Biomedical subjects

T R Soderling

Publications and source records attributed to T R Soderling.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Mutational analysis of the autoinhibitory domain of calmodulin kinase II.

Calmodulin (CaM)-kinase II is inactive in the absence of Ca2+/CaM due to interaction of its autoinhibitory domain with its catalytic domain. Previous studies using synthetic autoinhibitory domain peptides (residues 281-302) identified several residues as important for inhibitory potency and suggested that His282 may interact with the ATP-binding motif of the catalytic domain. To further examine the autoinhibitory domain, site-specific mutants were expressed using the baculovirus/Sf9 cell system. The purified mutants had many biochemical properties identical to wild-type kinase, but mutants H282Q, H282R, R283E, and T286D had 10-20% constitutive Ca(2+)-independent activities, indicating that these residues are involved in the autoinhibitory interaction. The Ca(2+)-independent activities of the H282Q, H282R, and R283E mutants exhibited 10-fold lower Km values for ATP than the wild-type kinase. Wild-type and mutant kinases, except T286A and T286D, generated Ca2+ independence upon autophosphorylation in the presence of Ca2+/CaM, and those mutants having constitutive Ca2+ independence also exhibited enhanced Ca2+/CaM-independent autophosphorylation. This Ca(2+)-independent autophosphorylation resulted in a decrease in total kinase activity, but there was little increase in Ca(2+)-independent activity, consistent with autophosphorylation of predominantly Thr306 rather than Thr286. These results are consistent with an inhibitory interaction of His282 and possibly Arg283 with the ATP-binding motif of the catalytic domain, and they indicate that constitutively active CaM-kinase II cannot autophosphorylate on Thr286 in the absence of bound Ca2+/CaM. Based on these and other biochemical characterizations, we propose a molecular model for the interaction of a bisubstrate autoinhibitory domain with the catalytic domain of CaM-kinase II.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1994

Roles of calmodulin-dependent protein kinases and phosphatase in calcium-dependent transcription of immediate early genes.

Recent studies indicate multiple mechanisms are involved in Ca2+ stimulation of gene expression. We have used cell-permeable, specific inhibitors of calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaM kinases) and phosphatase (calcineurin) to investigate the involvement of these enzymes in transcriptional regulation of three immediate early genes in PC12 cells stimulated with A23187 or KCl. Preincubation of PC12 cells with the CaM kinase inhibitor KN-62 blocked autophosphorylation of CaM kinase II in response to stimulation by the Ca2+ ionophore A23187. KN-62 treatment also resulted in a 60-70% inhibition of Ca(2+)-dependent transcription of c-fos, NGFI-A (zif 268), and NGFI-B (nur 77) as assessed by either Northern or nuclear run-on analyses. Preincubation with the calcineurin inhibitors FK-506 or cyclosporin A strongly enhanced expression of NGFI-A and blocked transcription of NGFI-B, but it had no significant effect on Ca(2+)-stimulated transcription of c-fos. Both FK-506 and KN-62 were specific for Ca(2+)-stimulated transcription as neither effected transcription in response to forskolin or phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) treatment. This is the first report of CaM kinase and calcineurin involvement in transcriptional regulation of NGFI-A and NGFI-B. Activation of CaM kinases and calcineurin, in response to elevated intracellular Ca2+, would exert antagonistic effects on transcription of NGFI-A. Since inhibition of either the kinase or phosphatase decreased transcription of NGFI-B by 60-90%, this suggests that each enzyme is necessary but not sufficient for Ca2+ stimulation. These results indicate that CaM kinases and calcineurin can mediate broad and complex regulation of Ca(2+)-stimulated gene expression.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Mutational analysis of secondary structure in the autoinhibitory and autophosphorylation domains of calmodulin kinase II.

A previous study has suggested that the autoinhibitory domain of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II) may contain an alpha-helical structure, which is important for the proper orientation of inhibitory residues to interact with the catalytic domain (Smith, M. K., Colbran, R. J., Brickey, D. A., and Soderling, T.R. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 1761-1768). The present study was designed to test the importance of the secondary structure in the autoinhibitory domain (residues 281-302) by site-specific mutagenesis of selected residues to prolines. Single mutants C289P, C289A, A295P, and the double mutant C289P/A295P were expressed using the baculovirus/Sf9 cell system and purified on CaM-Sepharose. The single mutants had specific activities (7-12 mumol/min/mg) and eluted from gel permeation chromatography (600-650 kDa) identical to wild-type kinase. Since the double mutant had a very low specific activity and eluted as a mixture of a large aggregate and proteolyzed monomer, it was not characterized further. Only the C289P mutant exhibited enhanced Ca(2+)-independent activity (5-12% of total activity) prior to autophosphorylation. When autophosphorylation was performed in the absence of Ca2+/CaM at 5 degrees C, only the C289P mutant showed a significant increase in Ca(2+)-independent activity. This autophosphorylation of Thr286 in the absence of Ca2+/CaM has not been observed with wild-type kinase or any other autoinhibitory domain mutant we have characterized. This result suggests that Thr286, the autophosphorylation site responsible for Ca(2+)-independent activity, may not be available for autophosphorylation in the wild-type kinase or the other mutants because of structural restrictions due to the secondary structure in this region. This structural restraint is presumably disrupted by the binding of Ca2+/CaM or by insertion of a proline residue.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Characterization of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV. Role in transcriptional regulation.

We have characterized Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaM kinase IV), expressed using the baculovirus/Sf9 cell system, to assess its potential role in Ca2+-dependent transcriptional regulation. CaM kinase IV was strongly inhibited in vitro by KN-62, a specific CaM kinase inhibitor which suppresses Ca2+-dependent transcription of several genes, so we tested whether CaM kinase IV could stimulate transcription. Co-transfection of COS-1 cells by cDNA for CaM kinase IV gave 3-fold stimulation of a reporter gene expression, whereas co-transfection with CaM kinase II gave no transcriptional stimulation. Since this transcriptional response was mediated by phosphorylation of cAMP responsive element-binding protein (CREB), we determined the kinetics and site specificities of CaM kinases IV and II for phosphorylating CREB in vitro. CaM kinases IV and II and cAMP kinase (protein kinase A) all had similar Km values for CREB (1-5 microns), but the Vmax of CaM kinase IV was 40-fold lower than those of CaM kinase II and protein kinase A. Although all three kinases phosphorylated Ser133 in CREB, CaM kinase II also gave equal phosphorylation of a second site which was not Ser98. The two CREB phosphorylation sites were separately 32P-labeled, and the abilities of protein phosphatases 1, 2A, and 2B (calcineurin) to dephosphorylate them were tested. Our results show that all three phosphatases could dephosphorylate both sites, and calcineurin was a stronger catalyst for dephosphorylating site 1 (Ser133) than for site 2. These results indicate that CaM kinase IV may be important in Ca2+-dependent transcriptional regulation through phosphorylation of Ser133 in CREB. The fact that CaM kinase II phosphorylates another site in addition to Ser133 in CREB raises the possibility that this second phosphorylation site may account for the suppressed phosphorylation site may account for the suppressed ability of CaM kinase II to enhance transcription through the CRE/CREB system. In addition multiple protein phosphatases, including calcineurin, may exert a modulatory effect on transcription depending on which site they dephosphorylate.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Regulation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II by inter- and intrasubunit-catalyzed autophosphorylations.

Autophosphorylation of CaM kinase II on Thr286 is known to occur by an intraholoenzyme mechanism, but it is not known whether this reaction is intra- or intersubunit-catalyzed in the native heteromeric enzyme containing 10-12 alpha/beta subunits. In this study inactive CaM kinase II beta subunit, generated by mutation of Lys43 to Ala, and active kinase alpha subunit were expressed separately (homomeric kinases) or co-expressed (heteromeric kinase) using the baculovirus/Sf9 cell expression system and purified on CaM-Sepharose. Ca2+/CaM-dependent autophosphorylation of heteromeric alpha/beta kinase, which activated the enzyme, produced rapid autophosphorylation on Thr286 in both the active alpha and inactive beta subunits; the latter could only occur by intersubunit catalysis. Ca2+/CaM-independent autophosphorylation of nonactivated heteromeric kinase was slow, resulted in partial loss of total kinase activity, occurred only in the alpha subunit, and existed on Thr306 but not Thr286. This result demonstrates intrasubunit catalysis of Thr306 autophosphorylation. These observations that regulatory autophosphorylations of Thr286 and Thr306 were inter- and intrasubunit-catalyzed, respectively, have important consequences for structure/function models of CaM kinase II and for involvement of CaM kinase II autophosphorylation and activation during synaptic plasticity in neural systems.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Excitatory interactions between glutamate receptors and protein kinases.

One of the most active areas of neurobiology research concerns mechanisms involved in paradigms of synaptic plasticity. A popular model for cellular learning and memory is long term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampus. LTP requires postsynaptic influx of Ca2+ which triggers multiple biochemical pathways resulting in pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms enhancing long term synaptic efficiency. This article focuses on an acute postsynaptic mechanism that can enhance responsiveness of glutamate receptors. Evidence is presented that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, the major postsynaptic density protein at excitatory glutaminergic synapses, can phosphorylate glutamate receptors and enhance ion current flowing through them.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Phosphorylation of AMPA-type glutamate receptors by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and protein kinase C in cultured hippocampal neurons.

Phosphorylation of glutamate receptors (GluRs) is emerging as an important regulatory mechanism. In this study 32P labeling of non-NMDA GluRs was investigated in cultured hippocampal neurons stimulated 2-15 min with agonists that selectively stimulate either Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II), Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C (PKC), or cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA). Treatment of hippocampal neurons with glutamate/glycine (Glu/Gly), ionomycin, or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) increased 32P labeling of immunoprecipitated alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazoleproprionate (AMPA)-type GluRs by 145%, 180%, and 227%, respectively, of control values. This increased phosphorylation of GluRs was predominantly 32P-Ser with little 32P-Thr and no detectable 32P-Tyr. Glu/Gly and ionomycin, but not TPA, also increased 32P labeling of CaM-kinase II by 175% and 195%, respectively, of control values. Of these three agonists, only TPA stimulated phosphorylation of MARCKS (225% of control), a specific substrate of PKC. Forskolin treatment gave a three- to fourfold increase in the active catalytic subunit of PKA but did not result in the 32P labeling of AMPA-type GluRs, CaM-kinase II, or MARCKS. Phosphorylation of GluRs in response to Glu/Gly was blocked by a specific NMDA receptor/ion channel antagonist (DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid) or by a cell-permeable inhibitor of CaM-kinase II (1-[N,O-bis(1,5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-N-methyl-L-tyrosyl]-4- phenylpiperazine, KN-62). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that Ca2+ influx through the NMDA-type ion channel can activate CaM-kinase II, which in turn can phosphorylate and regulate AMPA-type GluR ion channels (McGlade-McCulloh et al., 1993).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Phosphorylation and regulation of glutamate receptors by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II.

The major postsynaptic density (PSD) protein at glutaminergic synapses is calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-K II), but its function in the PSD is not known. We have examined glutamate receptors (GluRs) as substrates for CaM-K II because (1) they are colocalized in the PSD, (2) cloned GluRs contain consensus phosphorylation sites for protein kinases including CaM-K II, and (3) several GluRs are regulated by other protein kinases. Regulation of GluRs, which are involved in excitatory synaptic transmission and in mechanisms of learning and memory, by CaM-K II is of interest because of the postulated role of CaM-K II in synaptic plasticity and its known involvement in induction of long-term potentiation. Furthermore, mice lacking the major neural isoform of CaM-K II exhibit deficits in models of learning and memory that require hippocampal input. We report here that CaM-K II phosphorylates GluR in several in vitro systems, including the PSD, and that activated CaM-K II enhances kainate-induced ion current three- to fourfold in cultured hippocampal neurons. These results are consistent with a role for PSD CaM-K II in strengthening postsynaptic GluR responses in synaptic plasticity.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Identification of an autoinhibitory domain in the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase.

We have tested the hypothesis that activation of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase is due to autophosphorylation of tyrosines 1146, 1150 and 1151 within a putative autoinhibitory domain. A synthetic peptide corresponding to residues 1134-1162, with tyrosines substituted by alanine or phenylalanine, of the insulin receptor beta subunit was tested for its inhibitory potency and specificity towards the tyrosine kinase activity. This synthetic peptide gave inhibition of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of the exogenous substrate poly(Glu, Tyr) with an approximate IC50 of 100 microM. Inhibition appeared to be independent of the concentrations of insulin or the substrate poly(Glu, Tyr) but was decreased by increasing concentrations of ATP. This same peptide also inhibited the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase but not a serine/threonine protein kinase. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that this autophosphorylation domain contains an autoinhibitory sequence.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1993

NF-ATp, a T lymphocyte DNA-binding protein that is a target for calcineurin and immunosuppressive drugs.

The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NF-AT) is essential for transcription of the interleukin-2 gene upon T cell activation. Here we use a technique involving elution and renaturation of proteins from SDS-acrylamide gels to identify a DNA-binding component of NF-AT (NF-ATp) that is present in hypotonic extracts of T cells prior to activation and appears in nuclear extracts when T cells are activated. NF-ATp is present in resting T cells predominantly in a form migrating with an apparent molecular weight of 110,000-140,000, while NF-ATp from nuclear extracts of activated T cells migrates with a lower apparent molecular weight (90,000-125,000). This difference is likely to reflect dephosphorylation of NF-ATp, since treatment of NF-ATp with calf intestinal phosphatase or the calcium- and calmodulin-dependent phosphatase calcineurin in vitro results in a similar decrease in its apparent molecular weight. We show that NF-ATp is dephosphorylated in cell lysates by a calcium-dependent process that is blocked by inclusion of EGTA or a specific peptide inhibitor of calcineurin in the cell lysis buffer. Moreover, dephosphorylation of NF-ATp in cell extracts is inhibited by prior treatment of T cells with the immunosuppressive drugs cyclosporin A or FK506, which inhibit the phosphatase activity of calcineurin when complexed with their specific binding proteins, cyclophilin and FK506-binding protein. This work identifies NF-ATp as a DNA-binding phosphoprotein and a target for the drug/immunophilin/calcineurin complexes thought to mediate the inhibition of interleukin-2 gene induction by cyclosporin A and FK506.

Amino Acid Isomerases↗

PubMed1993

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II: role in learning and memory.

Numerous studies over the past decade have established a role(s) for protein phosphorylation in modulation of synaptic efficiency. This article reviews this data and focuses on putative functions of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II) which is highly concentrated at these synapses which utilize glutamate as the neurotransmitter. Evidence is presented that CaM-kinase II can phosphorylate these glutamate receptor/ion channels and enhance the ion current flowing through them. This may contribute to mechanisms of synaptic plasticity that are important in cellular paradigms of learning and memory such as long-term potentiation in the hippocampus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Protein kinases and phosphatases: regulation by autoinhibitory domains.

Numerous enzymes which can be activated by allosteric ligands appear to contain autoinhibitory domains which, through interaction with the catalytic domains, maintain the enzymes in their inactive states. Binding of activator ligands alters the conformation of the autoinhibitory domain and neutralizes its inhibitory potency, thereby producing enzyme activation. Such autoinhibitory domains have been intensively studied in several protein kinase and phosphatases. This review summarizes our current understanding of these autoinhibitory domains in selected protein kinases and phosphatases.

Enzyme Activation↗

PubMed1992

Activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and protein kinase C by glutamate in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.

In cultured rat hippocampal neurons, glutamate elevated the Ca(2+)-independent activity of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) through autophosphorylation when the neurons were incubated in Mg(2+)-free buffer, and this response was blocked by specific antagonists of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. In addition, glutamate stimulated the transient translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) from the cytosol to the membrane fraction. This effect was not blocked by NMDA receptor antagonists but was partially blocked by DL-2-amino-3-phosphonopropionate. Quisqualate or trans-1-amoinocyclopentane-trans1,3-dicarboxylate produced a similar effect on the translocation of PKC. In the experiments with 32P-labeled cells, the phosphorylation of microtuble-associated protein 2 and synapsin I, as well as autophosphorylation of CaM kinase II, were found to be stimulated by exposure to glutamate. These results suggest that glutamate can activate CaM kinase II through the ionotropic NMDA receptor, which in turn increases the phosphorylation of microtuble-associated protein 2 and synapsin I. PKC was activated through the metabotropic glutamate receptor in the hippocampal neurons.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Characterization of the phosphatase activity of a baculovirus-expressed calcineurin A isoform.

Calcineurin A was purified by calmodulin-Sepharose affinity chromatography from Sf9 cells infected with recombinant baculovirus containing the cDNA of a rat calcineurin A isoform. The Sf9-expressed calcineurin A has a low basal phosphatase activity in the presence of EDTA (0.9 nmol/min/mg) which is stimulated 3-5-fold by Mn2+. Calmodulin increased the Mn2+ stimulated activity 3-5-fold. Bovine brain calcineurin B increased the A subunit activity 10-15-fold, and calmodulin further stimulated the activity of reconstituted A and B subunits 10-15-fold (644 nmol/min/mg). The Km of calcineurin A for 32P-RII pep (a peptide substrate (DLDVPIPGRFDRRVSVAAE) for CaN), was 111 microM with or without calmodulin, and calmodulin increased the Vmax about 4-fold. The Km of reconstituted calcineurin A plus B for 32P-RII pep was 20 microM, and calmodulin increased the Vmax 18-fold without affecting the Km. CaN A467-492, a synthetic autoinhibitory peptide (ITSFEEAKGLDRINERMPPRRDAMP) from calcineurin, inhibited the Mn2+/calmodulin-stimulated activities of the reconstituted enzyme and the A subunit with IC50's of 25 microM and 90 microM, respectively. The reconstitution of the phosphatase activity of an expressed isoform of calcineurin A by purified B subunit and calmodulin may facilitate comparative studies of the regulation of calcineurin A activity by the B subunit and calmodulin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

Functional determinants in the autoinhibitory domain of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Role of His282 and multiple basic residues.

Important determinants in the autoinhibitory domain of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK-II), corresponding to residues 281-302 of the kinase alpha-subunit sequence, were identified. Replacement of Thr286 with Ala (CaMK-(281-302 Ala286)) had no effect on either the potency (IC50 = 2 MicroM) or inhibitory mechanism (competitive with ATP) using the catalytic fragment of CaMK-II. Single replacement of charged residues in CaMK-(281-302, Ala286) identified His282, Arg283, Lys291, Arg297, and Lys298 as important determinants (greater than 10-fold increase in IC50) for potent inhibition of CaMK-II. Glu285, Asp288, Lys291, Arg296, and Lys300 were not as essential (less than 4-fold change in IC50) for potent CaMK-II inhibition. Replacement of either Arg283, Lys291, or Arg297, and Lys298 with Ala did not alter the ATP-competitive mechanism of inhibition although the Ki values increased 16-530-fold. However, replacement of His282 with Ala decreased the IC50 by 20-fold and altered the mechanism of inhibition to noncompetitive with respect to ATP. The non-protonated form of His282 was functionally active since decreasing the pH from 7.5 to 5.5 increased the IC50 of CaMK-(281-302, Ala286) almost 20-fold. Histidine protonation also appeared to disrupt the autoinhibitory domain of intact forms of CaMK-II since preincubation of non-proteolyzed rat brain CaMK-II with calcium/calmodulin (in the absence of ATP) at pH 5.5 generated up to 16% calcium-independent activity when assayed at pH 5.5. Similarly, the level of calcium-independent activity of a baculovirus-expressed Asp286 mutant CaMK-II ((D286)mCaMK alpha) increased to almost 80% calcium independence when assayed at pH 5.5 compared to only 20% when assayed at pH 7.5. The levels of calcium-independent activity of both the (D286)mCaMK alpha (at pH 5.5 and 7.5) and the rat brain CaMK-II (at pH 5.5) were sensitive to the concentrations of both ATP and peptide substrate (syntide-2) in the assays. These data suggest that the basic residues Arg283, Lys291, Arg297, and Lys298 are important for potent inhibition of CaMK-II and that the non-protonated form of His282 may play a unique role in the ATP-directed mechanism of inhibition by the CaMK-II autoinhibitory domain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

Serine/threonine protein kinases.

Signal transduction in the nervous system is heavily dependent on the three multifunctional serine/threonine protein kinases, PKA, PKC, and CaM-KII. Recent studies have furthered our understanding of how the multiple isoforms of these kinases and their subcellular localizations, regulatory properties, and substrate determinants are important for the specificity of kinase functions.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Ischemia-induced loss of brain calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II.

Forebrain ischemia in gerbils, produced by brief bilateral carotid occlusion, induced the dramatic loss of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II) as determined by both kinase activity assays and western blot analysis. In cortex and hippocampus, cytosolic CaM-kinase II was completely lost within 2-5 min of ischemia. Particulate CaM-kinase II was more stable and decreased in level approximately 40% after 10 min of ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion. CaM-kinase II in cerebellum, which does not become ischemic, was not affected. The rapid loss of CaM-kinase II within 2-5 min was quite specific because cytosolic cyclic AMP kinase and protein kinase C in hippocampus were not affected. These data indicate that cytosolic CaM-kinase II is one of the most rapidly degraded proteins after brief ischemia. Because the multifunctional CaM-kinase II has been implicated in the regulation of numerous neuronal functions, its loss may destine the neuronal cell for death.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Effects of okadaic acid on insulin-sensitive cAMP phosphodiesterase in rat adipocytes. Evidence that insulin may stimulate the enzyme by phosphorylation.

Okadaic acid, a potent inhibitor of Type 1 and Type 2A protein phosphatases, was used to investigate the mechanism of insulin action on membrane-bound low Km cAMP phosphodiesterase in rat adipocytes. Upon incubation of cells with 1 microM okadaic acid for 20 min, phosphodiesterase was stimulated 3.7- to 3.9-fold. This stimulation was larger than that elicited by insulin (2.5- to 3.0-fold). Although okadaic acid enhanced the effect of insulin, the maximum effects of the two agents were not additive. When cells were pretreated with 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), the level of phosphodiesterase stimulation by okadaic acid was rendered smaller, similar to that attained by insulin. In cells that had been treated with 2 mM KCN, okadaic acid (like insulin) failed to stimulate phosphodiesterase, suggesting that ATP was essential. Also, as reported previously, the effect of insulin on phosphodiesterase was reversed upon exposure of hormone-treated cells to KCN. This deactivation of previously-stimulated phosphodiesterase was blocked by okadaic acid, but not by insulin. The above KCN experiments were carried out with cells in which A-kinase activity was minimized by pretreatment with H-7. Okadaic acid mildly stimulated basal glucose transport and, at the same time, strongly inhibited the action of insulin thereon. It is suggested that insulin may stimulate phosphodiesterase by promoting its phosphorylation and that the hormonal effect may be reversed by a protein phosphatase which is sensitive to okadaic acid. The hypothetical protein kinase thought to be involved in the insulin-dependent stimulation of phosphodiesterase appears to be more H-7-resistant than A-kinase.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗