Cyclic AMP binding protein

Catabolite repression is a two-part system. The first component is the small-molecule regulator, cyclic AMP. Glucose decreases cyclic AMP synthesis. The second component is cyclic AMP binding protein, CAP. CAP binds cAMP and thereby helps RNA polymerase bind to the promoter. When bound to cAMP, CAP binds to a sequence at the 5 end of the lac promoter. CAP binding bends the DNA, allowing protein-protein contact between CAP and polymerase. It therefore behaves in the opposite manner of repressor. Repressor (LacI) binds to operator DNA only in the absence of its small-molecule ligand, while CAP binds to promoter DNA in the presence of its small-molecule ligand. 

The preparation of the cyclic AMP binding protein from bovine muscle has been described [150]. It involves homogenisation, centrifugation, pH 4.8 precipitation and ammonium sulphate precipitation, followed by fractionation on DEAE cellulose. The preparation binds 0.3 pmol of cyclic AMP per ixg of protein and has an enzymatic activity of 24 pmol of P per jxg of protein per 10 min. Over 200 /ig of the protein can be quantitatively adsorbed on a single Millipore filter. The yield of binding protein from 500 to 1000 g of muscle is sufficient for more than 100000 assay tubes. The binding activity is stable for 18 months at -20°C. 

The essential elements for controlled transcription in a purified system are lac DNA, RNA polymerase (holoenzyme), cyclic AMP binding protein, cyclic AMP, lac repressor and inducer (Crombrugghe et al., 1971b Eron et al., 1971). However, other experiments give some doubt as to the completeness of the control system ppGpp has been reported to stimulate the transcription of the lac operon in the presence of ribosomal wash (Crombrugghe et al.. 

A number of kinase structures have been determined in various catalytic states. For example, structures of the cyclin-dependent kinase, CDK2, in its inactive state and in a partially active state after cyclin binding have been discussed in Chapter 6. The most thoroughly studied kinase is the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase the structure of both the inactive and the active... 

FIGURE 15.7 Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (also known as PKA) is a 150- to l70-kD R9C9 tetramer in mammalian cells. The two R (regulatory) subunits bind cAMP ( = 3 X 10 M) cAMP binding releases the R subunits from the C (catalytic) subunits. C subunits are enzymatically active as monomers. 

Protein kinase A (PKA) is a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, a member of a family of protein kinases that are activated by binding of cAMP to their two regulatory subunits, which results in the release of two active catalytic subunits. Targets of PKA include L-type calcium channels (the relevant subunit and site of phosphorylation is still uncertain), phospholam-ban (the regulator of the sarcoplasmic calcium ATPase, SERCA) and key enzymes of glucose and lipid metabolism. 

Adrenaline increases the rate of gluconeogenesis it binds to the a-receptor on the surface of the liver cell, which results in an increase in cytosolic concentration of Ca " ions (Chapter 12). This increases the activity of the Ca " -catmodulin-dependent protein kinase which phosphory-lates and causes similar changes in the activities of the enzymes PFK-2 and pyruvate kinase to those resulting from activation of cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase. Hence Ca " ions increase the rate of gluconeogenesis. 

Figure 12.13 Action and effects of glucagon. Glucagon binds to its receptor on the plasma membrane of the liver which activates adenyl cyclase. The resultant cyclic AMP activates protein kinase which results in phosphorylation and activation of ...

It is instructive to note that the biochemistry of the reactions that initiate the visual cascade and the glycogenolytic cascade is similar. The cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase complex comprises the regulatory and catalytic components (R and C) for which the regulatory signal is the concentration of cyclic AMP. This binds to the regulatory component of the kinase (the R subunit) which then dissociates from the R-C complex. The C is now catalyti-cally active and catalyses the initial reaction in a cascade sequence which leads to activation of the target protein (phosphorylase). 

Figure 14-2. Regulation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) by cyclic AMP. Activation of adenylate cyclase by binding of G( -GTP amplifies the signal by synthesis of many molecules of cyclic AMP. Cyclic AMP binding to PKA causes dissociation of the regulatory subunits from the catalytic subunits, which carry on the signal. Phosphodiesterase regulates the concentration of cyclic AMP by catalyzing its hydrolysis to AMP, which shuts off the signal.

Bredt, D. S., Ferris, C. D., and Snyder, S. H. (1992). Nitric oxide synthase regulatory sites. Phosphorylation by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, and calcium/calmodulin protein kinase identification of flavin and calmodulin binding sites. . Biol. Chem. 267, 10976-10981. 

The G protein-GTP complexes related to receptors for these hormones activate adenylyl cyclase, which synthesizes the second messenger cAMP. Cyclic AMP activates protein kinases, which phosphorylate certain intracellular proteins (eg, enzymes), thus producing the hormonal effect. Conversely, dopamine binding to lactotroph receptors causes conformational changes in its G protein that reduce the activity of adenylyl cyclase and inhibit the secretion of prolactin. 

Phosphorylase kinase is one of the best characterized enzyme systems to illustrate the role of calcium ions in regulation of intermediary metabolism. Phosphorylase kinase is composed of four different subunits termed a (Mr 145000), /3 (MT 128000), y (A/r 45000) and 5 (Mr 17000) and has the structure (a/3y8)A [106]. Only one of its four subunits actually catalyses the phosphorylation reaction the other three subunits are regulatory and enable the enzyme complex to be activated both by calcium and cyclic AMP. The y subunit carries the catalytic activity the 8 subunit is the calcium binding protein calmodulin and is responsible for the calcium dependence of the enzyme. The a and /3 subunits are the targets for cyclic-AMP mediated regulation, both being phosphorylated by the cyclic-AMP dependent protein kinase. Calmodulin appears to interact with phosphorylase kinase in a different manner from other enzymes, since it is an integral component of the enzyme. Phosphorylase kinase has an absolute requirement for calcium, and is inactive in its absence. 

Other evidence for the involvement of a G-protein in the action of insulin has come from studies by Walaas and co-workers [104]. They have demonstrated that insulin stimulated the activity of a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity in sarcolemma membranes. As this effect of insulin was enhanced if micromolar concentrations of GTP-binding protein were present, they suggested that a guanine nucleotide regulatory protein was involved in the hormonal control of this kinase. Indeed, cholera toxin also appeared to obliterate this action of insulin, as it did the effect of insulin on liver adenylate cyclase and the peripheral plasma membrane cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in liver. 

Solution Conformation of a Heptadecapeptide Comprising the DNA Binding Helix F of the Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein of Escherichia coli. Combined Use of H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Restrained Molecular Dynamics. 

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