Antiserum against the catalytic subunit of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent protein kinase. Reactivity towards various protein kinases.

An antiserum against the catalytic subunit C of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, isolated from bovine heart type II protein kinase, was produced in rabbits. Reaction of the catalytic subunit with antiserum and separation of the immunoglobulin G fraction by Protein A-Sepharose quantitatively removed the enzyme from solutions. Comparative immunotitration of protein kinases showed that the amount of antiserum required to eliminate 50% of the enzymic activity was identical for pure catalytic subunit, and for holoenzymes type I and type II. The reactivity of the holoenzymes with the antiserum was identical in the absence or the presence of dissociating concentrations of cyclic AMP. Most of the holoenzyme (type II) remains intact when bound to the antibodies as shown by quantification of the regulatory subunit in the supernatant of the immunoprecipitate. Titration with the antibodies also revealed the presence of a cyclic AMP-independent histone kinase in bovine heart protein kinase I preparations obtained by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase purified from the particulate fraction of bovine heart reacted with the antiserum to the same degree as the soluble enzyme, whereas two cyclic AMP-independent kinases separated from the particle fraction neither reacted with the antiserum nor influenced the reaction of the antibodies with the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Immunotitration of the protein kinase catalytic subunit C from rat liver revealed that the antibodies had rather similar reactivities towards the rat liver and the bovine heart enzyme. This points to a relatively high degree of homology of the catalytic subunit in mammalian tissues and species. Broad applicability of the antiserum to problems related to cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases is thus indicated.