Phosphorylation of methylated-DNA-protein-cysteine S-methyltransferase at serine-204 significantly increases its resistance to proteolytic digestion.

In a previous paper [Lim, Park, Jee, Lee and Paik (1999) J. Cancer Res. Clin. Oncol. 125, 493-499], we showed two major forms of active DNA-6-O-methylguanine:protein-L-cysteine S-methyltransferase (MGMT; EC 2.1.1.63) in the liver with N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN)-induced carcinogenesis: these were 26 and 24 kDa species. Here we show that a 2 kDa C-terminal fragment was cleaved from the 26 kDa species in vitro by thrombin or microsomal fractions isolated from DEN-treated rat livers. When Ser(204) of the 26 kDa protein was replaced with Ala by site-directed mutagenesis, phosphorylation of the protein was completely abolished, indicating Ser(204) to be the site of phosphorylation. We also show that the phosphorylation was performed by Ca(2+)-independent protein kinase isoenzymes, and that the phosphorylated rat MGMT protein was resistant to digestion by protease(s) whose activity was increased during DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis and also by digestion with endopeptidase Glu-C (V8 protease).