Phosphorylation of proteoglycans from human articular cartilage by a cAMP-dependent protein kinase

Purified proteoglycan subunits from human articular, bovine articular and nasal cartilages, and a rat chondrosarcoma were phosphorylated in vitro by beef heart cAMP-dependent protein kinase in the presence of gamma 32P-ATP. In these experiments, a maximum of 1.7 moles of 32P were incorporated per mole of proteoglycan from human cartilage. Phosphorylation was dependent on the presence of cAMP. Analysis by autoradiography revealed that serine residues in the core protein of the proteoglycan were the sites of phosphorylation. Treatment of proteoglycan subunits with chondroitinase ABC and alkaline phosphatase prior to reaction with cAMP-dependent protein kinase increased the incorporation of 32P by 12-30% when compared with untreated proteoglycans. These data indicate that proteoglycans in cartilage can be phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.