Search

ATP-citrate lyase from rat liver and adipose tissue is phosphorylated by either ATP-citrate lyase kinase or catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase to 0.5-0.6 mol/subunit. We previously demonstrated that the site phosphorylated by ATP-citrate lyase kinase (peptide B) is different from that phosphorylated by catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (peptide A) (Ramakrishna, S., Pucci, D. L., and Benjamin, W.B. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 10213-10216). ATP-citrate lyase phosphorylation by both protein kinases added simultaneously was increased synergistically. When ATP-citrate lyase was first phosphorylated by catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, the net phosphorylation of the fragments subsequently phosphorylated by lyase kinase increased about 6-fold. However, when ATP-citrate lyase was first phosphorylated by lyase kinase, there was no effect on the subsequent phosphorylation of the enzyme by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Alkaline phosphatase-dephosphorylated ATP-citrate lyase was phosphorylated by catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase to 0.9-1.0 mol/subunit. However, dephospho-ATP-citrate lyase was not phosphorylated by lyase kinase. The addition of both protein kinases simultaneously phosphorylated ATP-citrate lyase up to 2 mol/subunit. Phosphorylation of dephospho-ATP-citrate lyase first by catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and ATP enabled the lyase to be phosphorylated by lyase kinase. Peptide mapping and phosphoamino acid analysis of dephospho-ATP-citrate lyase phosphorylated by catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and/or lyase kinase conclusively showed that phosphorylation of ATP-citrate lyase by ATP-citrate lyase kinase was completely dependent on peptide A phosphorylation by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Furthermore, increased phosphorylation when both protein kinases were added simultaneously was due to increased phosphorylation at peptide B.

Previous in vitro studies demonstrated that ATP-citrate lyase is phosphorylated by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase at peptide A, containing a phosphoserine residue, and by ATP-citrate lyase kinase at peptide B, containing both phosphoserine and phosphothreonine residues (Ramakrishna, S., Pucci, D. L., and Benjamin, W. B. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 4950-4956). In the present study, trypsin-digested, radiolabeled ATP-citrate lyase from rat epididymal fat pads was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Phosphorylation occurred at three amino acid residues within two different peptide sequences; one (peptide a) contained phosphoserine and the other (peptide b) contained phosphoserine and phosphothreonine. The retention times and molecular weights were the same for peptides a and A and peptides b and B. Isoproterenol action increased peptide a phosphorylation and, to a lesser extent, peptide b phosphorylation. Insulin action also increased peptide a phosphorylation, but did not increase peptide b phosphorylation.

ATP-citrate lyase was phosphorylated by highly purified cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase (ATP-citrate lyase kinase) or the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Each kinase phosphorylated ATP-citrate lyase equally but the combination of both kinases increased ATP-citrate lyase phosphorylation additively. When ATP-citrate lyase was phosphorylated with each kinase and partially digested with either L-1-tosylamido-2-phenylmethyl chloromethyl ketone-treated trypsin or Staphylococcus aureus protease followed by electrophoresis of the proteolytic products on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels or when the phosphorylated lyase was completely digested by these proteases followed by chromatography and electrophoresis, the results showed that the site phosphorylated by ATP-citrate lyase kinase was different from that phosphorylated by the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Only phosphoserine was found in lyase phosphorylated by the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase whereas phosphoserine and phosphothreonine were found in ATP-citrate lyase phosphorylated by lyase kinase.

ATP-citrate lyase is phosphorylated in vivo at three amino acid residues on two peptide sequences (peptides a and b). Insulin action is known to increase the phosphorylation of peptide a. To study the effect of insulin on peptide b phosphorylation ATP-citrate lyase was radiolabeled in vivo by incubating fat pads with 32Pi. Following "cold chase", insulin action decreased the calculated specific radioactivity of peptide b to less than 30% of control whereas the specific radioactivity of peptide a increased 5-6 fold. The insulin induced decrease in peptide b phosphorylation was mainly due to a decrease in phosphothreonine phosphorylation. Isoproterenol treatment increased peptide a phosphorylation 4-6 fold but did not decrease peptide b phosphorylation. Specific radioactivity of ATP did not change significantly with hormone treatment. These results suggest that insulin action increases the dephosphorylation of peptide b by increasing the activity of a putative phosphothreonine phosphatase.