title: The use of microwave tissue fixation to demonstrate the in vivo phosphorylation of an acidic 80,000 molecular weight protein in the rat neocortex following treatment with soman.
abstract: Studies were conducted to determine if soman, a cholinesterase inhibitor, could activate the protein kinase C system in the rat neocortex. Using microwave radiation for rapid tissue fixation, it was demonstrated that treatment with soman increased 32P incorporation into an acidic 80,000 molecular weight, heat-stable protein in vivo. Based on relative molecular weight and isoelectric point this protein appears to be identical to a protein identified as a substrate for protein kinase C. Additionally, a protein of the same molecular weight and isoelectric point could be phosphorylated in tissue slices prepared from the neocortex by cholinergic dependent mechanisms. Also, treatment with soman decreased protein kinase C in the soluble fraction of this brain region; however, no corresponding increase was observed in the particulate fraction. These results suggest that soman can activate protein kinase C in vivo, and demonstrate the utility of using microwave tissue fixation to study protein phosphorylation events in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Mobley
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012999:Soman / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012999:Soman; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D000109:Acetylcholine