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Inhibition of myosin light chain kinase, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C and of plant Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase by anthraquinones.

A variety of anthraquinone (anthracene-9,10-dione) derivatives inhibits rat brain Ca(2+)- and phospholipid-activated protein kinase C (PKC) of which the most potent inhibitors are mitoxantrone (1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-bis[2-(hydroxyethylamino)-ethylamino]-9,10- anthracenedione) (IC50 4 microM) and quinalizarin (1,2,5,8-tetrahydroxy-anthraquinone (IC50 4 microM). Anthraquinone derivatives with less polar substitution in positions 1 to 4 and 5 to 8 are less effective as inhibitors of PKC. Wheat germ Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) assayed with a myosin light chain-based peptide substrate is much less sensitive to inhibition by anthraquinones, the most effective anthraquinone inhibitors being the 1,2,4-trihydroxy (IC50 14 microM), 1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl (IC50 56 microM) and 1,2,5,8-tetrahydroxy (IC50 65 microM) derivatives. Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) is inhibited by a range of di-, tri- and tetrahydroxylated anthraquinones (IC50 values 2 to 53 microM), the most potent inhibitors being the more polar compounds, namely mitoxantrone (IC50 2 microM) and emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) (IC50 8 microM). Mitoxantrone interacts with calmodulin as determined from abolition of Ca(2+)-dependent fluorescence enhancement of dansyl-calmodulin (IC50 4 microM). A range of anthraquinone derivatives inhibits the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAK). In a number of cases compounds acting as potent inhibitors of MLCK (such as mitoxantrone and emodin) are very poor inhibitors of cAK and vice versa.

Amino Acid Sequence

Sequential activation of MAP kinase activator, MAP kinases, and S6 peptide kinase in intact rat liver following insulin injection.

An insulin-stimulated phosphorylation cascade was examined in rat liver after insulin injection via a portal vein by the use of immune complex kinase assays specific to the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and S6 kinase II homologue (rsk) kinase. We have prepared an antibody against the peptide consisting of a carboxyl-terminal portion of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (alpha C92), one of the MAP kinases, and an antibody against the peptide consisting of the carboxyl terminus of the mouse S6 kinase II homologue (alpha rsk(m)C). In alpha C92 immune complex assay, maximal activation of rat liver MAP kinases (approximately 4.3-fold) were observed 4.5 min after insulin injection. We also observed an insulin-stimulated MAP kinase activity (approximately 3-fold) in liver extracts from insulin-treated rat in fractions eluted from phenyl-Sepharose with 30-50% ethylene glycol. Kinase assay in myelin basic protein (MBP)-containing gel after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by denaturation with 6 M guanidine HCl, and renaturation revealed that insulin injection stimulated the kinase activity of the 42- and 44-kDa proteins, which corresponded to the two distinct MAP kinases. In alpha rsk(m)C immune complex assay, maximal stimulation (approximately 5-fold) of the S6 peptide (Arg-Arg-Leu-Ser-Ser-Leu-Arg-Ala) kinase activity was observed 7.5 min after insulin injection. In addition, MAP kinases purified from insulin-treated rat liver were able to activate S6 peptide kinase activity in vitro in alpha rsk(m)C immunoprecipitates from untreated rat liver, accompanied by the appearance of several phosphorylated bands including a major band at 88 kDa. We also examined whether insulin injection stimulates the MAP kinase activator (Ahn, N. G., Seger, R., Bratlien, R. L., Diltz, C. D., Tonks, N. K., and Krebs, E. G. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4220-4227) in rat liver. Using recombinant Xenopus MAP kinase, fractions of Q-Sepharose eluted early in the NaCl gradient were found to have MAP kinase activator activity accompanied by the phosphorylation of 42-kDa recombinant Xenopus MAP kinase. From these data, we demonstrate three tiers of a cascade composed of the MAP kinase activator, MAP kinases, and an S6 peptide kinase activity in rat liver under physiological conditions in the intact animal.

Adenosine Triphosphate

MAPKAP kinase-2; a novel protein kinase activated by mitogen-activated protein kinase.

A novel protein kinase, which was only active when phosphorylated by the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase), has been purified 85,000-fold to homogeneity from rabbit skeletal muscle. This MAP kinase activated protein kinase, termed MAPKAP kinase-2, was distinguished from S6 kinase-II (MAPKAP kinase-1) by its response to inhibitors, lack of phosphorylation of S6 peptides and amino acid sequence. MAPKAP kinase-2 phosphorylated glycogen synthase at Ser7 and the equivalent serine (*) in the peptide KKPLNRTLS*VASLPGLamide whose sequence is similar to the N terminus of glycogen synthase. MAPKAP kinase-2 was resolved into two monomeric species of apparent molecular mass 60 and 53 kDa that had similar specific activities and substrate specificities. Peptide sequences of the 60 and 53 kDa species were identical, indicating that they are either closely related isoforms or derived from the same gene. MAP kinase activated the 60 and 53 kDa forms of MAPKAP kinase-2 by phosphorylating the first threonine residue in the sequence VPQTPLHTSR. Furthermore, Mono Q chromatography of extracts from rat phaeochromocytoma and skeletal muscle demonstrated that two MAP kinase isoforms (p42mapk and p44mapk) were the only enzymes in these cells that were capable of reactivating MAPKAP kinase-2. These results indicate that MAP kinase activates at least two distinct protein kinases, suggesting that it represents a point at which the growth factor-stimulated protein kinase cascade bifurcates.

3T3 Cells

A purified S6 kinase kinase from Xenopus eggs activates S6 kinase II and autophosphorylates on serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues.

S6 kinases I and II have been purified previously from Xenopus eggs and shown to be activated by phosphorylation on serine and threonine residues. An S6 kinase clone, closely related to S6 kinase II, was subsequently identified and the protein product was expressed in a baculovirus system. Using this protein, termed "rsk" for Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinase, as a substrate, we have purified to homogeneity from unfertilized Xenopus eggs a 41-kDa serine/threonine kinase termed rsk kinase. Both microtubule-associated protein-2 and myelin basic protein are good substrates for rsk kinase, whereas alpha-casein, histone H1, protamine, and phosvitin are not. rsk kinase is inhibited by low concentrations of heparin as well as by beta-glycerophosphate and calcium. Activation of rsk kinase during Xenopus oocyte maturation is correlated with phosphorylation on threonine and tyrosine residues. However, in vitro, rsk kinase undergoes autophosphorylation on serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues, identifying it as a "dual specificity" enzyme. Purified rsk kinase can be inactivated in vitro by either a 37-kDa T-cell protein-tyrosine phosphatase or the serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A. Phosphatase-treated S6KII can be reactivated by rsk kinase, and S6 kinase activity in resting oocyte extracts increases significantly when purified rsk kinase is added. The availability of purified rsk kinase will enhance study of the signal transduction pathway(s) regulating phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 in Xenopus oocytes.

Animals

Evidence that extracellular signal-regulated kinases are the insulin-activated Raf-1 kinase kinases.

The Raf-1 proto-oncogene protein kinase can be phosphorylated and activated after stimulation of cells with insulin and a variety of other growth factors and mitogens. We recently presented evidence that insulin and certain other growth factors activated one or more Raf-1 kinase kinase activities (Lee, R.M., Rapp, U. R., and Blackshear, P.J. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 10351-10357). In the present study, four peaks of Raf-1 kinase kinase activity were identified after anion-exchange chromatography of cell lysates, and two of these were activated by insulin. Further chromatographic characterization of these two peaks of insulin-activated kinase activity indicated that they contained three apparently distinct kinase activities. Two of these activities comigrated with immunoreactive extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1 and 2 (mitogen-activated protein kinase) through three different chromatographic separations. Both ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylated Raf-1 with reasonably high affinity (Km for ERK1 = 90 nM; Km for ERK2 = 120 nM), and produced similar, complex phosphopeptide maps; both kinases also phosphorylated myelin basic protein. The third kinase activity also phosphorylated Raf-1 and myelin basic protein but did not comigrate exactly with either immunoreactive ERK1 or ERK2. We conclude that two and possibly three insulin-activated Raf-1 kinase kinases are members of the ERK family.

3T3 Cells

Activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase by a MAP kinase-kinase.

Previously it has been shown that acute 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatment of intact U937 cells results in activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and a MAP kinase activator. MAP kinase activator induces phosphorylation of MAP kinase on tyrosine and threonine residues, thereby activating MAP kinase. Here, experiments with the irreversible kinase inhibitor, 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine (FSBA), show that MAP kinase activator is in fact a MAP kinase-kinase. Treatment of MAP kinase activator with FSBA results in complete inactivation. This inactivation is prevented by a 10-fold excess of ATP. Inactivation of MAP kinase by FSBA does not affect the extent of threonine/tyrosine phosphorylation induced by MAP kinase-kinase.

Adenosine

Regulation of phosphoinositide kinases in T cells. Evidence that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is not a substrate for T cell antigen receptor-regulated tyrosine kinases.

A phosphoinositide kinase that can phosphorylate phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) is present in 4G10 monoclonal antibody (mAb) phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates isolated from T cells activated via the T cell antigen receptor (TCR).CD3 complex. This PtdIns kinase is not the PtdIns 3-kinase that associates with activated protein tyrosine kinases in fibroblasts, since Western blotting and immunoprecipitation experiments with antibodies specific for the p85 alpha subunit of the PtdIns 3-kinase indicate that this polypeptide is not immunoprecipitated by the 4G10 mAb from TCR.CD3-activated Jurkat cells. Moreover, immunoprecipitated PtdIns 3-kinase isolated from T cells with p85 antibodies is inhibited when PtdIns is presented in Nonidet P-40, whereas the PtdIns kinase activity present in 4G10 mAb phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates is enhanced in the presence of Nonidet P-40. In vitro kinase assays of PtdIns 3-kinase immunoprecipitated with p85 antibodies from T cells indicate that it associates with a serine kinase that can phosphorylate a p85 polypeptide. However, no protein tyrosine kinase activity capable of tyrosine phosphorylating p85 in vitro associates with p85 alpha immunoprecipitates in quiescent or TCR.CD3-activated T cells. These data suggest that the TCR.CD3 complex does not regulate PtdIns 3-kinase activity by a mechanism that involves protein tyrosine kinases.

Adenosine

Purification and characterization of human erythrocyte phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase. Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-monophosphate 4-kinase are distinct enzymes.

PtdIns 4-kinase has been purified 83,000-fold from human erythrocyte membranes. The major protein detected by SDS/PAGE is of molecular mass 56 kDa, and enzymic activity can be renatured from this band of the gel. The characteristics of this enzyme are similar to other type II PtdIns kinases previously described: PtdIns presented in Triton X-100 micelles is preferred as a substrate over PtdIns vesicles, the enzyme possesses a relatively low Km for ATP (20 microM), and adenosine is an effective inhibitor. A monoclonal antibody raised against bovine brain type II PtdIns 4-kinase is an effective inhibitor of the purified enzyme. PtdIns(4,5)P2 inhibits by approx. 50% when added in equimolar amounts with PtdIns; PtdIns4P has little effect on activity. A PtdIns3P 4-kinase activity has also been detected in erythrocyte lysates. Approximately two-thirds of this activity is in the cytosolic fraction and one-third in the membrane fraction. No PtdIns3P 4-kinase activity could be detected in the purified type II PtdIns 4-kinase preparation, nor could this activity be detected in a bovine brain type III PtdIns 4-kinase preparation. The monoclonal antibody that inhibits the type II PtdIns 4-kinase does not affect the PtdIns3P 4-kinase activity in the membrane fraction. The cytosolic PtdIns3P 4-kinase can be efficiently recovered from a 60%-satd.-(NH4)2SO4 precipitate that is virtually free of PtdIns 4-kinase activity. We conclude that PtdIns3P 4-kinase is a new enzyme distinct from previously characterized PtdIns 4-kinases, and that this enzyme prefers PtdIns3P over PtdIns as a substrate.

1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase

Regulation of D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase by cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C.

The Ca2(+)-mobilizing second messenger D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) is converted to the putative messenger D-myo-inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate by Ins(1,4,5)P3 3-kinase. We found that cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C phosphorylate, and thereby modulate, the activity of Ins(1,4,5)P3 3-kinase. cAMP-dependent kinase introduced a stoichiometric amount of phosphate at serine 109 of the 53-kDa polypeptide and caused a 1.8-fold increase in Vmax, whereas the protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation reduced the Vmax to one-fourth of that of the unphosphorylated enzyme. Upon prolonged incubation, protein kinase C introduced phosphate at multiple sites in Ins(1,4,5)P3 3-kinase, and the resulting inactivation of the enzyme appeared to be well-correlated with the simultaneous phosphorylation of two major sites, serine 109 and serine 175. The Km for Ins(1,4,5)P3 was not affected significantly after phosphorylation by either protein kinase. We propose, therefore, that the phosphorylation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 3-kinase by cAMP-dependent kinase and protein kinase C constitutes mechanisms of cross-talk between cellular signaling pathways that use various second messengers such as inositol phosphates, diacylglycerol, Ca2+, and cAMP.

Amino Acid Sequence

Transformation-defective mutants of polyomavirus middle T antigen associate with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) but are unable to maintain wild-type levels of PI 3-kinase products in intact cells.

Middle T antigen (MT) of polyomavirus causes transformation by associating with a number of cellular proteins. The association with and activation of two such proteins, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) and pp60c-src, appears to be necessary for transformation by MT. The tyrosine kinase activity of MT-associated pp60c-src is significantly increased when assayed in vitro, and levels of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins are elevated in vivo. Similarly, levels of the PI 3-kinase products phosphatidylinositol-3,4-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P2] and phosphatiylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3] are constitutively elevated in MT-transformed cells. However, the formation of a complete MT/cellular protein complex and the activation of tyrosine kinase are not sufficient to cause transformation, since the transformation-defective mutants 248m and dl1015 associate with all wild-type MT-associated proteins, including PI 3-kinase and pp60c-src, and neither mutant appears to be defective in MT-associated tyrosine kinase activity. Studies presented here compared (i) the amount of PI 3-kinase activity associated with the MT complex and (ii) levels of [3H]inositol incorporation into PI 3-kinase products in cells expressing mutant or wild-type MT. The results show that dl1015 is defective in both assays, whereas 248m is defective only for incorporation of [3H]inositol into PI(3,4,5)P2 and PI(3,4)P3. These findings identify a biochemical defect in the 248m mutant and corroborate previous results correlating transformation and elevated levels of PI 3-kinase products in vivo. In addition, they indicate that PI 3-kinase product levels are affected by factors other than simply the amount of PI 3-kinase activity associated with the MT complex.

1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase

Adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (A kinase) regulation of insulin receptor function: phosphorylation of insulin receptor with A kinase decreases the insulin binding activity.

The effect of phosphorylation of insulin receptor with adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (A kinase) on its insulin binding activity was investigated by using insulin receptors prepared from rat liver in vitro. A 95 KDa protein was phosphorylated by stimulation of insulin receptor kinase. This protein was also phosphorylated by A kinase. Analysis of phosphoamino acid showed that tyrosine residue(s) was phosphorylated by activation of insulin receptor kinase, whereas phosphoserine and phosphothreonine were dominantly generated by activation of A kinase. [125I] Iodoinsulin binding activity was decreased by prior phosphorylation of the receptor with A kinase. Scatchard analysis showed that the affinity for insulin was decreased by the phosphorylation with A kinase. Although the maximal activity of insulin receptor kinase was not affected by phosphorylation with A kinase, the insulin concentration which induced half maximal activity (ED50) of the receptor kinase was increased by the phosphorylation with A kinase. These results suggested that counter regulatory hormones whose actions are mediated by the generation of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate regulate the insulin binding to the alpha subunit through phosphorylation of the beta subunit of insulin receptor.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Activation of protein kinase C is not required for exocytosis from bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. The effects of protein kinase C(19-31), Ca/CaM kinase II(291-317), and staurosporine.

We examined whether protein kinase C activation plays a modulatory or an obligatory role in exocytosis of catecholamines from chromaffin cells by using PKC(19-31) (a protein kinase C pseudosubstrate inhibitory peptide), Ca/CaM kinase II(291-317) (a calmodulin-binding peptide), and staurosporine. In permeabilized cells, PKC (19-31) inhibited the phorbol ester-mediated enhancement of Ca2(+)-dependent secretion as much as 90% but had no effect on Ca2(+)-dependent secretion in the absence of phorbol ester. The inhibition of the phorbol ester-induced enhancement of secretion by PKC (19-31) was correlated closely with the ability of the peptide to inhibit in situ phorbol ester-stimulated protein kinase C activity. PKC(19-31) also blocked 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced phosphorylation of numerous endogenous proteins in permeabilized cells but had no effect on Ca2(+)-stimulated phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase. Ca/CaM kinase II(291-317), derived from the calmodulin binding region of Ca/calmodulin kinase II, had no effect on Ca2(+)-dependent secretion in the presence or absence of phorbol ester. The peptide completely blocked the Ca2(+)-dependent increase in tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation but had no effect on TPA-induced phosphorylation of endogenous proteins in permeabilized cells. To determine whether a long-lived protein kinase C substrate might be required for secretion, the lipophilic protein kinase inhibitor, staurosporine, was added to intact cells for 30 min before permeabilizing and measuring secretion. Staurosporine strongly inhibited the phorbol ester-mediated enhancement of Ca2(+)-dependent secretion. It caused a small inhibition of Ca2(+)-dependent secretion in the absence of phorbol ester which could not be readily attributed to inhibition of protein kinase C. Staurosporine also inhibited the phorbol ester-mediated enhancement of elevated K(+)-induced secretion from intact cells while it enhanced 45Ca2+ uptake. Staurosporine inhibited to a small extent secretion stimulated by elevated K+ in the absence of TPA. The data indicate that activation of protein kinase C is modulatory but not obligatory in the exocytotoxic pathway.

Adrenal Medulla

The role of protein kinases in anoxia tolerance in facultative anaerobes: purification and characterization of a protein kinase that phosphorylates pyruvate kinase.

A protein kinase which phosphorylates pyruvate kinase (PK) in vitro was purified and characterized from the foot muscle of the anoxia-tolerant gastropod mollusc Busycon canaliculatum. Purification involved four steps: poly(ethylene glycol) fractionation, affinity chromatography on Blue agarose, ion-exchange chromatography on phosphocellulose and preparative isoelectric focusing (pI = 5.5). The activity was monitored by following changes in pyruvate kinase I50 values for L-alanine which have previously been linked to changes in the degree of enzyme phosphorylation. The correlation between enzyme phosphorylation and changes in the L-alanine inhibition constant was also directly demonstrated in the present paper by radioactively labelling PK with [tau-32P]ATP. The final purified protein kinase solution gave a single band on SDS-gel electrophoresis with a molecular weight of 37,000 +/- 2000. Kinetic analysis of the purified protein kinase (PK-kinase) showed a pH optimum of 7.0, an absolute requirement for magnesium ions (Km = 1.29 mM), a relatively high affinity for MgATP (Km = 57 microM), and inhibition by increasing salt concentrations (I50 = 55 mM KCl). The protein kinase activity was not affected by either spermine, heparin, cAMP, cGMP or concentrations of CaCl2 less than 10 mM. The enzyme did not phosphorylate either phosphofructokinase or glycogen phosphorylase, two enzymes that are also phosphorylated during anoxia in whelks. The purified enzyme is different from the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase as shown by the inability of cAMP to stimulate the protein kinase at all stages of the preparation; cAMP did not activate either crude enzyme, the 7% poly(ethylene glycol) supernatant, or any of the column eluant peak fractions when measured by changes in pyruvate kinase kinetic parameters.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Protein phosphorylation in guinea-pig myenteric ganglia and brain: presence of calmodulin kinase II. protein kinase C and cyclic AMP kinase and characterization of major phosphoproteins.

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the presence of calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II, protein kinase C, and cyclic AMP-stimulated protein kinase in isolated myenteric ganglia and to characterize the major ganglia phosphoproteins using biochemical and immunochemical techniques. Ganglia from the small intestine of guinea-pigs were isolated, disrupted by sonication in Triton X-100, and phosphorylated. The phosphoprotein patterns obtained were compared with those of synaptosomes from guinea-pig and rat cerebral cortex. Myenteric ganglia were as rich in protein kinase C and cyclic AMP-stimulated protein kinase as brain tissue, but the level of calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II was relatively lower. The alpha subunit of calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II was detected by immunoblotting and the beta subunit by autophosphorylation. The ratio of beta to alpha subunit was considerably higher in ganglia than in brain and ganglia beta subunit had a lower apparent molecular weight than the brain enzyme. A number of neuronal phosphoproteins were found in ganglia including the 87,000 mol. wt phosphoprotein, synapsins 1a and 1b, and proteins IIIa and IIIb. A phosphoprotein of 48,000 mol. wt had many of the characteristics of the B-50 protein but was not the same. In addition, a number of other phosphoproteins not previously identified in neurons were found in ganglia including those with apparent molecular weights of 60,000 and 58,000 that were the major calmodulin kinase substrates. The guinea-pig enteric nervous system has been extensively studied but, unlike other parts of the mammalian nervous system, little is known about the intracellular mechanisms underlying its functions. A technique for isolating myenteric ganglia is now available and we have used this preparation to characterize the major protein kinase and phosphoproteins present in this tissue. The results obtained will allow the phosphorylation of the various proteins to be investigated after physiological or pharmacological manipulation of myenteric ganglia in situ and in vivo.

Animals

Cloning of the cDNA of the heme-regulated eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF-2 alpha) kinase of rabbit reticulocytes: homology to yeast GCN2 protein kinase and human double-stranded-RNA-dependent eIF-2 alpha kinase.

We have cloned the cDNA of the heme-regulated eIF-2 alpha kinase (HRI) of rabbit reticulocytes. In vitro translation of mRNA transcribed from the HRI cDNA yields a 90-kDa polypeptide that exhibits eIF-2 alpha kinase activity and is recognized by a monoclonal antibody directed against authentic HRI. The open reading frame sequence of the HRI cDNA contains all 11 catalytic domains of protein kinases with consensus sequences of protein-serine/threonine kinases in conserved catalytic domains VI and VIII. The HRI cDNA also contains an insert of approximately 140 amino acids between catalytic domains V and VI. The HRI cDNA coding sequence has extensive homology to GCN2 protein kinase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and to human double-stranded-RNA-dependent eIF-2 alpha kinase. This observation suggests that GCN2 protein kinase may be an eIF-2 alpha kinase in yeast. In addition, HRI has an unusually high degree of homology to three protein kinases (NimA, Wee1, and CDC2) that are involved in the regulation of the cell cycle.

Amino Acid Sequence

Human T-cell mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases are related to yeast signal transduction kinases.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinases, intermediates in a growth factor-stimulated protein kinase cascade, are dual specificity protein kinases that specifically phosphorylate and activate MAP kinases in response to extracellular signals. Here, we report the cloning of two forms of cDNA that encode this protein from human T-cells. MKK1a encodes a protein with predicted molecular size of 43,439 Da. Overexpression of this clone in COS cells led to elevated levels of protein and phorbol ester-stimulated MAP kinase kinase activity, confirming that MKK1a encodes the predicted protein. MKK1b, which appears to be an alternatively spliced form of the MKK1a gene, encodes a protein with predicted molecular size of 40,745 Da. Northern analysis revealed that the MKK1 cDNA hybridizes with a single 2.6-kilobase mRNA species in all human tissues examined. Sequence comparison shows homology to a group of yeast kinases that participate in signal transduction and to subdomain XI of other dual specificity kinase.

Amino Acid Sequence

Selective purification of two distinct protein kinases (C-kinase and casein kinase II) from the membrane fraction of mouse brain by NED-affinity column chromatography.

By means of NED-affinity column chromatography, two distinct protein kinases have been selectively purified from the crude membrane extract of mouse brain. One (designated P-I kinase) was eluted from the column by the buffer containing 5 mM EGTA and the other (designated P-II kinase) was eluted by the buffer containing 0.6 M KCl. The activity of A-kinase was detected in the column passed through fraction. Biochemical characteristics of P-I and P-II kinases corresponded exactly to those of C-kinase and casein kinase II (CK-II), respectively. In addition, immunoprecipitate experiment using anti-CK-II antiserum against the beta-subunit of Drosophila CK-II showed that P-II kinase is identical to CK-II and the 62 kDa cellular polypeptide is associated with the kinase.

Animals

Adenosine kinase as a new selective marker in somatic cell genetics: isolation of adenosine kinase--deficient mouse cell lines and human--mouse hybrid cell lines containing adenosine kinase.

A new selective system for isolating somatic cell hybrids, using adenosine kinase as the selective marker, has been developed. The selective medium for forward selection (to select for cells containing adenosine kinase) contains alanosine, adenosine and uridine. To survive in the presence of alanosine, cells must have adenosine kinase in order to utilize exogenous adenosine as the sole source of AMP. Uridine is added to the selective medium to prevent the toxic effects of adenosine on cultured mammalian cells. The selective medium for reverse selection (to select for cells lacking adenosine kinase) contains 2-fluoroadenosine, an analogue of adenosine, which is converted to a toxic nucleotide by the action of adenosine kinase. Mouse mutant cell lines deficient in adenosine kinase have been derived. Human--mouse hybrid cells containing the kinase have been prepared from one of these mutant lines. Karyotype data of these hygrid lines and their adenosine kinase-minus sublines are consistent with assignment by others of the human gene for adenosine kinase on chromosome 10.

Adenosine