Characterization of a phosphoprotein phosphatase for the phosphorylated form of nucleoside-diphosphate kinase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Nucleoside-diphosphate kinase (ATP:nucleoside-diphosphate phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.4.6; NDP kinase) is an important enzyme for the maintenance of the correct cellular levels of nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) and their deoxy derivatives (dNTPs) and is involved in the regulation of cellular development. The enzyme is under the dual control of algR2 and algH in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We report here the purification and characterization of a protein that dephosphorylates the phosphorylated intermediate form of the P. aeruginosa NDP kinase (Ndk). Dephosphorylation of Ndk phosphate leads to loss of its enzymatic activity. The 10.1-kDa polypeptide shows 77% homology at the N terminus with the Spo0E phosphatase, identified as a negative regulator of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis and 66% with the human Bax protein, identified as an effector of programmed cell death. The phosphatase termed Npp showed varied specificity toward phosphorylated Ndks from different sources including human erythrocyte Ndk phosphate. Its activity toward other histidine phosphates such as CheA or the alpha-subunit of succinyl-CoA synthetase or phosphoesters such as p-nitrophenyl phosphate was quite limited. Npp was stable at room temperature up to 2 h and required Mg2+ for activity. The presence of a phosphatase capable of dephosphorylating the phosphorylated form of P. aeruginosa Ndk represents an interesting and efficient mode of post-translational modification of an enzyme crucial to cellular development.