzymes which can be conveniently divided into two classes, type-1 and type-2. Type-1 protein phosphatases dephosphorylate the beta-subunit of phosphorylase kinase and are potently inhibited by two thermostable proteins termed inhibitor-1 and inhibitor-2, whereas type-2 protein phosphatases preferentially dephosphorylate the alpha-subunit of phosphorylase kinase and are insensitive to inhibitor-1 and inhibitor-2. The substrate specificities of the four enzymes, namely protein phosphatase-1 (type-1) and protein phosphatases 2A, 2B and 2C (type-2) have been investigated. Eight different protein kinases were used to phosphorylate 13 different substrate proteins on a minimum of 20 different serine and threonine residues. These substrates include proteins involved in the regulation of glycogen metabolism, glycolysis, fatty acid synthesis, cholesterol synthesis, protein synthesis and muscle contraction. The studies demonstrate that protein phosphatase-1 and protein phosphatase 2A have very broad substrate specificities. The major differences, apart from the site specificity for phosphorylase kinase, are the much higher myosin light chain phosphatase and ATP-citrate lyase phosphatase activities of protein phosphatase-2A. Protein phosphatase-2C (an Mg2+-dependent enzyme) also has a broad specificity, but can be distinguished from protein phosphatase-2A by its extremely low phosphorylase phosphatase and histone H1 phosphatase activities, and its slow dephosphorylation of sites (3a + 3b + 3c) on glycogen synthase relative to site-2 of glycogen synthase. It has extremely high hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase phosphatase and HMG-CoA reductase kinase phosphatase activity. Protein phosphatase-2B (a Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent enzyme) is the most specific phosphatase and only dephosphorylated three of the substrates (the alpha-subunit of phosphorylase kinase, inhibitor-1 and myosin light chains) at a significant rate. It is specifically inhibited by the phenathiazine drug, trifluoperazine. Examination of the amino acid sequences around each phosphorylation site does not support the idea that protein phosphatase specificity is determined by the primary structure in the immediate vicinity of the phosphorylation site.

Rabbit muscle phosphorylase b (EC 2.4.1.1) is converted to a thio-analog of phosphorylase a by phosphorylase kinase, Mg2+ and adenosine 5′-O(3-thiotriphosphate)(ATPγS). Conversion proceeds at one-fifth the rate obtained with ATP though the extent of reaction and final level of activation of the enzyme are the same. However, the thiophosphorylase a produced is resistant to phosphorylase phosphatase and, therefore, behaves as a competitive inhibitor with a KI of 3 μM, similar to the KM obtained with normal phosphorylase a . ATPγS can also be utilized by protein kinase in the activation of phosphorylase kinase at a rate similar to that obtained with ATP. It is hydrolyzed at 5 to 10 times the normal rate by the sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase. When added to a muscle glycogen-particulate complex in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+, ATPγS triggers an activation of phosphorylase with simultaneous inhibition of phosphorylase phosphatase as previously observed with ATP.

Rat liver microsomal hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase is inactivated when microsomes are incubated with both ATP and Mg++ (1). Activity is fully restored with purified liver cytosolic phosphorylase phosphatase. The microsomal (Mg)ATP-dependent reductase inactivating enzyme (designated I) may be extracted and assayed in an I-deficient microsomal system. The soluble I preparation itself is inactivated with phosphorylase phosphatase. Inactive I can be reactivated in the presence of (Mg)ATP by an apparent cAMP-independent protein kinase in the microsomal extract. These findings are consistent with a model in which both hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase and an associated protein kinase (I) are subject to reversible covalent modulation by phosphorylation-dephosphorylation.

Rabbit skeletal muscle protein phosphatases C-I and C-II have been previously isolated as two proteins of Mr = approximately 35,000. Both enzymes display broad substrate specificities but have distinct enzymatic properties in regard to their susceptibility to heat-stable protein inhibitor-2 and their response to divalent cations. Monoclonal antibodies against both protein phosphatase C-I and C-II were produced by fusion of spleen cells of immunized BALB/c mice with SP2/0-Ag14 mouse myeloma cells. The products of the hybrid cells were screened by solid phase radioimmunoassay for the production of antibodies to protein phosphatase C-I and C-II. Positive cells were cloned and injected into mice to produce ascitic fluids. Ten monoclonal antibodies against phosphatase C-I and eight monoclonal antibodies against phosphatase C-II were obtained. These antibodies were characterized with regard to their relative binding affinities to the two protein phosphatases and their abilities to inhibit the phosphorylase phosphatase activities of the two enzymes. All ten of the phosphatase C-I monoclonal antibodies inhibited the phosphorylase phosphatase activity of phosphatase C-I, and three of these also inhibited phosphatase C-II. Only one of the eight antibodies to phosphatase C-II was inhibitory and inhibited the activities of both phosphatase C-I and C-II. Examination of the binding of these monoclonal antibodies by a solid phase radioimmunoassay showed that eight of the ten phosphatase C-I antibodies cross-reacted with phosphatase C-II, while all eight of the phosphatase C-II antibodies cross-reacted with phosphatase C-I. These findings show that phosphatases C-I and C-II possess common antigenic determinant(s) and may, therefore, be structurally related proteins.

A high molecular weight protein phosphatase (phosphatase H-II) was isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle. The enzyme had a Mr = 260,000 as determined by gel filtration and possessed two types of subunit, of Mr = 70,000 and 35,000, respectively, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. On ethanol treatment, the enzyme was dissociated to an active species of Mr = 35,000. The purified phosphatase dephosphorylated lysine-rich histone, phosphorylase a, glycogen synthase, and phosphorylase kinase. It dephosphorylated both the alpha- and beta-subunit phosphates of phosphorylase kinase, with a preference for the dephosphorylation of the alpha-subunit phosphate over the beta-subunit phosphate of phosphorylase kinase. The enzyme also dephosphorylated p-nitrophenyl phosphate at alkaline pH. Phosphatase H-II is distinct from the major phosphorylase phosphatase activities in the muscle extracts. Its enzymatic properties closely resemble that of a Mr = 33,500 protein phosphatase (protein phosphatase C-II) isolated from the same tissue. However, despite their similarity of enzymatic properties, the Mr = 35,000 subunit of phosphatase H-II is physically different from phosphatase C-II as revealed by their different sizes on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. On trypsin treatment of the enzyme, this subunit is converted to a form which is a similar size to phosphatase C-II.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphatase has been purified from the rat epididymal fat pad. The phosphatase occurs in a complex with the carboxylase. In the purification of the phosphatase, the high molecular weight complex was initially separated by sucrose gradient centrifugation, and the phosphatase was isolated from the complex by adjusting to 80% saturation with ethanol and by chromatography on Sephadex G-75. The molecular weight of the phosphatase is 71,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and gel chromatography on Sephacryl-200 in the presence of 6 M urea. The Km for acetyl-CoA carboxylase and glycogen phosphorylase a are 1.5 microM and 37 microM, respectively. The phosphatase has a broad substrate specificity, being active toward glycogen synthase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, phosphorylase a, phosphoprotamine, and p-nitrophenyl phosphate, in addition to acetyl-CoA carboxylase from fat tissue and liver. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibits the dephosphorylation of phosphoprotamine, indicating that the same activity is responsible for dephosphorylating both substrates. The phosphatase requires no metal ion for activity and is not inhibited by the rat liver phosphorylase phosphatase inhibitor protein. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and the phosphatase is compared to other phosphoprotein phosphatases.

Adrenal glucocorticoids exert a permissive action on the glycogen phosphorylase cascade. Epinephrine activation of muscle phosphorylase and phosphorylase b kinase is depressed in adrenalectomized rats. Phosphorylase phosphatase activity is increased by steroid lack, and normal epinephrine inhibition of the enzyme does not occur. Phosphorylase b kinase phosphatase activity is also increased; epinephrine, however, does not inhibit activity in muscle from normal or adrenalectomized rats. Protein phosphatase inhibitor activity is depressed in boiled dialyzed preparations made from adrenalectomized rat muscle. Cortisol resplacement therapy restores protein phosphatase inhibitor activity, decreases increased protein phosphatase activity, and restores normal epinephrine-induced activation of phosphorylase b kinase and phosphorylase and epinephrine inhibition of phosphorylase phosphatase.

Mathematical models are derived which describe a cyclic-AMP initiated recycling enzyme cascade for the activation of glycogen phosphorylase. The components of the cascade are protein kinase, phosphorylase kinase, phosphorylase kinase phosphatase, phosphorylase, and phosphorylase phosphatase. Two classes of models are formulated and compared. The models differ only in the molecular hypothesis for activation of protein kinase by cyclic-AMP; in one case the assumption leads to second order kinetics, in the other third order kinetics are indicated. Amplification and a fast response time are the prime features of both classes of models for the activation of phosphorylase. The role of free calcium in optimizing the activation and deactivation of the cascade is discussed.

Methods were developed for quantifying protein phosphatases-1, 2A, 2B and 2C in cell extracts, and these procedures were exploited to determine their tissue and subcellular distributions. In addition, the contribution of each enzyme to the total protein phosphatase activity in skeletal muscle and liver extracts towards nine proteins involved in the control of glycogen metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, fatty acid synthesis and cholesterol synthesis was assessed. Each protein phosphatase was present at significant concentrations in skeletal muscle, heart muscle, liver, brain and adipose tissue, although the relative amounts differed considerably. In skeletal muscle, protein phosphatase-1 was the major enzyme acting on phosphorylase, glycogen synthase and phosphorylase kinase (beta-subunit), and thus was the major protein phosphatase responsible for the inactivation of glycogenolysis and stimulation of glycogen synthesis. This idea was reinforced by the observation that 50% of the protein phosphatase-1 activity was associated with the protein-glycogen complex. In the liver, protein phosphatases-1, 2A and 2C each appear to play a role in the regulation of glycogen metabolism. Protein phosphatase-1 accounted for a significant fraction of the total potential activity towards phosphorylase and glycogen synthase, and was the major phosphorylase kinase (beta-subunit) phosphatase of this tissue. In addition, it was the only protein phosphatase present in the protein-glycogen complex. Protein phosphatase 2A was also a major phosphorylase phosphatase and glycogen synthase phosphatase in this tissue. Protein phosphatase 2C was a significant glycogen synthase phosphatase in the liver, but had negligible activity toward phosphorylase or phosphorylase kinase (beta-subunit). In the absence of Ca2+, protein phosphatase 2A was the major phosphorylase kinase (alpha-subunit) phosphatase and the only inhibitor-1 phosphatase, in skeletal muscle or liver. In the presence of Ca2+, protein phosphatase 2B accounted for most of the activity towards these substrates. Protein phosphatase 2A was the major enzyme acting on L-pyruvate kinase, ATP-citrate lyase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in rat liver, suggesting an important role in the regulation of glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and fatty acid synthesis. Protein phosphatase 2C was the major enzyme acting on hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase and HMG-CoA reductase kinase, suggesting an important role in the regulation of cholesterol synthesis. However, the observation that 20% of the protein phosphatase-1 in liver was associated with the microsomal fraction suggests that this enzyme may also be involved in regulating HMG-CoA reductase, which is tightly associated with microsomes. The activity of protein phosphatase-1 in dilute skeletal muscle and liver extracts was just as sensitive to inhibitor-1 and inhibitor-2 as the purified enzyme. In concentrated extracts, higher concentrations of the inhibitor proteins were required and the inhibition was time-dependent...

The regulatory mechanism of a phosphoprotein phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.16), which is considered to catalyze the dephosphorylation reaction of several phosphoproteins (glycogen synthetase-D (EC 2.4.1.11), phospho-form of phosphorylase b kinase (EC 2.7.1.38), phosphohistone and phosphorylase a (EC 2.4.1.1)), was studied with partially purified preparations from rabbit skeletal muscle. Time- and temperature-dependent inactivation and reactivation of phosphohistone phosphatase, as well as phosphorylase phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.17), were observed on pre0incubation of the enzyme(s) with ATP, and subsequent incubation with divalent metal ions (Mg2+, Mn2+, or Co2+) without any change of molecular size. Manganese, however, instantly restored the activity of the ATP-inactivated enzyme, and increased the maximal velocity of the enzyme while decreasing its affinity to phosphorylase a. However, the metal ion inhibited the reactivated enzyme competively with respect to phosphorylase a. It is suggested that phosphoprotein phosphatase(s) is a metalloenzyme, and that ATP results in a conformational change of the enzyme protein in such a way that a metal ion can be easily released due to the chelating effect of ATP, or incorporated (in the presence of excess metal ions) into the enzyme protein.

The reversible deactivation of chicken adipose tissue hormone-sensitive lipase alpha(previously activated with Mg2+ ATP and adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate) required Mg2+ and was inhibited by phosphate. These results are consistent with the assumption that deactivation of the protein kinase-activated enzyme is catalyzed by a lipase phosphatase. Cholesterol ester is catalyzed by a lipase phosphatase. Cholesterol ester hydrolase similarly was activated and reversibly deactivated. The activity of endogenous lipase phosphatase in pH 5.2 precipitate fractions was reduced, and in some cases eliminated, by incubation at 50 degrees for 20 min in buffer containing 20% glycerol. Heating at 50 degrees greatly increased the apparent percentage activation of triglyceride and cholesterol ester hydrolases but this was due to a selective decrease in basal (nonactivated) hydrolase activities. Essentially all endogenous lipase phosphatase could be removed by treatment of the pH 5.2 precipitate fraction with ATP-Sepharose affinity gel. The addition of a partially purified preparation of rat liver phosphorylase phosphatase deactivated triglyceride and cholesterol ester hydrolases. The deactivation process was concentration, 5 mM) and was inhibited by 5 mM phosphate and by phosphorylase alpha. Reversible deactivation of hormone-sensitive lipase alpha was also observed with crude prepa- and by phosphorylase alpha. Reversible deactivation of hormone-sensitive lipas alpha was also observed with crude preparations of phosphoprotein phosphatases from rat and turkey hearts, and from rat epididymal fat pads. Thus, hormone-sensitive lipase is deactivated by a variety of phosphoprotein phosphatases from different tissues and different species, implying a low degree of specificity for the deactivating system.

Ethacrynic acid (ECA) was used to study the relationship between ion transport and alpha-adrenergic activation of glycogenolysis in perfused rat livers. ECA alone enhanced glycogenolysis and produced a massive loss of K+ from the liver. These effects were partially blocked by dithioerythritol. ECA suppressed the metabolic responses to phenylephrine and the alpha-adrenergic redistribution of ions. Ouabain-sensitive and ouabain-insensitive ATPase of isolated liver plasma membranes were inhibited and binding of [3H]epinephrine to alpha-adrenergic sites was decreased by ECA. It is concluded that in liver ECA acts at three different sites by blocking SH groups: active ion transport across the plasma membrane, alpha-adrenoreceptors, and phosphorylase phosphatase.

A fraction containing a protein-glycogen complex was isolated from rat skeletal muscle in order to study the effect of hypothyroidism on phosphorylase activation in this structural and functional unit of the glycogenolytic process. The total activities of phosphorylase and phosphorylase phosphatase in euthyroids and hypothyroids were the same in the fraction containing the protein-glycogen complex (P2 suspension). Hypothyroidism selectively lowered the maximal phosphorylase kinase activity in glycogen particles in the P2 suspension by 40%. Addition of Mg2+ (10 mM), ATP (2 mM), and Ca2+ (5 mM) rapidly stimulated phosphorylase b to a conversion resulting from phosphorylase kinase activation. Hypothyroidism reduced the rate of phosphorylase a formation by 50-70% in the P2 suspension. Glucose 6-phosphate (0.4-1.4 mM) inhibited the rate of phosphorylase a formation and this inhibition was similar for eu- and hypothyroids. There was a shift from 5.2 to 5.8 in the free Ca2+ concentration (pCaF) for half-maximal activation of phosphorylase in the P2 suspension of hypothyroids. A sixfold higher steady-state level of phosphorylase in euthyroids compared to hypothyroids was observed at a pCaF of 5.5. The Ca2+ sensitivity of the phosphorylase kinase, however, was not changed by hypothyroidism. These results provide further insight into the different time course of the phosphorylase activation in skeletal muscle during tetanic stimulation observed in euthyroidism and hypothyroidism (W. J. Leijendekker et al. (1985) Metabolism 34, 437-441).

The effects of adrenalectomy on glucagon activation of liver glycogen phosphorylase and glycogenolysis were studied in isolated hepatocytes. Adrenalectomy resulted in reduced responsiveness of glycogenolysis and phosphorylase to glucagon activation. Stimulation of cAMP accumulation and cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity by glucagon was unaltered in cells from adrenalectomized rats. Adrenalectomy did not alter the proportion of type I and type II protein kinase isozymes in liver, whereas this was changed by fasting. Activation of phosphorylase kinase by glucagon was reduced in hepatocytes from adrenalectomized rats, although the half-maximal effective concentration of glucagon was unchanged. No difference in phosphorylase phosphatase activity between liver cells from control and adrenalectomized rats was detected. Glucagon-activated phosphorylase declined rapidly in hepatocytes from adrenalectomized rats, whereas the time course of cAMP increase in response to glucagon was normal. Addition of glucose (15 mM) rapidly inactivated glucagon-stimulated phosphorylase in both adrenalectomized and control rat hepatocytes. The inactivation by glucose was reversed by increasing glucagon concentration in cells from control rats, but was accelerated in cells from adrenalectomized rats. It is concluded that impaired activation of phosphorylase kinase contributes to the reduced glucagon stimulation of hepatic glycogenolysis in adrenalectomized rats. The possible role of changes in phosphorylase phosphatase is discussed.

Oxalyl thioesters, especially S-oxalylglutathione, are shown to be effective inhibitors of the catalytic subunit of phosphorylase phosphatase. The amount of inhibition was found to be time dependent and partially reversed by thiols, thus suggesting that at least part of the inhibition is due to oxalylation of an enzymic thiol group. The possibility that the inhibition of the phosphatase by oxalyl thioesters may be important in vivo and that oxalyl thioesters may be functioning as negative intracellular messengers for insulin is discussed.

A procedure for the purification of rabbit liver phosphorylase phosphatase is described. The specific activity of the preparation is 2,100 units/mg of protein, representing a 25,000-fold purification. During the initial steps of the purification a large activation of enzyme activity was observed. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated by Sephadex G-75 chromatography to be 35,000, and by sucrose density ultracentrifugation to be 34,000 (2.9 S). On Na dodecyl-SO4 polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis a single component with a molecular weight of 34,000 was observed. The pH optimum is 6.9 to 7.4, and the Km for rabbit muscle phosphorylase alpha is 2 muM. The same procedure is also applicable to the extensive purification of phosphorylase phosphatase from rabbit muscle.

A rapid, reliable method for purification of phosphorylase, yielding 200–400 mg pure phosphorylase from 8 kg of pressed baker's yeast, is described. The enzyme is free of phosphorylase kinase activity but contains traces of phosphorylase phosphatase activity. Phosphorylase constitutes 0.5 – 0.8% of soluble protein in various strains of yeast assayed immunochemically. The subunit molecular weight (Mr) of yeast phosphorylase is around 100,000. The enzyme is composed of two subunits in various ratios, differing slightly in molecular weight and N-terminal sequence. Both are active. Only the enzyme species containing the larger subunit can form tetramers and higher oligomers. The activated enzyme is dimeric. Correlated with specific activity (1 to 110 U/mg), phosphorylase contained between less than 0.1 to 0.74 covalently bound phosphate per subunit. Inactive forms of phosphorylase could be activated by phosphorylase kinase and [γ-32P]ATP with concomitant phosphorylation of a single threonine residue in the aminoterminal region of the large subunit. The small subunit was not labeled. The incorporated phosphate could be removed by yeast phosphorylase phosphatase, resulting in loss of activity of phosphorylase, which could be restored by ATP and phosphorylase kinase.