Phosphorylation of the Myosin-binding Subunit of Myosin Phosphatase by Raf-1 and Inhibition of Phosphatase Activity

Raf-1 serine/threonine protein kinase plays an important role in cell survival, proliferation, and migration; however, the specific targets of Raf-1 in diverse cellular processes are not clearly defined. Myosin phosphatase activity is critical to the regulation of cytoskeletal reorganization, cytokinesis, and cell motility. Here, we describe the association of Raf-1 with myosin phosphatase and phosphorylation of the regulatory myosin-binding subunit (MBS) of myosin phosphatase by Raf-1. Treatment of cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate has been shown to stimulate Raf-1 protein kinase. To determine the effect of enzymatic activation of Raf-1 on MBS phosphorylation, COS-1 cells were transiently transfected with FLAG-tagged full-length Raf-1. A significantly higher phosphorylation of purified glutathioneS-transferase-tagged truncated MBS protein (amino acids 654–880) occurred in the presence of FLAG-Raf-1 immunoprecipitated from phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-treated cells compared with untreated cells (∼3.0-fold). Using a sequential kinase-phosphatase assay and phosphorylated myosin light chain as substrate in the phosphatase reaction, we showed that Raf-1-associated protein phosphatase-specific activity was inhibited (relative phosphatase activity without and with adenosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate): 100 and ∼30%, respectively). Previously, ionizing radiation has been shown to activate Raf-1 (Kasid, U., Suy, S., Dent, P., Ray, S., Whiteside, T. L., and Sturgill, T. W. (1996) Nature 382, 813–816). Exposure of cells to ionizing radiation resulted in the increased association of Raf-1 with MBS (3–6-fold versus unirradiated control) and inhibition of Raf-1-associated protein phosphatase-specific activity (relative phosphatase activity without and with ionizing radiation: 100 and ∼54%, respectively). Our studies identify MBS as a new substrate of Raf-1 and implicate a role for Raf-1 in the regulation of pathways involving myosin phosphatase activity.