OKADAIC ACID-INDUCED INHIBITION OF B-50 DEPHOSPHORYLATION BY PRESYNAPTIC MEMBRANE-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN PHOSPHATASES

The neuronal tissue-specific protein kinase C(PKC) substrate B-50 can be dephosphorylated by endogenous protein phosphatases (PPs) in synaptic plasma membranes (SPMs). The present study characterizes membrane-associated B-50 phosphatase activity by using okadaic acid (OA) and purified P-32-labeled substrates. At a low concentration of [gamma-P-32]ATP,PKC-mediated [P-32]phosphate incorporation into B-50 in SPMs reached a maximal value at 30 s, followed by dephosphorylation. OA, added 30 s after the initiation of phosphorylation, partially prevented the dephosphorylation of B-50 at 2 nM, a dose that inhibits PP-2A. At the higher concentration of 1-mu-M, a dose of OA that inhibits PP-1 as well as PP-2A, a nearly complete blockade of B-50 dephosphorylation was seen. Heat-stable PP inhibitor-2 (I-2) also inhibited dephosphorylation of B-50. The effects of OA and I-2 on B-50 phosphatase activity were additive. Endogenous PP-1- and PP-2A-like activities in SPMs were also demonstrated by their capabilities of dephosphorylating [P-32]phosphorylase a and [P-32]casein. With these exogenous substrates, sensitivities of the membrane-bound phosphatases to OA and I-2 were found to be similar to those of purified forms of these enzymes. These results indicate that PP-1- and PP-2A-like enzymes are the major B-50 phosphatases in SPMs.