Characterization of four tyrosine protein kinases from the particulate fraction of rat spleen.

Four distinct tyrosine protein kinases active on poly(Glu4,Tyr1) and angiotensin II, and operationally termed TPK-I, TPK-IIA, TPK-IIB and TPK-III have been resolved and partially purified from rat spleen particulate fraction by combining DEAE-Sepharose, heparin-Sepharose, phosphocellulose and polylysine-agarose chromatographies. Once partially purified all of them are free of Ser/Thr-specific protein kinase activity as judged using casein, histones, protamine and the peptide Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Val-Ala as substrates. TPK-I (apparent molecular mass 64 kDa, by gel filtration) and TPK-IIA (54 kDa) share several properties, including substrate specificity and stimulation by heparin; the latter however is much more responsive to polylysine then the former (10- and 3-fold maximum stimulation, respectively).