Phosphorylation of the 24p3 protein secreted from mouse uterus in vitro and in vivo.

The 24p3 protein is a 25 KDa glycoprotein, having been purified from mouse uterine fluid. Thr54, Ser88, and Thr128/Ser129 on the protein molecule were predicted to be the phosphorylation site of casein kinase II, protein kinase C, and cAMP-dependent protein kinase, respectively. Incorporation of phosphate to this protein from [gamma-32P]-ATP was tested in the solution suitable for the three kinases. Neither casein kinase II nor cAMP-dependent protein kinase reacted to the 24p3 protein; however, protein kinase C demonstrated phosphorylation to this protein. This phosphorylation may be competing with a polypeptide segment: Arg79-Tyr-Trp-Ilu-Arg-Thr-Phe-Val-Pro-Ser88-Ser-Arg-Ala-Gly-Gln-Phe-Thr-Leu-Gly97 in the 24p3 protein molecule. To support this theory, Ser88 is a phosphorylation site of protein kinase C on 24p3 protein. The enzyme kinetic parameter, based on the Michaelis-Menten equation, determined Km to be 2.96 microM in the phosphorylation of 24p3 protein by the kinase. Both of the phosphorylated and dephosphorylated form of 24p3 protein can enhance the cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity in vitro. In addition, this experiment will show for the first time that serine-phosphorylated 24p3 protein exists in mouse uterine tissue.