Regulation of gastric H(+)-K(+)-ATPase by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

A functional approach was utilized to isolate protein effectors from cAMP-stimulated rabbit gastric microsomes capable of stimulating H(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity. These studies have resulted in isolation of a cAMP-dependent protein kinase product from rabbit gastric microsomes which is capable of stimulating the proton pump of the parietal cell, H(+)-K(+)-ATPase, in inhibited gastric microsomes. This protein is membrane-bound and may be extracted from gastric microsomes only in the phosphorylated state. This phosphoprotein has at least 20 phosphorylation sites and produces enhancement of H(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity which equals that induced by the K+ ionophore, valinomycin. It would appear, therefore, that cAMP-mediated acid secretion involves phosphorylation of a membrane-bound cAMP-dependent protein kinase substrate in close proximity to the proton pump which produces K+ conductance and thereby controls the rate of acid secretion. The degree of phosphorylation of this protein is probably controlled by the activities of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and phosphoprotein phosphatase.