Characterization of membrane-associated substrates of Ca2+-dependent kinases in astrocytes.

Membrane-associated kinase substrates are likely transducers of extracellular signals elicited by neuroimmunomodulators and other signaling molecules. Whereas specific signal transduction pathways in astrocytes are being defined, the global view is lacking. We, therefore, characterized membrane-associated substrates of Ca2+-dependent kinases in primary astrocytes using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Ten proteins were phosphorylated in vitro and characterized with respect to their relative molecular mass (in the range 10 kDa - 100 kDa), isoelectric point (range 4.2 - 9.0) and four conditions of phosphorylation. They varied broadly in their requirements for phosphorylation displaying distinct kinase preferences. Eight phosphoproteins were substrates of protease kinase C. Judging by abundance and intensity of phosphorylation, the principal PKC substrates were three acidic proteins associated with the plasma membrane. These results suggest that a relatively small number of membrane-associated proteins serve as transducers of signals mediated by Ca2+-dependent kinases and most of them are PKC substrates in astrocytes.

Identification of myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) in astrocytes.

We have characterized membrane-associated substrates of Ca2+-dependent kinases in primary rat astrocytes by in vitro phosphorylation, 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. The most prominent among these were three acidic, protein kinase C (PKC) substrates. These are important because they likely transduce cytokine and other neuro-immune modulatory signals mediated by PKC. We now show that one of these phosphoproteins is myristoylated alanine-rich PKC kinase substrate (MARCKS) or phosphomyristin C. The identity was corroborated by one- and 2- dimensional immunoblotting with an MARCKS-specific polyclonal antibody. Exposing primary astrocytes to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate stimulated phosphorylation of this protein. The level of MARCKS appeared inversely proportional to the proliferative potential of astrocytes because it was lower in spontaneously transformed as compared to passaged or confluent cells. These data are consistent with previous reports and indicate that one of three major acidic membrane-associated PKC substrates in astrocytes is MARCKS. Thus, MARCKS is likely near-proximal transducer of PKC-mediated signals in astrocytes.