A study of the enzymic dephosphorylation of beta-casein and a derived phosphopeptide.

beta-Casein, and the phosphate containing peptide derived from it by tryptic digestion, have been dephosphorylated by the action of two phosphatases. Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) has been shown to remove the phosphates from these substrates in two distinct stages. Substrate molecules retaining three of the original phosphoseryl residues accumulate during the reaction and are resistant to further dephosphorylation at low enzyme concentrations. In contrast bovine spleen phosphoprotein phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.16) achieves complete dephosphorylation of these substrates sequentially without any of the intervening species showing resistance to the action of the enzyme. The phosphopeptide has been partially dephosphorylated by the action of the two phosphatases and the resultant peptides containing three phosphoseryl residues compared in their reactivity toward the E. coli alkaline phosphatase. The results obtained are discussed in relation to the mode of action of the two enzymes.