Differential effect of bicycling exercise intensity on activity and phosphorylation of atypical protean kinase C and extracellular signal-regulated kinase in skeletal muscle

Atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) are emerging as important signalling molecules in the regulation of metabolism and gene expression in skeletal muscle. Exercise is known to increase activity of aPKC and ERK in skeletal muscle but the effect of exercise intensity hereon has not been studied. Furthermore, the relationship between activity and phosphorylation of the two enzymes during exercise is unknown. Nine healthy young men exercised for 30 min on a bicycle ergometer on two occasions. One occasion consisted of three consecutive 10 min bouts of 35, 60 and 85% of peak pulmonary oxygen uptake (V-O2peak) and the second of one 30 min bout at 35% of V-O2 peak. Both trials also included 30 min recovery. Muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle before and after each exercise bout. Exercise increased muscle aPKC activity at 35% V-O2peak, whereupon no further increase was observed at higher exercise intensities. Activation of aPKC was not accompanied by increased phosphorylation of aPKC Thr(410/403) ERK1/2 activity increased in a similar pattern to aPKC, reaching maximal activity at 35% V(O2)peak, whereas ERK1 Thr(202)/Tyr(204) and ERK2 Thr(183)/Tyr(185) phosphorylation increased with increasing exercise intensity. Thus, aPKC and ERK1/2 activity in muscle during exercise did not correspond to phosphorylation of sites on aPKC or ERK1/2, respectively, which are considered important for their activation. It is concluded that assessment of aPKC and ERK1/2 activity in muscle using phosphospecific antibodies did not reflect direct activity measurements on immunoprecipitated enzyme in vitro. Thus, estimation of enzyme activity during exercise by use of phosphospecific antibodies should not be performed uncritically. In addition, increase in muscle activity of aPKC or ERK1/2 during exercise is not closely related to energy demands of the muscle but may serve other regulatory or permissive functions in muscle.