Multiple forms of synthase D phosphatase and phosphorylase a phosphatase in liver and regulatory effects of metabolites on their activities.

The smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and cytosol fractions of liver homogenates exhibit phosphoprotein phosphatase activity towards glycogen synthase D and phosphorylase a. The following observations suggest that liver contains multiple forms of these phosphatases. Synthase phosphatase activity in either fraction was more readily inactivated by heating than phosphorylase phosphatase activity. Both synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase activities in smooth ER were non-competitively inhibited by Mg2+, but were activated by this ion in the cytosol. Synthase phosphatase activities in cytosol and smooth ER were stimulated by a number of sugar phosphates, particularly glucose-1-phosphate, galactose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate. Erythrose-4-phosphate stimulated synthase phosphatase activity in the cytosol, but inhibited the microsomal enzyme. Phosphorylase phosphatase activities in either fraction were inhibited by most sugar phosphates. Adenosine mono-, di- and tri-phosphates inhibited phosphatase activities in both fractions. Low concentrations of AMP and ADP inhibited phosphorylase phosphatase activities to a greater extent than synthase phosphatase activities. Chromatography of the smooth ER fraction on DEAE-cellulose resulted in the separation of synthase phosphatase from phosphorylase phosphatase, as soluble proteins. The elution profile for the microsomal phosphatase was different from that for the cytosol enzymes. It is concluded that: both synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase in liver have at least two isoenzyme forms; synthase phosphatase and phosphorylase phosphatase are separate enzymes; the different behaviour of microsomal and cytosol phosphatases towards divalent cations and sugar phosphates provides a potential mechanism for the differential regulation of these activities in liver.