PKA-mediated protein phosphorylation protects ezrin from calpain I cleavage

Ezrin is localized to the apical membrane of parietal cells and couples the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activation cascade to the regulated HCl secretion in gastric parietal cells. Our recent studies demonstrate the functional relevance of PKA-mediated phosphorylation of ezrin in parietal cell secretion [R. Zhou, X. Cao, C. Watson, Y. Miao, Z. Guo, J.G. Forte, X. Yao, Characterization of protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of ezrin in gastric parietal cell activation, J. Biol. Chem. 278 (2003) 35651]. Here we show that activation of PKA protects ezrin from calpain I-mediated proteolysis without alteration of calpain I activation and fodrin breakdown. To determine whether phosphorylation of Ser66 by PKA affects the insensitivity to the calpain I-mediated cleavage, recombinant proteins of ezrin, both wild type and S66A/D mutants, were incubated with the purified calpain I. Indeed, phosphorylation-like S66D mutant ezrin is resistant to calpain I-mediated proteolysis while wild type and S66A mutant were sensitive. In fact, expression of phosphorylation-like S66D, but not S66A, mutant in parietal cells confers its resistance to calpain I-mediated proteolysis. Taken together, these results indicate that phosphorylation of ezrin by PKA modulates its sensitivity to calpain I cleavage.