title: Regulation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator Cl- channel by specific protein kinases and protein phosphatases.
abstract: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a regulated Cl- channel; in secretory epithelia, it is located in the apical membrane where it regulates transepithelial Cl- secretion. Previous studies have shown that cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) can phosphorylate and activate CFTR Cl- channels. We asked whether other kinases would phosphorylate CFTR in vitro and activate CFTR Cl- channels in excised, inside-out patches of membrane from NIH 3T3 fibroblasts stably expressing recombinant CFTR. We found that both Ca(2+)-independent and Ca(2+)-dependent isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC) activated the CFTR Cl- channel. Consistent with this finding, PKC also phosphorylated CFTR in vitro. In contrast, the multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase failed to either activate or to phosphorylate CFTR Cl- channels, suggesting that this enzyme has no direct effect on CFTR. We found that cGMP-dependent protein kinase (cGK) (purified from bovine lung) phosphorylated CFTR in vitro. However, cGMP failed to increase the apical membrane Cl- permeability in human airway epithelia, and addition of cGMP, ATP, and cGK failed to activate CFTR Cl- channels. These results suggest that if cGK phosphorylates CFTR in vivo, it does so at sites not involved in CFTR Cl- channel activation. Because cAMP-dependent activation of CFTR Cl- channels and Cl- secretion in intact cells is reversible, we asked whether specific phosphatases can dephosphorylate and inactivate CFTR Cl- channels. Addition of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) decreased PKA-activated current by 67% within 10 min. The phosphatase inhibitor calyculin-A blocked the effect of PP2A. In contrast, neither protein phosphatases 1, 2B, nor two preparations of alkaline phosphatase inactivated PKA-phosphorylated CFTR Cl- channels. The effects of protein phosphatases on CFTR function were paralleled by their ability to dephosphorylate CFTR in vitro. Our data indicate that CFTR Cl- channels can be phosphorylated and activated by PKA as well as by Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent isoforms of PKC and can be dephosphorylated and thus inactivated by PP2A.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Travis
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Welsh
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D018118:Chloride Channels; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D054648:Protein Phosphatase 2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C505032:CFTR protein, human; D002147:Calmodulin; D018118:Chloride Channels; D002712:Chlorides; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D011494:Protein Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D054648:Protein Phosphatase 2; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D002118:Calcium