Calmodulin effect on purified rat cortical plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase in different phosphorylation states

The plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase in neuronal tissue plays an important role in fine tuning of the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. The enzyme exhibits a high degree of tissue specificity and is regulated by several mechanisms. Here we analysed the relationship between separate modes of Ca(2+)-ATPase regulation, i.e., reversible phosphorylation processes mediated by protein kinases A and C, protein phosphatases PP1 and PP2A, and stimulation by calmodulin. The activity of PKA- or PKC-phosphorylated Ca(2+)-ATPase was influenced by the further addition of calmodulin, and this effect was more pronounced for PKC-phosphorylated calcium pump. In both cases the fluorescence study revealed the increased calmodulin binding, and for PKA-mediated phosphorylation it was correlated with a higher affinity of calcium pump for calmodulin. The incubation of Ca(2+)-ATPase with CaM prior to protein kinases action revealed that CaM presence counteracts the stimulatory effect of PKA and PKC. Under the in vitro assay cortical Ca(2+)-ATPase was a substrate for PP1 and PP2A. Protein phosphatases decreased both the basal activity of Ca(2+)-ATPase and its affinity for calmodulin. Fluorescence analysis confirmed the lowered ability of dephosphorylated Ca(2+)-ATPase for calmodulin binding. These results may suggest that interaction of CaM with calcium pump and its stimulatory action could be a partly separate phenomenon that is dependent on the phosphorylation state of Ca(2+)-ATPase.