A 20-kDa protein becomes phosphorylated in a process stimulated by Ca2+ and calmodulin in the light microsomal fraction of rat liver homogenate. The uptake of Ca2+ in light microsomal fraction is also calmodulinstimulated. The stimulation of Ca2 + transport is associated with the operation of a protein phosphorylation system dependent on Ca2+ and calmodulin. Transport is inhibited by a protein phosphatase which is stimulated by Ca2+ and calmodulin. It is proposed that the phosphorylation of the 20-kDa protein, which is stimulated by Ca2+ and calmodulin, plays a role in the regulation of the microsomal Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase. [6]). The third is the mitochondrial transport system, which consists of the electrophoretic uptake pathway and of a Na+/Ca2+ (or H+/CaZ+) exchange system which mediates Ca2 + release (for a recent review see [7]). It is generally assumed that microsomes play an important role in the regulation of the Ca2 + level in liver, and may be involved in some types of toxininduced liver injury [S], as well as in some hormonal signalresponse cascade [9].In a previous paper from this laboratory it has been demonstrated [lo] that the postmitochondrial supernatant of rat liver contains two vesicular fractions which transport Ca2+ actively. The heavier fraction is enriched in plasma membrane markers, and contains a Ca2+-pumping ATPase and a Na+/Ca2 + exchanger. The light microsomal fraction does not possess Na+/CaZ+ exchange activity, and its ATP-driven Ca2 + uptake is relatively insensitive to vanadate. The Ca2 + uptake in this fraction is activated by a cytosolic fraction and by CAMP, and inhibited by the CAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor. The anticalmodulin drug trifluoperazine inhibits Ca2 + uptake and Ca2 +-dependent protein phosphorylation in liver microsomes [lo]. This finding has focused our attention on the possible involvement of calmodulin and a protein kinase in the regulation of the Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase in these membranes.The results presented here show that indeed protein phosphorylation and Ca2+ uptake in rat liver microsomes are regulated by calmodulin. They also show that the latter process is regulated by a Ca2 +-dependent protein phosphorylationdephosphorylation cycle.While the manuscript was in preparation, a report by Moore and Kraus-Friedman has appeared [IOa] on the purification of the liver microsomal Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase by calmodulin affi ni t y chromatography .
~~Abbreviations. CaM, calmodulin; N,-['251]CaM, azidoiodocalmodulin ; PAGE, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis ; SDS, sodium dodecyl sulphate.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Membrane preparationAlbino male Wistar-strain rats weighing 120 -150 g were killed by decapitation and the livers immediately removed and cut into small pieces in 0.25 M sucrose buffered with 5 mM Tris/Cl pH 7.4, and containing 1 mM mercaptoethanol and 0.5 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (buffer A). One liver was homogenized in 70 ml of this medium using a glass Potter homogenizer with two passages of a loosely fitting teflon pestle. The homogenate was filtered t...