Phosphorylation of proteasome substrate by a protein kinase associated with the 26 S proteasome is linked to the ATP-dependent proteolysis of the 26 S proteasome.

A protein kinase phosphorylating the 45-kDa proteasome subunit was co-purified with the 26 S proteasome from the porcine heart. This kinase appears to be associated with the 26 S proteasome, since the kinase activity was co-eluted with the 26 S proteasome on Superose 6 FPLC and immunoprecipitated with anti-20 S proteasome antibody. This kinase also phosphorylated the casein. Furthermore, the phosphorylated casein was more efficiently hydrolyzed by the 26 S proteasome than the dephosphorylated casein without ATP. Inhibition patterns of kinase inhibitors against the 45 kDa subunit and casein were well in accord with the inhibition pattern against the ATP-dependent proteolysis of the 26 S proteasome, suggesting that the phosphorylation of casein by a protein kinase associated with the 26 S proteasome is linked to the ATP-dependent proteolysis of the 26 S proteasome.