The separation, properties and possible subunit composition of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinases in brown adipose tissue.

Two 8.5-S protein kinases (ATP : protein phosphotransferase EC 2.7.1.37) and one 6.6-S protein kinase were purified 500--1000-fold from the acid-soluble fraction of brown adipose tissue. The catalytic properties of the kinases were similar. Each kinase was activated by cyclic AMP and had two components of cyclic AMP binding. In the presence of 200 nM cyclic AMP, undissociated kinase activity sedimented at 7.7 or 5.5 S. Free catalytic activity (3.2 S) could be detected but was unstable. Free regulatory units could not be detected. The 8.5-S protein kinase was dissociated by freezing and thawing to a 7.7-S variety with loss of the higher affinity component of binding. The 7.7-S kinase was sedimented through linear gradients of sucrose containing different concentrations of cyclic AMP. At each concentration, kinase activity lost from the holoenzyme peak (% of original) was identical with the amount of cyclic AMP bound at equilibrium (% oof maximum). Similar experiments on the 8.5-S kinase showed that the binding component with higher affinity was not associated with the release of catalytic activity. The results were consistent with the propostal that the kinases isolated contained one more cyclic AMP binding subunit than catalytic subunit (3 : 2 for 8.5 S and 2 : 1 for 6.6 S) and that this extra subunit was released to give an equal number of subunits of each type before catalytic activity was liberated.