Abstract: The soluble protein extract of soybean hypocotyl was autophosphorylated, the labeling products were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. A 18 kD protein band was intensely labeled when a relatively high concentration of calcium was present, meanwhile a weakly labeled 67 kD protein band was also observed. When the reaction time was prolonged to 15 or 30 min, the labeling intensity of them was weakened gradually and the labeled bands disappeared eventual ly from the autoradiograph. If the calcium chelater EGTA was added into the reaction sys tem, only 67 kD was phosphorylated with high intensity. When non-labeled ATP was added during the reaction process, 32p in the labeled proteins could be substituted gradually by Pi. This indicated that the reaction system was in a dynamic equilibrium of phosphorylation-de- phosphorylation. There were also data inferred that it was a calcium dependent process. Histon H1 could speed up the phosphorylation, suggesting that it was a suitable substrate for protein kinases in the extract. Findings support that 18 kD and 67 kD protein may be Ca2+ sensitive protein kinases that can be autophosphorylated. Their different responses to Ca2+ may make the calcium signal transduction controllable.

Key words: Protein kinase, Phosphorylation-dephosphorylation, Soybean, Hypocotyl