Two rate-limiting steps in the kinetic mechanism of the serine/threonine specific protein kinase ERK2: a case of fast phosphorylation followed by fast product release.
Extracellular regulated protein kinase 2 (ERK2) is a eukaryotic protein kinase whose activity is regulated by mitogenic stimuli. To gain insight into the catalytic properties of ERK2 and to complement structure-function studies, we undertook a pre-steady state kinetic analysis of the enzyme. To do this, ERK2 was quantitatively activated by MAPKK1 in vitro by monitoring the stoichiometry and site specificity of phosphorylation using a combination of protein mass spectrometry, tryptic peptide analysis, and (32)P radiolabeling. Using a quench-flow apparatus, MgATP(2-) was rapidly mixed (<1 ms) with both ERK2 and the protein substrate EtsDelta138 in the presence of a saturating total concentration (20 mM) of magnesium ion at 27 degrees C and pH 7.5. An exponential burst of product was observed over the first few milliseconds that followed mixing. This burst had an amplitude alpha of 0.44 and was followed by a slower linear phase. The pre-steady state burst is consistent with two partially rate-limiting enzymatic steps, which have the following rate constants: k(2) = 109 +/- 9 s(-1) and k(3) = 56 +/- 4 s(-1). These are attributed to rapid phosphorylation of EtsDelta138 and the process of product release, respectively. Single-turnover experiments provided an independent determination of k(2) (106 +/- 25 s(-1)). The observed catalytic constant (k(cat)(obs)) was found to be sensitive to the concentration of ERK2. The data fit a model in which ERK2 monomers form dimers and suggest that both the monomeric and dimeric forms of ERK2 are active with catalytic constants (k(cat)) of 25 and 37 s(-1), respectively. In addition, the model suggests that in the presence of saturating concentrations of both magnesium and substrates ERK2 subunits dissociate with a dissociation constant (K(d)) of 32 +/- 16 nM.
Division of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
William F
WF
Waas
Mark A
MA
Rainey
Anna E
AE
Szafranska
Kevin N
KN
Dalby
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002384:Catalysis; D017931:DNA Primers; D019281:Dimerization; D007700:Kinetics; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011487:Protein Conformation
D017931:DNA Primers; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1