Association of buffalo sperm protein kinase with sperm chromatin

Protein kinase activity (EC 2.7.1.37) of buffalo spermatozoa is distributed in the head (22%) and midpieces + tails (74%). Extraction of sperm heads with 0.1% Triton X-100 solubilized 35--40 of the protein kinase activity and the remaining 60--65% was associated tightly with the sperm chromatin. That the sperm chromatin preparation was pure was established by recording its spectrum at 320/260 nm (0.07), determining its composition (protein:DNA ratio, 0.79), electron microscope examination and through the assay of marker enzymes. Extraction of the chromatin preparation with 1 M-NaCl only partly solubilized the protein kinase activity while treatment with DNase in the presence of dithiothreitol inactivated the nuclear protein kinase. The chromatin-associated protein kinase activity had a broad pH optimum (7.6--8.4), an essential requirement for Mg2+ and ATP as a phosphate donor. Histones and non-histone proteins served as substrates, the preferred substrate being arginine rich histone VIII followed by casein and phosvitin. Nuclear protein kinase activity was neither stimulated by cyclic AMP nor inhibited by purified muscle protein kinase inhibitor. It is suggested that chromatin-associated protein kinase (Type III protein kinase) may be involved in the control of DNA-template activity.