Association of Protein Phosphatase-1&dgr; with the Retinoblastoma Protein and Reversible Phosphatase Activation in Mitotic HeLa Cells and in Cells Released from Mitosis

Author: Puntoni F.   Villa-Moruzzi E.  

Publisher: Elsevier

ISSN: 0006-291X

Source: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol.235, Iss.3, 1997-06, pp. : 704-708

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Abstract

The retinoblastoma gene product (pRb) is dephosphorylated at the exit from mitosis and protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) seems to be responsible for such dephosphorylation. Three isoforms of PP1 exist in mammalian cells, , &ggr;1 and &dgr;, with differential subcellular localization and potentially different targeting subunits and functions. In order to identify which isoform dephosphorylates pRb, we used isoform-specific antibodies and analyzed the association of the PP1 isoforms with pRb in nocodazole-blocked (mitotic) HeLa cells and in cells released from the mitotic block (early G1). PP1&dgr; was found associated with the pRb immunoprecipitated from a mitotic cell extract, whereas neither PP1&ggr;1 nor PP1 were detected. In G1 cells progressively less pRb and of lower Mr was detected in anti-PP1&dgr; immunocomplexes, and pRb had almost disappeared by 8 h. The PP1 associated with pRb was inactive at mitosis, but underwent a quick activation as cells exited from mitosis, with a peak at 1 h. Then the activity decreased progressively and disappeared by 8 h. [32P]labeled pRb, obtained from G2 cells, was dephosphorylated “in vitro” by PP1&dgr; obtained from early G1 cells. Altogether, the results indicated that PP1&dgr; associated with pRb and may be responsible for the phosphatase activity detected in the pRb complexes, supporting the hypothesis that PP1&dgr; may be the isoform that dephosphorylates pRb.

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