Protein Kinases in Rat Testes: Evidence for Different Fractions of the Enzyme

Abstract

Protein kinase activity of rat testis homogenate was separated into five fractions by means of pH 4.8 acidification and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The five fractions showed a peculiar pattern of activity and cAMP dependency with the substrates used: casein, protamine, histone mixture, arginine-rich histone, lysine-rich histone, and phosvitin. The casein–sepharose substrate affinity column separated two fractions from the pH 4.8 precipitate. Peak number one phosphorylates histone preferently and is cAMP-dependent, while peak number two has a strong affinity toward casein as substrate and is not cAMP-dependent.