Interconvertible cGMP-free and cGMP-bound forms of cGMP-dependent protein kinase in mammalian tissues

Several vascular and nonvascular mammalian tissue extracts exhibited variable amounts of two peaks (peaks I and II) of cGMP-dependent protein kinase by NaCl elution of DEAE columns. When [3H]cGMP was added to the extracts before chromatography, a peak of protein-bound [3H]cGMP coeluted with peak II. [3H]cGMP was added to purified bovine lung cyclic nucleotide-free enzyme followed by chromatography on high performance liquid chromatography-DEAE. Two kinase peaks, the first of which represented mainly cGMP-free enzyme and the second of which represented cGMP-bound enzyme, eluted at the same positions as peaks I and II, respectively, of the crude extracts. The relative amount of peak II increased as a function of increasing the [3H]cGMP added before chromatography, and peak II could be converted partially to peak I by rechromatography. The holoenzyme is known to contain two slowly exchanging cGMP binding sites (sites 1) and two rapidly exchanging sites (sites 2). Some protein-bound [3H] cGMP found entirely in site 1 coeluted with peak I, although most of the enzyme in that peak was cGMP-free. When low [3H]cGMP was used for the initial incubation, relatively more of the protein-bound [3H] cGMP appeared in peak I and could represent binding of [3H]cGMP to only one of the two sites 1 of the kinase. The [3H]cGMP bound to the peak II enzyme completely filled both sites 1. Cyclic GMP binding to these sites caused the apparent conformational change which shifted the DEAE elution position of the enzyme. The peak II kinase was partially active and had a higher sensitivity to further cGMP activation of kinase than did the cGMP-free enzyme, suggesting that activation of kinase by binding of cGMP to site 2 was facilitated by prior binding at site 1. In fractions of the trailing edge of peak II, the kinase activity was virtually cGMP-independent, and both sites 1 and 2 were almost saturated with [3H]cGMP. These results suggested a further conformational change and direct increase in activity by binding of cGMP at site 2.