Identification of the major postsynaptic density protein as homologous with the major calmodulin-binding subunit of a calmodulin-dependent protein kinase

J Neurochem. 1984 Apr;42(4):1077-84. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1984.tb12713.x.

Abstract

The major postsynaptic density protein (mPSDp), comprising greater than 50% of postsynaptic density (PSD) protein, is an endogenous substrate for calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation as well as a calmodulin-binding protein in PSD preparations. The results in this investigation indicate that mPSDp is highly homologous with the major calmodulin-binding subunit (p) of tubulin-associated calmodulin-dependent kinase (TACK), and that PSD fractions also contain a protein homologous with the sigma-subunit of TACK. Homologies between mPSDp and a 63,000 dalton PSD protein and the rho- and sigma-subunits of TACK were established by the following criteria: (1) identical apparent molecular weights; (2) identical calmodulin-binding properties; (3) manifestation of Ca2+-calmodulin-stimulated autophosphorylation; (4) identical isoelectric points; (5) identical calmodulin binding and autophosphorylation patterns on two-dimensional gels; (6) homologous two-dimensional tryptic peptide maps; and (7) similar phosphoamino acid-specific phosphorylation of tubulin. The results suggest that mPSDp is a calmodulin-binding protein involved in modulating protein kinase activity in the postsynaptic density and that a tubulin kinase system homologous with TACK exists in a membrane-bound form in the PSD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Calmodulin / metabolism*
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Isoelectric Focusing
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / analysis*
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Trypsin / metabolism
  • Tubulin / metabolism

Substances

  • Calmodulin
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Tubulin
  • postsynaptic density proteins
  • Protein Kinases
  • Trypsin
  • Calcium