Phosphorylation of a surface receptor bound urokinase-type plasminogen activator in a human metastatic carcinomatous cell line

The ³²P-labeled urokinase (uPA) bound to surface receptors of Detroit 562 cells was immunoprecipitated by anti-uPA antibody. Amino acid analysis showed that tyrosines and serines were the acceptors. Inhibition of protein kinases greatly reduced the ³²P incorporation, suggesting that the respective cellular src gene product and protein kinase C were involved in the phosphorylations. Proteins purified on chromatographic columns contained two forms of uPA, a high (HMW) and a low (LMW) molecular weight. Tyrosine-phosphorylation occurs in the HMW and A-chain. Such modifications might modulate the extracellular activities of uPA.