The polycation-stimulated protein phosphatases: regulation and specificity

Four classes of protein phosphatases are presumed to play an important role in dephosphorylating the major proteins involved in the control of general metabolism. Based on the enzyme-directed regulation of activity they have been classified as ATP,Mg-dependent-, polycation-stimulated-, Mg2+-dependent protein phosphatases and calcineurin. We have recently purified from rabbit skeletal muscle four distinct PCS protein phosphatases, classified according to the apparent molecular weight of the native enzymes in gel filtration at an early stage of the purification as: PCSH (390 kDa), PCSM (250 kDa) and PCSL (200 kDa) phosphatases. The PCSH phosphatase could be resolved into a 3(65:55 35 kDa)-subunit PCSH1 phosphatase and a 2(65:35 kDa)-subunit PCSH2 enzyme probably derived from the PCSH1 phosphatase, both characterized as specific deinhibitor phosphatases. PCSM phosphatase, a 3(72:65 35 kDa)-subunit enzyme, shows a high degree of stimulation with a low concentration optimum of polycations and is sensitive to a Ca2+-dependent protease, which brings about a five- to ten-fold increase in inhibitor-1 phosphatase activity. PCSL phosphatase is characterized by a 2(65:35 kDa)-subunit structure, a low intrinsic deinhibitor phosphatase activity and a low degree of stimulation of phosphorylase phosphatase activity requiring high concentrations of polycations. At low concentrations of polycations the stimulation of phosphorylase phosphatase activity of the PCS enzymes is enzyme-directed, since it occurs at concentrations far below the substrate concentration. The degree of stimulation is also typical for each type of enzyme (PCSM greater than PCSH1 greater than PCSH2 greater than PCSL greater than PCSC) and dependent on the polycation used; at the optimum concentration the most effective polycations (polylysine, protamine, histone H1) stimulate the phosphorylase phosphatase activity to about the same extent. Polycation concentrations above the optimum are less effective on phosphorylase phosphatase activity and can even become inhibitory to the basal activity. Whether this effect is enzyme- or substrate-directed (or both) is not known. The stimulation by polycations could be completely lost following preincubation of the PCS phosphatase with polycations. This deactivation is time-, temperature- and concentration-dependent. However the polycations did not affect the basal phosphorylase phosphatase activity. In addition to phosphorylase a and inhibitor-1, casein, myosin light chains and phosphorylase b kinase (alpha-subunit) are choice substrates for these enzymes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)