Phosphorylation of the multidrug resistant associated glycoprotein (p-glycoprotein): Preparation and characterization of 7-acetyltaxol

To assess the role of phosphorylation in P-glycoprotein function, phosphorylation of P-glycoprotein in intact cells and in cell-free membrane fractions has been studied. Results obtained with cell-free membrane fractions indicate that P-glycoprotein is a substrate for a membrane-associated protein kinase A (PK-A). To assess whether P-glycoprotein was phosphorylated in vivo by PK-A, MDR cells were incubated with [32P]Pi in the presence or absence of 100 uM 8Br-cAMP. The tryptic phosphopeptides of six P-glycoproteins from five independently derived MDR cell lines were analyzed by HPLC. A similar analysis carried out with two other P-glycoproteins (from J7.V3-1 and the lower band of J7.T1-50) demonstrated a major phosphopeptide with a retention time of 26 min. Fraction 26 was resolved as a single phosphopeptide by 2-D mapping. The phosphorylation of fraction 26 which was derived from P-glycoprotein in J7.V3-1 or the J7.T1-50 lower band was enhanced when the cells were treated with 8BrcAMP