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Caspase-3 dependent cleavage and activation of skeletal muscle phosphorylase b kinase

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Abstract

Phosphorylase b kinase (PhK) is a key enzyme involved in the conversion of glycogen to glucose in skeletal muscle and ultimately an increase in intracellular ATP. Since apoptosis is an ATP-dependent event, we investigated the regulation of skeletal muscle PhK during apoptosis. Incubation of PhK with purified caspase-3 in vitro resulted in the highly selective cleavage of the regulatory α subunit and resulted in a 2-fold increase in PhK activity. Edman protein sequencing of a stable 72 kD amino-terminal fragment and a 66 kD carboxy-terminal fragment revealed a specific caspase-3 cleavage site within the α subunit at residue 646 (DWMD↓G). Treatment of differentiated C2C12 mouse muscle myoblasts with the inducers of apoptosis staurosporine, TPEN, doxorubicin, or UV irradiation resulted in the disappearance of the α subunit of PhK as determined by immunoblotting, as well as a concurrent increase in caspase-3 activity. Moreover, induction of apoptosis by TPEN resulted in increased phosphorylase activity and sustained ATP levels throughout a 7 h time course. However, induction of apoptosis with staurosporine, also a potent PhK inhibitor, led to a rapid loss in phosphorylase activity and intracellular ATP, suggesting that PhK inhibition by staurosporine impairs the ability of apoptotic muscle cells to generate ATP. Thus, these studies indicate that PhK may be a substrate for caspase regulation during apoptosis and suggest that activation of this enzyme may be important for the generation of ATP during programmed cell death.

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Abbreviations

ddFSK:

1,9-dideoxyforskolin

PhK:

Phosphorylase b kinase

STS:

Staurosporine

TPEN:

N, N, N′, N′,-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine

TUNEL:

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Thomas L. Hilder & Lee M. Graves (Dr.)

  2. Division of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Gerald M. Carlson

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Timothy A. J. Haystead

  4. Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Edwin G. Krebs

  5. Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#7365, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514-7365

    Lee M. Graves (Dr.)

Authors
  1. Thomas L. Hilder
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  2. Gerald M. Carlson
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  4. Edwin G. Krebs
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  5. Lee M. Graves
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Correspondence to Lee M. Graves.

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Hilder, T.L., Carlson, G.M., Haystead, T.A.J. et al. Caspase-3 dependent cleavage and activation of skeletal muscle phosphorylase b kinase. Mol Cell Biochem 275, 233–242 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-005-2411-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-005-2411-y

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