Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta is a dual specificity kinase differentially regulated by tyrosine and serine/threonine phosphorylation.

The enzyme glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) has been implicated in the control of several metabolic enzymes and transcription factors in response to extracellular signals. In the past, the enzyme has been considered to be a protein Ser/Thr kinase although it was recently reported to contain Tyr(P) (Hughes, K., Nikolakaki, E., ...
Plyte, S. E., Totty, N. F., and Woodgett, J. R. (1993) EMBO J. 12, 803-808). A cDNA encoding rabbit skeletal muscle GSK-3 beta was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as an active protein kinase, with apparent M(r) 46,000, capable of phosphorylating several known GSK-3 substrates. Recombinant GSK-3 beta autophosphorylated on Ser, Thr, and Tyr residues although the enzyme already contained Tyr(P) as judged by its recognition by anti-Tyr(P) antibodies. The net result of the autophosphorylation was a 3-5-fold reduction in enzyme activity. GSK-3 alpha, purified from rabbit muscle, also underwent autophosphorylation but only on Ser and Thr residues. In this case, the autophosphorylation stabilized the enzyme activity compared with the control lacking ATP/Mg2+. Of several phosphatases tested, the lambda-phage phosphatase was the most effective in dephosphorylating at Ser and Thr residues but did not dephosphorylate at Tyr residues. The action of the lambda-phosphatase caused a reactivation of GSK-3 beta to approximately 80% of the starting activity. The protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B was able to dephosphorylate at Tyr residues leading to a reduction in enzyme activity. A truncated form of GSK-3 beta, apparent M(r) 40,000, had a significantly higher specific activity, was defective in autophosphorylation, and was not inactivated in the autophosphorylation reaction. We conclude that GSK-3 beta is a dual specificity protein kinase in the same sense as the mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK family of enzymes. Phosphorylation at different residues differentially controls enzyme activity, Ser/Thr phosphorylation causing inactivation and Tyr phosphorylation resulting in increased activity.
Mesh Terms:
Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases, Cloning, Molecular, Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel, Escherichia coli, Glycogen Synthase Kinases, Isoenzymes, Kinetics, Molecular Sequence Data, Molecular Weight, Muscles, Phosphoprotein Phosphatases, Phosphorylation, Phosphoserine, Phosphothreonine, Phosphotyrosine, Rabbits, Recombinant Proteins, Tyrosine
J. Biol. Chem.
Date: May. 20, 1994
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