Casein kinase activity in rat mammary gland Golgi vesicles. Demonstration of latency and requirement for a transmembrane ATP carrier.

A Golgi vesicle-enriched preparation from mammary tissue of lactating rats has been used to investigate the phosphorylation of caseins in vitro. Casein kinase, together with its casein substrates, is enclosed within the lumen of Golgi membrane vesicles and has a requirement for Ca2+ and ATP. The permeability characteristics of the Golgi membrane to ATP and Ca2+ therefore have a possible regulatory influence on casein kinase activity. This influence has been investigated by alteration of the permeability characteristics by using several agents having differing degrees of selectivity. The ionophore A23187, which permits loss of Ca2+ from the vesicles, caused a decrease in casein phosphorylation which could be reversed by externally supplied Ca2+. Alamethicin, an ionophore that creates larger transmembrane channels, caused an increase in casein phosphorylation. This increase showed a requirement for divalent metal ions which could be satisfied by either Ca2+ or Mn2+. Under the same conditions, La3+ was inhibitory. Triton X-100 caused loss of intravesicular Ca2+, yet this was accompanied by an increase in phosphate incorporation into the caseins. We conclude from these results that the binding site on casein kinase for ATP is within the Golgi membrane barrier and that they imply the presence of a transmembrane ATP-transport mechanism. Inhibition of casein phosphorylation by atractyloside and carboxyatractyloside lends support to this concept.