Influence of protein kinase phosphorylation on isolated sarcolemmal membranes

A cardiac muscle sarcolemmal preparation, enriched in adenylate cyclase, Na+, K+ -ATPase, beta, muscarinic and ouabain receptors, also contained endogenous protein kinase activity. Phosphorylation of sarcolemmal membrane proteins by the endogenous protein kinase occurred mainly on 22 000 and 12 000 Mr proteins. To determine the effect of this phosphorylation on sarcolemmal properties, sarcolemmal vesicles were preincubated under conditions for optimal phosphorylation while control vesicles were preincubated under identical conditions but in the absence of ATP to avoid phosphorylation. Both control and phosphorylated vesicles were centrifuged, resuspended in 10 mM Tris-Cl (pH 7.4) and subsequently assayed for ATPase activities and for binding of ouabain, dihydroalprenolol and quinuclidinyl benzilate to the membranes. Sarcolemmal phosphorylation was associated with an increase in Ca2+ -ATPase activity but had no effect on Mg2+ ATPase or Na+, K+ -ATPase activity or on ouabain binding. Muscarinic receptor and beta-adrenoreceptor binding also appeared to be unaffected.