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On the role of calcium as second messenger in liver for the hormonally induced activation of glycogen phosphorylase.

We have studied the mode of action of three hormones (angiotensin, vasopressin and phenylephrine, an alpha-adrenergic agent) which promote liver glycogenolysis in a cyclic AMP-independent way, in comparison with that of glucagon, which is known to act essentially via cyclic AMP. The following observations were made using isolated rat hepatocytes: (a) In the normal Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate medium, the hormones activated glycogen phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1) to about the same degree. In contrast to glucagon, the cyclic AMP-independent hormones did not activate either protein kinase (EC 2.7.1.37) or phosphorylase b kinase (EC 2.7.1.38). (b) The absence of Ca2+ from the incubation medium prevented the activation of glycogen phosphorylase by the cyclic AMP-independent agents and slowed down that induced by glucagon. (c) The ionophore A 23187 produced the same degree of activation of glycogen phosphorylase, provided that Ca2+ was present in the incubation medium. (d) Glucagon, cyclic AMP and three cyclic AMP-dependent hormones caused an enhanced uptake of 45Ca; it was verified that concentrations of angiotensin and of vasopressin known to occur in haemorrhagic conditions were able to produce phosphorylase activation and stimulate 45Ca uptake. (e) Appropriate antagonists (i.e. phentolamine against phenylephrine and an angiotensin analogue against angiotensin) prevented both the enhanced 45Ca uptake and the phosphorylase activation. We interpret our data in favour of a role of calcium (1) as the second messenger in liver for the three cyclic AMP-independent glycogenolytic hormones and (2) as an additional messenger for glucagon which, via cyclic AMP, will make calcium available to the cytoplasm either from extracellular or from intracellular pools. The target enzyme for Ca2+ is most probably phosphorylase b kinase.

Angiotensin II↗

Calcium-dependent activation of glycogen phosphorylase in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells by nerve growth factor.

Glycogen phosphorylase in PC12 cells exists in two forms analogous to those found in brain and muscle. The active phosphorylated form of the enzyme, phosphorylase-a, represents about 20-30% of total glycogen phosphorylase in these cells. Incubation of PC12 cells with 100 ng 7S nerve growth factor/ml increased phosphorylase-a within minutes. In contrast to nerve growth factor, insulin (6 ng/ml) and epidermal growth factor (6 ng/ml) decreased phosphorylase-a. Activation of phosphorylase-a by nerve growth factor was not accompanied by increases in cyclic AMP; however, removal of extracellular Ca2+ or incubation of cells with calcium channel blockers inhibited activation of glycogen phosphorylase by nerve growth factor.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Analogous activation of bovine liver glycogen phosphorylase by AMP and IMP.

The mechanism of activation of glycogen phosphorylase is incompletely understood, although adenosine and inosine nucleotides are known to be important allosteric activators. In this study the activation of glycogen phosphorylases a and b from bovine liver by adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) and inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) has been investigated and the results compared with the activation of the muscle isozyme by the same nucleotides. Enzyme activity was determined by spectrophotometric measurement of inorganic phosphate produced in the phosphorylase-catalysed reaction of glycogen synthesis. Liver phosphorylase b binds both nucleotides non-co-operatively (Hill coefficients of 1.0 +/- 0.1), with changes in the maximum velocity to 75 or 80 mumol min-1 mg-1 in the presence of adenosine 5'-monophosphate or inosine 5'-monophosphate, respectively, but no change in the enzyme affinity towards the substrate, glucose-1-phosphate. Binding of glucose-1-phosphate is co-operative and the kinetic data have been fitted with the Monod-Wyman-Changeux model. Liver phosphorylase a has a maximum velocity similar to that of the b form in the presence of nucleotides. Binding of glucose-1-phosphate to the enzyme is non-co-operative (Hill coefficient of 1.0 +/- 0.1) and the affinities in the presence of the nucleotides (Michaelis constants of 28 +/- 0.2 mM or 27 +/- 0.2 mM for adenosine 5'-monophosphate or inosine 5'-monophosphate) are stronger than those of the b form. It is concluded that the activity of bovine liver phosphorylase a and b is similarly influenced by adenosine 5'-monophosphate or inosine 5'-monophosphate. The b form seems to behave like muscle phosphorylase b in response to inosine 5'-phosphate; however, the binding of adenosine 5'-phosphate does not induce the conformational change necessary to activate the liver enzyme, as occurs with the muscle isozyme.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Interaction of phosphorylase b with eosin. Influence of substrate and effectors on eosin-enzyme complexes.

The interactions of rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b with Eosin (2',4',5',7'-tetrabromofluorescein) was studied. Eosin was found to be an effective inhibitor of the enzyme. The inhibition constants for the dye were estimated to be approx. 36 and 60 microM with respect to AMP and glucose 1-phosphate respectively. The binding of Eosin to phosphorylase b is accompanied by a red-shift of about 12 nm in the dye absorption-spectrum maximum, indicating low-polarity binding sites on the enzyme molecule for the dye. The absorbance in the difference absorption maximum at 537 nm was utilized to follow the conjugation of phosphorylase b with Eosin. Scatchard plots of the titration data revealed the existence of at least two classes of binding sites on the protein molecule for Eosin, and the dissociation constants measured in Tris/HCl buffer, pH 7.0 (IO.091), were 7.7 and 41.7 microM respectively. The influence of the substrates and effectors on Eosin-enzymes complexes was used to study the ligand-phosphorylase b interactions. IMP displaced the dye completely from the enzyme, indicating that there are two IMP-binding sites per phosphorylase b monomer. AMP binding to the enzyme with respect to Eosin concentration is of two types: a non-competitive one for the high-affinity site for AMP and a competitive one for the low-affinity site for the activator. The effects of glucose 6-phosphate, ATP, Pi and glycerol 2-phosphate in the system are in according dance with a partially competitive model. Glucoes 1-phosphate and UDP-glucose appear to affect only the high-affinity site for Eosin, whereas glucose and glycogen have no effect on Eosin-phosphorylase b complexes. Our results suggest that Eosin can be used as an efficient optical probe for studying the phosphorylase b system.

Animals↗

The inhibitory effect of phosphorylase a on the activation of glycogen synthase depends on the type of synthase phosphatase.

The activity of glycogen synthase phosphatase in rat liver stems from the co-operation of two proteins, a cytosolic S-component and a glycogen-bound G-component. It is shown that both components possess synthase phosphatase activity. The G-component was partially purified from the enzyme-glycogen complex. Dissociative treatments, which increase the activity of phosphorylase phosphatase manyfold, substantially decrease the synthase phosphatase activity of the purified G-component. The specific inhibition of glycogen synthase phosphatase by phosphorylase a, originally observed in crude liver extracts, was investigated with purified liver synthase b and purified phosphorylase a. Synthase phosphatase is strongly inhibited, whether present in a dilute liver extract, in an isolated enzyme-glycogen complex, or as G-component purified therefrom. In contrast, the cytosolic S-component is insensitive to phosphorylase a. The activation of glycogen synthase in crude extracts of skeletal muscle is not affected by phosphorylase a from muscle or liver. Consequently we have studied the dephosphorylation of purified muscle glycogen synthase, previously phosphorylated with any of three protein kinases. Phosphorylase a strongly inhibits the dephosphorylation by the hepatic G-component, but not by the hepatic S-component or by a muscle extract. These observations show that the inhibitory effect of phosphorylase a on the activation of glycogen synthase depends on the type of synthase phosphatase.

Animals↗

Modification of essential carboxyl group in rabbit muscle phosphorylase by water-soluble carbodiimide.

Water-soluble carbodiimide (1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide) (EDC) and glycine ethyl ester (GEE) as a nucleophile were used to modify the essential carboxyl group of phosphorylases. The inactive b form of the muscle phosphorylase was modified faster than the active a form and potato phosphorylases. Use of N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-ethylenediamine (TEMED)-HCl buffer system (pH 6.2) resulted in a remarkable difference from the previous results obtained with phosphate and beta-glycerophosphate buffer systems. That is, the substrate glucose 1-phosphate gave the best protection of the three phosphorylase activities. Glucose and glycogen were also effective to retard the inactivation of muscle phosphorylases, though glycogen was not effective for the potato enzyme. The EDC-GEE-modified phosphorylase b retained the affinity for AMP-Sepharose, though partially modified enzyme completely lost the homotropic cooperativity. Phosphorylase b was subjected to differential labeling with [14C]GEE. A labeled peptide was obtained after CNBr cleavage and peptic digestions, and corresponded to the catalytic site sequence surrounding the GEE-substituted Asp 661 and Glu 664. Either or both of these EDC-modified carboxyl residues may have an important role in the catalytic reaction.

Amino Acids↗

Mechanism of the phosphorylase reaction. Utilization of D-gluco-hept-1-enitol in the absence of primer.

alpha-Glucan phosphorylases from rabbit skeletal muscle, potato tubers and Escherichia coli catalyze the utilization of 2,6-anhydro-1-deoxy-D-gluco-hept-1-enitol (heptenitol) in the presence of arsenate or phosphate. 1H-NMR analysis in the presence of 2H2O and arsenate indicated formation of 1-[1-2H]deoxy-alpha-D-glucoheptulose with rates comparable to the arsenolysis of poly- or oligosaccharides. The reaction depends on the presence of a dianionic 5'-phosphate group of pyridoxal in the active conformation of the phosphorylases. Heptenitol is the first known substrate of alpha-glucan phosphorylases which does not require a primer. This is explained by the finding that heptenitol is exclusively used as substrate for the degradative pathway of the phosphorylase reaction where it competes with polysaccharide substrates. In the presence of phosphate the reaction product is 1-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco-heptulose 2-phosphate (heptulose-2-P), which subsequently inhibits the reaction. This characterizes heptulose-2-P as an enzyme-derived inhibitor. The Ki = 1.9 X 10(-6) M with potato phosphorylase suggests the formation of a transition-state-like enzyme-ligand complex. These findings, together with the fact that the phosphates of heptulose-2-P and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate are linked by hydrogen bridges [Klein, H. W., Im, M. J., Palm, D. & Helmreich, E. J. M. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 5853-5861], make it likely that both phosphates are involved in phosphorylase catalysis. A catalytic mechanism of phosphorylase action is proposed in which a 'mobile' phosphate anion plays a versatile role. It serves as proton carrier for the substrate activation, it stabilizes the intermediate and acts as a nucleophile which can accept a glycosyl residue reversibly.

Animals↗

Influence of anoxia and dinitrophenol on the phosphorylase a activity and the cyclic nucleotide content of smooth muscle.

The effect of anoxia or 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) on the phosphorylase activity and the cyclic AMP and the cyclic GMP content was studied in smooth muscle preparations. When the aerobic conditions were changed to anaerobic in experiments on bovine mesenteric artery, there was a significant increase in the activity of phosphorylase a during the first 60 min. We had observed a reduction of the glycogen content of the artery during this time period, which accounted for about 2/3 of the increase in lactate production (Pasteur effect). Under anaerobic conditions the content of cyclic AMP in the vessel was not changed, and the increase in phosphorylase a activity was not inhibited by a blockade of adrenergic beta-receptors. DNP, which like anoxia inhibits the mitochondrial production of ATP, increased the phosphorylase a activity to the same extent as anoxia. Anoxia and DNP also enhanced the activity of phosphorylase a in pig thoracic aorta and rabbit colon smooth muscle. In thoracic aorta both anoxia and DNP produced a more transient and smaller increase in the phosphorylase a activity than in the mesenteric artery. The Pasteur effect was also relatively smaller (100%) in thoracic aorta than in mesenteric artery (400%). It is suggested that an anoxic increase in the phosphorylase a activity participates in the Pasteur effect in smooth muscle.

2,4-Dinitrophenol↗

Effect of glyceryltrinitrate and 8-Br-cGMP on tension and phosphorylase a activity in vascular smooth muscle.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of glyceryltrinitrate (GTN) and 8-Br-cGMP on tension and cytosolic calcium concentration in pre-contracted bovine mesenteric arteries (BMA). The activity of glycogen phosphorylase a was used as a measure of the cytosolic calcium concentration. The activity of this enzyme is regulated by the cytosolic calcium concentration and/or cAMP. Since the cAMP level was not found to be affected by GTN-treatment, the use of phosphorylase a activity to monitor changes in the cytosolic calcium concentration can be justified. The vessels were contracted with phenylephrine (10 microM) or 100 mM K+-depolarization, which caused an increase in phosphorylase a activity. Addition of 1 microM GTN to the phenylephrine-contracted vessels resulted in a 3-4-fold rise in intracellular cGMP level, which was accompanied by a large decrease in tension and phosphorylase a activity. The K+-depolarized vessels, on the other hand, were largely resistant to the relaxant action of GTN, and there was only a slight reduction of the phosphorylase a activity. In phenylephrine-contracted vessels, made tolerant to GTN by incubation at elevated pH in the presence of GTN (0.44 mM), no changes in tension and phosphorylase a activity were seen after stimulation with a test dose of GTN (1 microM). The cGMP response was also markedly blunted in the tolerant vessels. Relaxation of phenylephrine-contracted BMA induced by 8-Br-cGMP (0.5 mM) was also accompanied by a reduction in phosphorylase a activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Uridine phosphorylase activity of isolated plasma membranes of rat liver.

Plasma membranes were isolated from rat liver homogenates either by differential centrifugation or by fractionation in discontinuous sucrose density gradients. Both membrane preparations contained about 17% of the total uridine phosphorylase (EC 2.4.2.3) activity and 44% of the total 5'-nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5). The enrichment factor for uridine phosphorylase in the fractions prepared by differential centrifugation was about 2.8 and by the gradient method, as much as 11.0; the respective enrichment factors for 5'-nucleotidase were 1.8 and 9.5. Uridine phosphorylase activity of isolated plasma membrane fractions was stimulated 2.5-fold by 0.1% Triton X-100. Unlike the cytosol enzyme, uridine phosphorylase of plasma membranes showed little or no deoxyuridine-cleaving activity. Contamination of the membrane fractions by thymidine phosphorylase (EC 2.4.2.4) of the cytosol was negligible. The other subcellular organelles obtained by either procedure and characterized by marker enzyme activities were found not to contain significant uridine phosphorylase activity; the cytosol fractions contained just over 70% of the total uridine phosphorylase activity with an enrichment of only about 2.8-fold. The activity of the cytosol enzyme was not stimulated by Triton X-100.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Effect of experimental diabetes on rat cardiac cAMP, phosphorylase, and inotropy.

The isolated perfused working rat heart was used to study experimental diabetes-induced alterations in the effect of isoproterenol on adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) content, inotropy, and phosphorylase activity. Experimental diabetes was induced by intravenous injection of either alloxan (40 mg/kg) or streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). There were no changes in either basal cAMP levels or in isoproterenol-induced cAMP levels in hearts from diabetic rats at either 3 days or 100-120 days after induction of diabetes. Maximum changes produced by isoproterenol in positive and negative dP/dt developments of diabetic rat hearts were also not different from control at either time point. However, phosphorylase was activated to a significantly greater extent by isoproterenol in hearts obtained from acute as well as chronic diabetic rats. Chronic diabetic rat hearts exhibited significantly higher total phosphorylase activity. Diabetic rat hearts had slightly but not significantly higher basal phosphorylase a activity. Furthermore, prostaglandin E1 activated phosphorylase in diabetic rat hearts but not in control rat hearts. Acute metabolic derangements and alterations in Ca2+ homeostasis caused by diabetes could be the underlying causes for this phosphorylase response. Thyroid hormone levels were depressed in diabetic rats. However, hypothyroidism is probably not responsible for the alterations in phosphorylase activity.

Alloxan↗

Intensity and duration effects of exercise on heart cAMP, phosphorylase, and glycogen.

Glycogen, phosphorylase, and adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) were determined in rat heart following an acute exercise bout. Intensity and duration of exercise were varied to gain further insights into the mechanism regulating myocardial glycogenolysis during exercise. Groups of rats were run at either 15 or 30 m/min for 0, 5, 10, 15, or 30 min and immediately killed. Heart glycogen degradation was influenced by intensity and duration of exercise and was independent of cAMP levels and activation of phosphorylase to its a form. cAMP levels were increased in the heart, dependent on intensity and duration of exercise. Phosphorylase in the a form increased at the onset of exercise, independent of intensity, and remained elevated throughout the exercise despite little or no glycogenolysis. Absolute phosphorylase a activity was also increased with exercise and was independent of intensity of exercise. Compared with resting levels, total phosphorylase activity was decreased at all times at the lower exercise intensity, whereas total phosphorylase activity declined at the higher intensity only after glycogenolysis had occurred. These data suggest that myocardial glycogen degradation during exercise can occur independently of cAMP and that the percentage of phosphorylase in the a form is not a good indicator of glycogenolytic rate.

Animals↗

Pyridoxal phosphate-dependent conformational states of glycogen phosphorylase as probed by interconverting enzymes.

The interaction between pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and the convertible serine of glycogen phosphorylase has been investigated by using: specific interconverting enzymes, phosphorylase kinase and phosphorylase phosphatase; effectors, glucose and glucose 6-phosphate; and a protein kinase and trypsin. Both phosphorylase kinase and phosphorylase phosphatase utilized the native protein while having little influence on the apoprotein. Removal of a peptide containing the critical serine residue gave phosphorylase b' from which the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in phosphorylase has an important effect on enzymic interconversion.

Apoenzymes↗

Role of AMP on the activation of glycogen synthase and phosphorylase by adenosine, fructose, and glutamine in rat hepatocytes.

The mechanism for glycogen synthesis stimulation produced by adenosine, fructose, and glutamine has been investigated. We have analyzed the relationship between adenine nucleotides and glycogen metabolism rate-limiting enzymes upon hepatocyte incubation with these three compounds. In isolated hepatocytes, inhibition of AMP deaminase with erythro-9-(2-hydroxyl-3nonyl)adenine further increases the accumulation of AMP and the activation of glycogen synthase and phosphorylase by fructose. This ketose does not increase cyclic AMP or the activity of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Adenosine raises AMP and ATP concentration. This nucleotide also activates glycogen synthase and phosphorylase by covalent modification. The correlation coefficient between AMP and glycogen synthase activity is 0.974. Nitrobenzylthioinosine, a transport inhibitor of adenosine, blocks (by 50%) the effect of the nucleoside on AMP formation and glycogen synthase but not on phosphorylase. 2-Chloroadenosine and N6-phenylisopropyladenosine, nonmetabolizable analogues of adenosine, activate phosphorylase (6-fold) without increasing the concentration of adenine nucleotides or the activity of glycogen synthase. Cyclic AMP is not increased by adenosine in hepatocytes from starved rats but is in cells from fed animals. [Ethylenebis (oxyethylenenitrilo)]tetraacetic acid (EGTA) blocks by 60% the activation of phosphorylase by adenosine but not that of glycogen synthase. Glutamine also increases AMP concentration and glycogen synthase and phosphorylase activities, and these effects are blocked by 6-mercaptopurine, a purine synthesis inhibitor. Neither adenosine nor glutamine increases glucose 6-phosphate. It is proposed that the observed efficient glycogen synthesis from fructose, adenosine, and glutamine is due to the generation of AMP that activates glycogen synthase probably through increases in synthase phosphatase activity. It is also concluded that the activation of phosphorylase by the above-mentioned compounds can be triggered by metabolic changes.

Adenine↗

Regulation of phosphorylase A formation and calcium content in aortic smooth muscle and smooth muscle cells: effects of atrial natriuretic peptide II.

Atrial natriuretic peptide II (ANP II) raises cyclic GMP and relaxes vascular smooth muscle in vitro. The manner in which ANP II relaxes vascular smooth muscle is unknown but may involve alterations in the concentration of free intracellular Ca++. To examine this possibility, changes in intracellular Ca++ were monitored in rat aortic strips using the Ca++-dependent conversion of phosphorylase b to a, while Ca++ levels and phosphorylase were measured in cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells. ANP II produced time- and concentration-dependent decreases in phosphorylase a and tension in norepinephrine-contracted aortic strips. The decrease in the formation of phosphorylase a was accompanied by an increase in cyclic GMP content. ANP II also decreased phosphorylase a formation in K+-depolarized tissues but to a lesser extent. Agonists such as angiotensin II and arginine vasopressin, and depolarizing concentrations of K+ elevated Ca++ levels in cultured aortic cells. ANP II inhibited Ca++ accumulation to either agonists or K+, but was more effective against agonists. Phosphorylase a formation which was increased by agonists and K+ in cultured cells was also inhibited by ANP II. We conclude that phosphorylase a formation can be a useful indicator of intracellular Ca++ concentrations in smooth muscle preparations and that ANP II regulates Ca++ levels in agonist and depolarized smooth muscle, suggesting that ANP II affects mainly Ca++ removal from the cytoplasm.

Angiotensin II↗

Regulation of muscle phosphorylase kinase by actin and calmodulin.

The activation of muscle phosphorylase kinase b by actin has been studied. F-actin which is polymerized by 2 mM MgCl2 is a more effective activator of phosphorylase kinase than F-actin polymerized by 50 mM KCl. There is evidence suggesting that the activation of phosphorylase kinase by actin is not due to trace contamination of actin preparations with calmodulin: (1) Troponin I and trifluoperazine inhibit the activation of phosphorylase kinase by calmodulin but do not inhibit the activation of phosphorylase kinase by F-actin. (2) The activation induced by saturating concentrations of calmodulin and actin is additive both at pH 8.2 and at pH 6.8. (3) The activation of phosphorylase kinase by calmodulin and actin has different pH profiles. An addition of F-actin does not affect the apparent Km value for ATP but increases the sensitivity to phosphorylase b and the value of Vmax.

Actins↗

Effects of cellular Ca2+ depletion on phospholipid turnover and glycogen phosphorylase a in rat hepatocytes.

The influences of changes in cellular Ca2+ level on membrane phospholipid turnover and cellular function (monitored by glycogen phosphorylase a activity) were investigated in vasopressin- and ionophore A23187-stimulated rat hepatocytes. Addition of vasopressin or A23187 to rat hepatocytes in the presence of extracellular Ca2+ enhanced the phosphorylase a activity by 3 to 4-fold within 1 min, returning to initial activity with further incubation. There was the marked generation of 1,2-diacylglycerol resulted from phospholipase C activation, which followed the transient activation of phosphorylase a. When the incorporation of [32P]phosphate into phospholipids was examined, phosphatidylinositol (PI) labeling due to vasopressin-stimulation remained rather unchanged up to 5 min but then rose gradually. On the other hand, A23187 had little effect on the incorporation into phosphatidylinositol although marked phosphatidic acid (PA) labeling was consequently produced, showing inhibitory effect on the conversion of PA to PI. Deprivation of extracellular Ca2+, which also reduced slightly the intracellular Ca2+ from 3.33 micrograms to 1.38 micrograms/10(7) cells, suppressed but not abolished stimuli-induced phosphorylase a activation without affecting the enhancement of phospholipid metabolism. Hepatocytes depleted of intracellular Ca2+ (0.50 microgram/10(7) cells) no longer showed both phosphorylase a activation and the enhancement of phospholipid metabolism. These findings seem to indicate that phosphorylase a activity is more sensitive than membrane phospholipid turnover to changes of intracellular Ca2+ concentration. The results demonstrate that marked and selective changes in membrane phospholipids depending on the type of stimulants occur upon stimulation of hepatocytes and provide the possibility that these reactions do not trigger glycogen phosphorylase a activation through Ca2+ mobilization.

Animals↗

Synergistic activation by Ca2+ and Mg2+ as the primary cause for hysteresis in the phosphorylase kinase reactions.

A synergistic activation of phosphorylase kinase by Ca2+ plus Mg2+ was found to be the primary cause of the hysteresis, or lag, in the phosphorylase kinase reaction. Preincubation of the enzyme for short times with Ca2+ plus Mg2+ resulted in an approximately 7-fold increase in the kinase activity in subsequent assays with phosphorylase b or phosphorylase kinase as substrates, whereas preincubation with each metal ion by itself had no effect. Maximal activation through preincubation with Ca2+ plus Mg2+ occurred in 1 min 45 s and was readily reversed by chelation of both metal ions. As a result of the activation, the progress curve of phosphorylase b conversion at pH 6.8 was found to be nearly linear. Activation by Ca2+ plus Mg2+ was not apparent when subsequent assays were carried out at pH 8.2, or when previously autophosphorylated enzyme was used. Furthermore, the synergistic activation was found to occur significantly slower and/or to decrease in the presence of ATP, phosphorylase b, beta-glycerophosphate, and inorganic phosphate. How the synergistic activation by Ca2+ plus Mg2+ relates to autophosphorylation and the lag in the phosphorylase kinase reaction is discussed.

Animals↗