Protein kinase and its regulatory effect on reverse transcriptase activity of Rous sarcoma virus

We have studied the effect of protein phosphokinase (EC 2.7.1.37; ATP:protein phosphotransferase) and phosphoprotein phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.16; phosphoprotein phosphohydrolase) on reverse transcriptase (RNA-dependent DNA nucleotidyltransferase) activity of Rous sarcoma virus. Protein kinase from Rous sarcoma virus-transformed chick embryo fibroblasts was purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography, Sephadex gel filtration, and isoelectric focusing. Purified reverse transcriptase from Rouse sarcoma virus was preincubated with protein kinase and ATP under conditions allowing incorporation of phosphate into substrate protein. After the preincubation, reverse transcriptase activity was assayed in the presence of poly(rA).oligo(dT) as template. A 2- to 5-fold increase of reverse transcriptase activity was found after the preincubation of reverse transcriptase with protein kinase and ATP. Incubation of reverse transcriptase with heat-treated, inactive protein kinase and ATP had no effect on transcriptase activity. When the transcriptase preparation was incubated with protein kinase and [gamma-32P]ATP and subsequently purified by chromatography on phosphocellulose and Sephadex gel filtration, significant amounts of 32P-labeled proteins were found in the fractions exhibiting reverse transcriptase activity, suggesting 32P incorporation into transcriptase or transcriptase-associated proteins. A 20-60% decrease of reverse transcriptase activity was observed after incubation of reverse transcriptase with phosphatase. The results suggest that phosphorylative modification of reverse transcriptase may be critical in the regulation of reverse transcriptase-catalyzed DNA synthesis.