Phosphorylation regulates the activity of the eEF-2-specific Ca(2+)- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase III.

The activity of the eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF-2)-specific Ca(2+)- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase III (CaM PK III) is regulated by phosphorylation. The kinase can be inactivated by treatment with alkaline phosphatase and subsequently reactivated by endogenous protein kinase. This kinase can be substituted for by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase but not by casein kinase II. The purified kinase preparation contains only one protein as judged by gel electrophoresis. This protein has a molecular mass of approximately 90 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.2. Reactivation of the eEF-2 kinase is associated with the phosphorylation of this protein. The amino acid sequence obtained from the 90-kDa protein reveals substantial homology with that of murine heat shock protein 86 (HSP 86) a member of the HSP 90-family. Conventional preparations of HSP 90 contain an inactive eEF-2 kinase that could be activated after dephosphorylation and phosphorylation by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase.