Serum and growth factors rapidly elicit phosphorylation of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in intact quiescent rat 3Y1 cells.

A 50-kDa protein was recognized in rat embryo fibroblast 3Y1 cells with an affinity-purified antibody against rat brain Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II). When the cytosolic extract from quiescent 3Y1 cells was immunoprecipitated with the antibody, the 50-kDa protein in the immunoprecipitate became phosphorylated in a Ca2+- and calmodulin-dependent manner following exposure to [gamma-32P]ATP. Moreover, the reaction proceeded through an intramolecular mechanism. These results suggest that the 50-kDa protein is a subunit of CaM kinase II in rat 3Y1 cells. The addition of 10% fetal calf serum to quiescent 3Y1 cells caused a rapid increase in the phosphorylation of the 50-kDa protein, which was immunoprecipitated with the affinity-purified anti-CaM kinase II antibody. The phosphorylation of CaM kinase II was detected as early as 20 s after the addition of serum, reached the maximal level at 2 min, and decreased to the basal level within 60 min. Platelet-derived growth factor and epidermal growth factor also elicited the phosphorylation of the 50-kDa protein in quiescent 3Y1 cells, while neither insulin nor 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate did. Calcium ionophores, A23187 and ionomycin, also caused the phosphorylation of the protein in 3Y1 cells. Moreover, phosphopeptide mappings of the phosphorylated 50-kDa subunit generated in response to serum, EGF, and A23187 yielded patterns similar to that generated from the immunoprecipitated 50-kDa subunit phosphorylated in vitro. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the phosphorylated subunit demonstrated that serine residue was the major amino acid labeled under any condition. These results suggest that CaM kinase II undergoes phosphorylation in response to various stimuli that can increase the free Ca2+ concentration in the cytoplasm of quiescent fibroblast cells and therefore probably mediates at least some of the biological actions of growth factors.