Properties of a phosphoprotein phosphatase from rat epididymal fat pads: deactivation of hormone-sensitive triglyceride lipase and activation of glycogen synthase in adipose tissue

Abstract

A phosphoprotein phosphatase has been partially purified from rat epididymal fat pads by a procedure utilizing ammonium sulfate and ethanol precipitations and chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50. The phosphatase was eluted from Sephadex G-75 columns with an apparent molecular weight of 28 000. The phosphoprotein phosphatase catalyzed the reversible deactivation of protein kinase activated chicken adipose tissue hormone-sensitive triglyceride lipase. Phosphatase activity measured with activated triglyceride lipase as substrate was completely dependent upon the presence of metal ions (Mg2+, Ca2+, or Mn2+) and was inhibited by inorganic phosphate and adenine nucleotides. The fat pad phosphatase increased the rate of activation of glycogen synthase in rat adipose tissue infranatant fractions from fed and 24-h-fasted rats but had little or no effect on synthase activity in infranatant fractions from rats fasted for 48 h. Fasting had no effect on rat fat pad phosphatase activity measured with triglyceride lipase as substrate, but phosphatase activity was decreased in preparations from diabetic rats.