Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase isozymes of pig skin and human skin from normal and psoriatic subjects.

Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase isozymes of pig and human skin (epidermis) were separated by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography after micromodification for small biopsy samples. Clear-cut separations of type I and type II isozymes, which were of about equal amounts, could be obtained only when the ischemia effect was avoided by in vivo freezing of skin and homogenization for less than 10 s. Intradermal injections of epinephrine caused dose-dependent activation of type I isozyme, but not of type II. Injections of other skin adenylate cyclase stimulators such as histamine, adenosine, and prostaglandin E2 elevated the local cyclic AMP levels to not more than 5 pmol/mg protein and also stimulated only the type I isozyme. Incubation of keratome-sliced pig skin under various conditions caused both activation by dissociation and inactivation by reassociation of the subunits, which appeared to be dependent on the cyclic AMP content. Epinephrine added to the incubation medium led to complete activation of both type I and type II isozymes (the intraepidermal cyclic AMP contents ranged from 20-50 pmol/mg protein). The isozymes of normal skin and involved skin of psoriatics showed identical peaks of type I and type II isozymes of equal amounts. The data indicate that protein kinase in the involved skin is not in an activated (by cyclic AMP) state.