Actions of insulin, epinephrine, and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate on fat cell protein phosphorylations. Cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate dependent and independent mechanisms.

Endogenous and hormone-induced protein (polypeptide) phosphorylations were studied in isolated rat fat cells, in fat pads, and in subcellular fractions obtained from fat tissue under different physiological conditions. Insulin (25-100 muU/ml) increased the incorporation of 32P into two proteins: insulin-phosphorylated proteins (IPP 140 and IPP 50; similar to 140,000 and 50,000 daltons, respectively). Epinephrine (10(-7)-10(-6) M) increased the incorporation of 32P into another protein: epinephrine-phosphorylated protein (EPP 60-65; similar to 60,000-65,000 daltons). Endogenous IPP 140 phosphorylation in fat cells obtained from fasted and refed rats was similar to that of insulin in normal cells. Studies of insulin and epinephrine interactions showed that insulin increased IPP 140 phosphorylation even in the presence of epinephrine or lithium (25 mM times 10(-3) M). dibutyryl cyclic AMP (5 times 10(-4) M) markedly stimulated EPP 60-65 phosphorylation, but neither epinephrine (10(-7)-10(-6) M) nor dibutyryl cyclic AMP reproduced insulin's phosphorylation of APP 140. Lithium inhibited both endogenous and epinephrine-stimulate EPP 60-65 phosphorylation, but did not inhibit that induced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP. These findings suggest that insulin stimulated a specific, cyclic AMP independent protein kinase for IPP 140 phosphorylation. Cell-free extracts from insulin-treated fat tissue catalyzed the specific transfer of 32P from ATP to IPP 140 more rapidly than control extracts. No differences in the total receptor protein or total protein kinase activity using [gamma(-32P]ATP were noted between insulin-treated and control preparations. IPP 140 may be either (a) an insulin-sensitive protein kinase (phosphotransferase) or (b) a protein whose function is regulated by an insulin-sensitive protein kinase or phosphatase.