Phosphorylation of dephospho-ATP citrate lyase by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

The native form of ATP citrate lyase (2 mol of phosphate/tetramer) and the dephospho-ATP citrate lyase (phosphate-free) purified to homogeneity from rat liver, are phosphorylated by ATP and by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase from rabbit muscle. A total of 2 mol of phosphate/tetramer were incorporated into native enzyme, while with the dephospho form, 4 mol of phosphate were incorporated. The phosphopeptides resulting from trypsin treatment which were isolated from phosphorylated forms of both native enzyme and the dephospho enzyme were similar. The ATP citrate lyase, phosphorylated to an extent of 4 mol of phosphate/tetramer, has the same Vmax as the native enzyme (2 mol of phosphate/tetramer). Native ATP citrate lyase, trypsin-treated to remove the phosphopeptide, could not be phosphorylated by the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase from rabbit muscle, suggesting a common trypsin-sensitive specific phosphorylation site. The phosphorylation rate varied with pH in potassium phosphate, imidazole/HCl, and Tris/HCl buffers. Divalent cations were essential for the activity of the protein kinase. The apparent Km value for ATP was found to be 50 microM.