Activity of crude histidine decarboxylases (HisDC) from the hypothalamus and the lungs, was markedly reduced by incubating with ATP.Mg, cAMP and cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, whereas activity of the crude glandular stomach enzyme changed only slightly under equal condition. The omission of one of these components failed to reduce HisDC activity by as much as the complete system. Addition of bovine heart (type II) or rat cerebellum protein kinase A (types I and II) inhibitor to the assay prevented enzyme inactivation; moreover, protein kinase A inhibitors permitted moderate activation under phosphorylating and control conditions. Cytosolic hypothalamus HisDC activity was elevated 2-2.2-fold by incubating the cytosol for 15 min in the presence of MnCl2, a known stimulator of phosphoprotein phosphatase; this was prevented when 20 mM NaF, a common inhibitor of phosphoprotein phosphatase, was added to the cytosol. The apparent Km of ATP.Mg-treated hypothalamus HisDC for histidine was elevated 5-10-fold compared to controls, whereas the Vmax was approximately the same. Under this condition, the Km was calculated as high as 0.5-2.2 mM (depending on phosphorylating conditions), while controls had a Km of 0.1-0.3 mM (depending on the initial phosphorylating states). Addition of rabbit muscle (type I), bovine heart (type II) or rat cerebellum (types I and II) inhibitor of protein kinase A, to the phosphorylating mixture, abolished the difference in Km between control and ATP.Mg-treated HisDC. Moreover, rat cerebellum protein kinase A inhibitors increased Vmax to above the control level; while 20 mM NaF (inhibitor of phosphoprotein phosphatase) decreased Vmax to approximately one half of that of the controls. These data indicate that HisDC activity in the hypothalamus and the lungs, but not in the stomach, is affected in oppositely by protein kinase A and phosphoprotein phosphatases.