Phosphorylation of purified insulin receptor by cAMP kinase.

Highly purified insulin receptor was shown to be a substrate for cAMP kinase. Approximately 1 phosphate was incorporated per molecule of receptor, and the cAMP kinase's affinity for the receptor was at least as high as its affinity for histone. The sites phosphorylated by cAMP kinase seemed distinct from those phosphorylated by the protein kinase C. Phosphorylation by cAMP kinase had no effect on the ability of several monoclonal antibodies to recognize the receptor or on the insulin-binding activity of the receptor. However, cAMP phosphorylation partially inhibited the tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor (approximately 25%). These results suggest that catecholamine-induced resistance to insulin may be partly due to a direct phosphorylation of the receptor by cAMP kinase and a subsequent inhibition of the ability of the receptor kinase to be activated by insulin.