Accelerated calcium transport into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of the heart may mediate the inotropic actions of agents that act to increase adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) within the cell. Studies in our laboratory have shown that ATP-dependent Ca uptake by cardiac microsomes rich in SR is enhanced by pretreatment with bovine cardiac cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (cyclic AMP-PK). Ca2+-activated ATPase is increased concomitantly with Ca uptake, stoichiometric coupling of 2 moles of Ca2+ taken up per mole of ATP hydrolyzed remaining constant. The steady state level of Ca binding is not increased by cyclic AMP-PK pretreatment, suggesting that the turnover rate of the transport system rather than the number of transport sites is increased. Phosphorylation of the SR by protein kinase is half-maximal at approximately 10(-7) M cyclic AMP, a value similar to that which gives half-maximal stimulation of both Ca uptake and Ca2+-activated ATPase. Over 80 percent of the 32P associated with membrane protein is identifiable as phosphoserine and phosphothreonine. The 32P is incorporated into a 22,000-dalton protein as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This protein, which we have tentatively named phospholamban (lambda alpha mu beta alpha psi usilon epsilon omega = to receive) appears to particiapte in the regulation of calcium transport by the heart's SR and may play a role in the inotropic actions of drugs, such as epinephrine, which act upon the cyclic AMP-PK system.