Atrial natriuretic factor induced phosphorylation of human placental membrane protein: an effect mimicked by guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate.

Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) specifically stimulated the endogenous phosphorylation of a protein band in an isolated membrane fraction of human placenta. The apparent molecular weight of the substrate protein as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is 160-170,000. In the same membrane fraction, ANF also stimulated guanylate cyclase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP), added to the membrane fraction in lieu of ANF, also stimulated the phosphorylation of several protein bands, one of which have the same apparent molecular weight as the one stimulated by ANF. In contrast, adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) at a similar concentration and hormones such as angiotensin II, insulin and vasopressin had no effect on the phosphorylation state of this protein band. The finding that ANF alters the phosphorylation state of a certain membrane protein and that this effect is mimicked by cyclic-GMP suggests that at least some of the biological action of ANF may be mediated by the phosphorylation of membrane protein involving a cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase.