Multiple C-terminal serine phosphorylation accompanies both protein kinase C-dependent and -independent activation of cytosolic 85 kDa phospholipase A2 in macrophages.

ABSTRACT: Exposure of mouse macrophages to either phorbol ester or certain bacteria was previously shown to cause increased phosphorylation of the cytosolic 85 kDa phospholipase A2 as well as a stable increase in its catalytic activity. We have now attempted to map the major phosphorylation sites on the enzyme in such cells. Phosphorylation occurred on serine residues without a detectable increase in either phosphothreonine or phosphotyrosine. After CNBr cleavage five fragments showed increased 32P labelling. Among those the most heavily labelled fragment was identified as the most C-terminal (residues 698-749), containing six serine residues. This was true whether phorbol ester or bacteria, causing protein kinase C-independent phospholipase A2 activation, was used as stimulus. The heavy phosphorylation of the most C-terminal fragment and an analysis of tryptic peptides derived from it suggested that more than one of the six serine residues became phosphorylated. Smaller increases also occurred in other CNBr-cleaved fragments from the C-terminal part of the protein, including that carrying Ser-505, a known target of the mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK-2 (extracellular-signal regulated kinase). Dexamethasone treatment (1-100 nM for 20 h), which was earlier shown to dose-dependently down-regulate the 85 kDa phospholipase A2 and its activation by phorbol ester and zymosan, was here shown also to counteract the protein kinase C-independent activation and arachidonate release elicited by bacteria. It remains to be determined whether all phosphorylation sites are equally affected under those conditions.

SUBMITTER: Wijkander J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1218574 | biostudies-other | 1997 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other