Amount Of Protein Kinase C Research Articles

Peptides Derived from the C2 Domain of Protein Kinase Cϵ (ϵPKC) Modulate ϵPKC Activity and Identify Potential Protein-Protein Interaction Surfaces

Peptides Derived from the C2 Domain of Protein Kinase Cϵ (ϵPKC) Modulate ϵPKC Activity and Identify Potential Protein-Protein Interaction Surfaces

Protein Kinase C Isoforms Are Translocated to Microtubules in Neurons

Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) increases microtubule (MT) growth lifetimes, resulting in extension of a nocodazole-sensitive population of MTs in Aplysia growth cones. We examined whether the two phorbol ester-activated PKCs in Aplysia, the Ca(2+)-activated PKC Apl I and the Ca(2+)-independent PKC Apl II, are associated with these MTs. Phorbol esters translocated PKC to the Triton X-100-insoluble fraction, and a significant portion of this translocated pool was sensitive to low concentrations of nocodazole. Low doses of nocodazole had no effect on the amount of PKC in the Triton X-100-insoluble fraction in the absence of phorbol esters, whereas higher doses of nocodazole reduced basal levels of PKC Apl II. The F-actin cytoskeletal disrupter, latrunculin A, removed both PKCs from the Triton X-100-insoluble fraction in both control and phorbol ester-treated nervous systems. PKC Apl II also directly interacted with purified MTs. In detergent-extracted cells, both PKCs immunolocalized predominantly with MTs. PKCs were associated with newly formed MTs invading the actin-rich peripheral growth cone domain after PKC activation. Our results are consistent with a central role for PKCs in regulating MT extension.

The effects of antiepileptic drugs on spatial learning and hippocampal protein kinase C γ in immature rats

This study was conducted to determine if alterations in hippocampal protein kinase C (PKC) γ is one of the cellular mechanisms by which conventional antiepileptic drugs affect learning and memory. Wistar Rats (21-day-old) were divided into five groups: (1) control (no training and drugs); (2) training group (no drugs); (3) phenobarbital (PB) group; (4) carbamazepine (CBZ) group; and (5) valproate (VPA) group. A hippocampus dependent learning task (spatial changing learning) was used in the latter four groups lasting a total of 10 days. Correct responding rate of training group was significantly higher ( P<0.05) than in the PB, CBZ and VPA group. The PKC γ staining intensity in hippocampal CA1–2 region of training group was significant greater than that of the control and PB group. There was no difference in staining intensities between the CBZ, VPA group or training group. The amount of PKC γ located in plasma membrane of hippocampal neurons was significantly higher in the training group ( P<0.05) than the control, PB and VPA groups. No differences were found between the training and CBZ group. Lastly, the amount of PKC γ in cytosol of hippocampus did not significantly differ between any of the five groups. These results indicate that the three antiepileptic drugs used in this study all disturbed the spatial learning of immature rats. Spatial learning was concomitant with activation of PKC γ in hippocampal neurons. PB and VPA likely adversely affect learning and memory by interfering with PKC γ activation, whereas CBZ may act by a different mechanism, possibly in the post-translocation process or by a PKC γ independent pathway.

Effect of age on calcium-dependent proteins in hippocampus of senescence-accelerated mice

The senescence-accelerated P8 mouse (SAMP8) is a well-characterized model for the age-related decline in acquisition and retention. Calcium-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) and calcium–calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CAM K) have been implicated in these processes in the hippocampus. Therefore, the expression of hippocampal PKC and CAM K was determined in SAMP8 mice aged 4, 8, and 12 months. As measured by Western blotting, total hippocampal PKC-gamma protein declined linearly with age. In addition, the distribution of the PKC-gamma also changed with age. The amount of PKC in the particulate fraction declined linearly with age relative to the soluble PKC. The decline in total PKC and particulate PKC correlated with the previously reported decline in retention but not with the decline in acquisition. Western blotting revealed no consistent change in CAM KII protein levels. In addition to protein levels, Ca-dependent protein kinase activity may also be affected by changes in intracellular Ca concentration. Therefore, the levels of calbindin and the plasma membrane Ca pump, two proteins involved in maintaining low levels of intracellular Ca, were measured in the hippocampus. Calbindin protein declined progressively with age, but there was no significant change in total plasma membrane Ca pump expression. These studies demonstrate a decrease in the amount and distribution of hippocampal PKC-gamma in the SAMP8 between 4 and 12 months that is associated with decreased retention.

Protein kinase C- α levels are inversely associated with growth rate in cultured human dermal fibroblasts

Human dermal fibroblasts are known to express the α, δ, ε, and ζ isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC). We asked whether the growth of human dermal fibroblasts correlates with expression of a particular PKC isoform. Of total PKC activity measured in the presence of calcium, a condition permissive for activation of all PKC isoforms, 75% was contributed by PKC- α, suggesting that PKC- α is the dominant isoform in human dermal fibroblasts. We then further studied PKC- α under different culture conditions and in cultures derived from different aged donors. In both subconfluent and confluent cultures, total PKC activity and the level of PKC- α protein were consistently higher in slowly proliferating adult cells than in more rapidly proliferating newborn cells. Moreover, in newborn fibroblasts density strongly influenced these parameters. At subconfluent density, when cells were dividing exponentially, total PKC activity was 345±63 cpm/ μg protein; whereas at confluent density, when cells were growth arrested, it was 6-7 fold higher, 2334±50 cpm/ μg protein. Immunoblot analysis using a specific monoclonal antibody against PKC- α exhibited a similar 6–7 fold increase in the level of PKC- α protein at confluent density. However, in adult cells, density had no influence on the already high total activity or level of PKC- α. To further determine whether the increases in the levels of total PKC activity and the α isoform correlate with the decreased growth rate, a characteristic of both adult donor-derived and confluent cells, total PKC activity and the level of PKC- α in subconfluent quiescent cells was compared to that in paired exponentially growing cells at the same density. Total PKC activity was 8836±71 cpm/ μg protein in subconfluent quiescent cells versus 4415±175 cpm/ μg protein in dividing cells. The level of PKC- α protein was also 2–3 fold higher in quiescent than in growing cultures. However, the amount of PKC- α mRNA in these two conditions was identical as determined by northern blot analysis. Taken together, these results suggest an inverse relationship between the levels of total PKC activity and PKC- α protein and fibroblast growth rate that is regulated at the post-transcriptional level.

Comparison of the Changes in Protein Kinase C Induced by Glutamate in Primary Cortical Neurons and by in Vivo Cerebral Ischaemia

Changes in protein kinase C (PKC) were compared in primary cortical neurons exposed to glutamate and in the CA-1 hippocampal region of rats subjected to transient cerebral ischaemia. After a 15-min exposure of cortical neurons to excitotoxic levels of glutamate, a 50–60% loss of membrane PKC activity but only about a 20 % loss in the amount of enzyme was observed, suggesting that in addition to enzyme loss other mechanisms also contributed to the overall loss of membrane PKC activity. Glutamate induced a 25–40% decrease in immunodetectable levels of PKC α, β, γ, and λ but no detectable changes in PCK ϵ and ζ. The loss of PKC activity coincided with a shift in electrophoretic mobility of PKC γ, ϵ, and λ, but not of PKC α, β, or ζ, suggesting post-translational modification of some PKC isoforms. By comparison, in rats subjected to transient (15-min) global ischaemia, a similar 50–60% decrease in membrane PKC activity, a 20–25 % loss in the amount of PKC, and a shift in PKC mobility were observed in CA-1 neurons 6 h post-reperfusion. In both the in vivo and the in vitro “ischaemic” models, administration of the AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX prevented the loss of PKC activity. These results indicate that the loss of PKC observed in in vivo ischaemia is likely to be due to excitotoxic damage and that this event can be closely mirrored in primary neuronal cultures damaged by glutamate.

The level of expression of a protein kinase C gene may be an important component of the patterning process in Hydra.

Several studies have provided strong, but indirect evidence that signalling through pathways involving protein kinase C (PKC) plays an important role in morphogenesis and patterning in Hydra. We have cloned a gene (HvPKC2) from Hydra vulgaris which encodes a member of the nPKC subfamily. In adult polyps, HvPKC2 is expressed at high levels in two locations, the endoderm of the foot and the endoderm of the hypostomal tip. Increased expression of HvPKC2 is an early event during head and foot regeneration, with the rise in expression being restricted to the endodermal cells underlying the regenerating ends. No upregulation is observed if regenerates are cut too close to the head to form a foot. Elevated expression of HvPKC2 is also observed in the endoderm underlying lithium-induced ectopic feet. A dynamic and complex pattern of expression is seen in developing buds. Regeneration of either head or foot is accompanied by an increase in the amount of PKC in both soluble and particulate fractions. An increase in the fraction of PKC activity which is membrane-bound is specifically associated with head regeneration. Taken together these data suggest that patterning of the head and foot in Hydra is controlled in part by the level of HvPKC2 expression, whilst head formation is accompanied by an in vivo activation of both calcium-dependent and independent PKC isoforms.

Spatial memory is related to hippocampal subcellular concentrations of calcium-dependent protein kinase C isoforms in young and aged rats.

Relationships were examined between spatial learning and hippocampal concentrations of the alpha, beta2, and gamma isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC), an enzyme implicated in neuronal plasticity and memory formation. Concentrations of PKC were determined for individual 6-month-old (n = 13) and 24-month-old (n = 27) male Long-Evans rats trained in the water maze on a standard place-learning task and a transfer task designed for rapid acquisition. The results showed significant relationships between spatial learning and the amount of PKC among individual subjects, and those relationships differed according to age, isoform, and subcellular fraction. Among 6-month-old rats, those with the best spatial memory were those with the highest concentrations of PKCgamma in the particulate fraction and of PKCbeta2 in the soluble fraction. Aged rats had increased hippocampal PKCgamma concentrations in both subcellular fractions in comparison with young rats, and memory impairment was correlated with higher PKCgamma concentrations in the soluble fraction. No age difference or correlations with behavior were found for concentrations of PKCgamma in a comparison structure, the neostriatum, or for PKCalpha in the hippocampus. Relationships between spatial learning and hippocampal concentrations of calcium-dependent PKC are isoform-specific. Moreover, age-related spatial memory impairment is associated with altered subcellular concentrations of PKCgamma and may be indicative of deficient signal transduction and neuronal plasticity in the hippocampal formation.

Expression of protein kinase C isoforms during cardiac ventricular development.

The expression of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms (PKC-alpha, PKC-beta 1, PKC-delta, PKC-epsilon, and PKC-zeta) was studied by immunoblotting in whole ventricles of rat hearts during postnatal development (1-26 days) and in the adult. PKC-alpha, PKC-beta 1, PKC-delta, PKC-epsilon, and PKC-zeta were detected in ventricles of 1-day-old rats, although PKC-alpha and PKC-beta 1 were only barely detectable. All isoforms were rapidly downregulated during development, with abundances relative to total protein declining in the adult to < 25% of 1-day-old values. PKC-beta 1 was not detectable in adult ventricles. The specific activity of PKC was also downregulated. The rat ventricular myocyte becomes amitotic soon after birth but continues to grow, increasing its protein content 40- to 50-fold between the neonate and the 300-g adult. An important question is thus whether the amount of PKC per myocyte is downregulated. With the use of isolated cells, immunoblotting showed that the contents per myocyte of PKC-alpha and PKC-epsilon increased approximately 10-fold between the neonatal and adult stages. In rat ventricles, the rank of association with the particulate fraction was PKC-delta > PKC-epsilon > PKC-zeta. Association of these isoforms with the particulate fraction was less in the adult than in the neonate. In primary cultures of ventricular myocytes prepared from neonatal rat hearts, 1 microM 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) elicited translocation of PKC-alpha, PKC-delta, and PKC-epsilon from the soluble to the particulate fraction in < 1 min, after which time no further translocation was observed. Prolonged exposure (16 h) of myocytes to 1 microM TPA caused essentially complete downregulation of these isoforms, although downregulation of PKC-epsilon was slower than for PKC-delta. In contrast, PKC-zeta was neither translocated nor downregulated by 1 microM TPA. Immunoblotting of human ventricular samples also revealed downregulation of PKC relative to total protein during fetal/postnatal development.

Inositol lipid signalling occurs in brush-border membranes during initiation of compensatory renal growth in the rat.

Using highly specific mass assays, concentrations of inositol lipids and 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) were determined in plasma membranes isolated from rat kidney cortex. Significantly higher concentrations of inositol lipids were determined in brush-border (BBM) than in basal-lateral (BLM) plasma membranes, although DAG concentrations were similar in both. After unilateral nephrectomy, a decrease in PtdIns(4,5)P2 and PtdIns4P, with a concomitant increase in DAG and translocation of protein kinase C (PKC), were observed in BBM but not in BLM isolated from the remaining kidney. On the other hand, stimulation of renal cortical slices with insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) or phenylephrine caused similar effects in BLM but not in BBM. Stimulation of phospholipase C activity with translocation of PKC only to BBM in one kidney was also induced by occlusion of blood flow through the contralateral kidney for 15 min. At 30 min after the occlusion was removed and reflow established, DAG concentration and the amount of PKC in BBM returned to control values. These results suggest that an early signal after unilateral nephrectomy is transmitted to cells through BBM and can be switched on and off by blood occlusion and reflow through the contralateral kidney, while hormonal signals caused by IGF-II and phenylephrine are transmitted to cells through BLM.

Prolonged activation of alpha 1 adrenoceptors induces down-regulation of protein kinase C in vascular smooth muscle.

Sustained exposure of vascular smooth muscle to catecholamines results in desensitization of alpha 1-adrenoreceptor-mediated vascular smooth muscle contraction. The present study was designed to determine the effects of prolonged exposure of blood vessels to catecholamines on protein kinase C (PKC) activity. Incubation of rat aortic smooth muscle with 10 microM norepinephrine (NE) for 4 h resulted in a threefold decrease in sensitivity of the contractile response of rat aortic smooth muscle to the phorbol ester 4 beta-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu); this loss in sensitivity was dependent on the presence of endothelium. NE induced a 45% decrease in enzymatic activity of the soluble and particulate forms of PKC. With [3H]PDBu used to label phorbol ester receptor binding sites in the aorta, there was a 34% decrease in [3H]PDBu binding sites in NE-treated blood vessels without change in binding affinity for the ligand. To determine whether this loss in enzymatic activity and [3H]PDBu binding resulted from a decrease in the quantity of the enzyme, Western blot analyses were performed using a monoclonal antibody (MoAb) against PKC. This approach confirmed the presence of an 80-Kd immunoreactive PKC in the soluble fraction of rat aortic smooth muscle and demonstrated a 44% decrease in the amount of PKC in blood vessels after sustained exposure to catecholamines. Our results demonstrate that prolonged activation of alpha-adrenoceptors in blood vessels leads to down-regulation of PKC which may contribute to desensitization of contraction mediated by vasoconstrictors.

Defective stimulus-response coupling in human monocytes infected with Leishmania donovani is associated with altered activation and translocation of protein kinase C.

Stimulus-response coupling through protein kinase C (PKC) was shown to be defective in mononuclear phagocytes (M phi) infected with Leishmania donovani. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced oxidative burst activity and protein phosphorylation were markedly attenuated in infected M phi. These results were not explained either by quantitative alterations in amounts of PKC or by altered phorbol ester binding but were related to defects in kinase activation. Analysis in vitro of the kinetic properties of PKC from infected M phi revealed an approximately 2-fold increase in the concentration of 1,2-dioleoyl-rac-glycerol required to achieve half-maximal kinase activation. Evidence for abnormal PKC activation in vivo was reflected by attenuation of PMA-induced translocation of enzyme to the particulate fraction of infected cells. These results provide direct evidence that infection with Leishmania inhibits activation of, and therefore intracellular signaling dependent on, PKC. Inhibition of stimulus-response coupling through PKC provides a basis for understanding impairment of cellular activation by Leishmania and may contribute to chronic infection.

Interrelated Effects of Insulin and Glucose on Diacylglycerol-Protein Kinase-C Signalling in Rat Adipocytes and Solei Musclein Vitroandin Vivoin Diabetic Rats*

The effects of insulin and glucose, alone and combined, on diacylglycerol (DAG), protein kinase-C (PKC), and glucose transport were compared in rat adipocytes and solei incubated in medium containing 0-20 mM glucose. In both tissues insulin rapidly stimulated [3H]DAG production from [3H]glycerol; extracellular glucose masked this effect in adipocytes, but not in solei. [3H]Glucose was avidly converted to DAG in adipocytes, and this conversion was enhanced by insulin. In contrast, [3H]glucose was poorly converted to DAG in solei. Glucose alone (5-20 mM) stimulated PKC translocation in adipocytes, but not in solei. Insulin stimulated PKC translocation in both tissues at all glucose concentrations. However, glucose modulated this effect of insulin in adipocytes by 1) decreasing cytosolic PKC and the absolute amount of PKC translocated, and 2) promoting apparent turnover of membrane PKC. In contrast, in solei, glucose did not affect PKC levels or translocation responses to insulin. In keeping with DAG-PKC signalling, the relative glucose transport effects of insulin were influenced by extracellular glucose in adipocytes, but not in solei. These results suggest that 1) glucose-induced PKC translocation requires metabolism of glucose to DAG; 2) glucose activates DAG-PKC signalling in adipocytes, but not in solei; 3) insulin activates DAG-PKC signalling in both tissues at all glucose levels; and 4) glucose may modulate the effects of insulin on DAG-PKC signalling in adipocytes, but not in solei. Consistent with in vitro results, in solei taken directly from diabetic rats, membrane PKC was decreased, and cytosolic PKC was increased, presumably reflecting diminished PKC translocation due to hypoinsulinemia. In contrast, in adipose tissue, cytosolic PKC was decreased, presumably reflecting hyperglycemia-induced PKC translocation. Accordingly, DAG levels were increased in adipose tissue, but not in solei, in diabetic rats, and insulin increased DAG in both tissues.

Possible involvement of protein kinase C in the development of raphe neurons in primary culture

Abstract The evolution of protein kinase C (PKC) is studied over the development of primary culture of neurons, performed with raphe nuclei cells of 14 days old rat embryos. The amount of PKC, expressed per mg of protein, is increased during the first week of development and attains a maximal value, whereas the neurons have reached their in vitro maturity state, after an intense phase of growth and differentiation. The influence of 12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on the development of one of the most abundant neurotransmitter phenotype present in the culture, the serotonergic one is also investigated. TPA (10 nM) accelerates the growth and the differentiation of serotonergic neurons without down-regulating PKC activity in the culture. Morphological effects were quantified by image analysis. The measure of serotonin immunostained surface was significantly increased in the cultures treated with TPA vs controls. We also observed and quantified an increase in the intensity of immunostaining in the soma of treated neurons. This last result suggests a possible stimulation of serotonin synthesis by TPA. The transport of serotonin may also be stimulated by TPA, as suggested by the morphology of the growth cones. At variance, the uptake of serotonin is not affected by TPA. These data indicate, through the analysis of the in vitro development of neurons in primary culture, that PKC is involved in neuronal growth and differentiation.

Discrimination learning alters the distribution of protein kinase C in the hippocampus of rats

Protein kinase C (PKC), an enzyme that plays an essential role in eukaryotic cell regulation (Nishizuka, 1988; Huang et al., 1989), is critical to memory storage processes both in the marine snail Hermissenda crassicornis and in the rabbit (Alkon et al., 1988; Bank et al., 1988; Olds et al., 1989). Specifically, activation of PKC mimics neurobiological correlates of classical conditioning in both Hermissenda and the rabbit, and the distribution of the enzyme within the rabbit hippocampus changes after Pavlovian conditioning. Here, we report that the amount of PKC, as assayed by specific binding of 3H-phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (3H-PDBU), decreased significantly within the hippocampal CA3 cell region in rats trained to solve a water maze task either by cognitive mapping or by visual discrimination strategies, but not in control rats. Furthermore, hippocampal lesions interfered with acquisition of both of these tasks. We interpret these findings to support the conclusion that distributional changes of PKC within the mammalian hippocampus play a crucial role in memory storage processes.

Association of protein kinase C with phospholipid monolayers: two-stage irreversible binding.

The association of protein kinase C (PKC) with phospholipid (PL) monolayers spread at the air-water interface was examined. PKC-PL binding induced surface pressure changes that were dependent on the amount of PKC, the phospholipid composition of the monolayers, the presence of Ca2+, and the initial surface pressure of the monolayer (pi 0). Examination of surface pressure increases induced by PKC as a function of phospholipid surface pressure, pi 0, revealed that PKC-phosphatidylserine (PS) association had a critical pressure of 43 dyn/cm. Above this surface pressure, PKC cannot cause further surface pressure changes. This high critical pressure indicated that PKC should be able to penetrate many biological membranes which appear to have surface pressures of about 30 dyn/cm. PKC-induced surface pressure changes were Ca2+ dependent only for PL monolayers spread at a pi 0 greater than 26 dyn/cm. PKC alone (in the absence of PL) formed a film at the air-water interface with a surface pressure of about 26 dyn/cm. Calcium-dependent binding was studied at the higher surface pressures which effectively excluded PKC from the air-water interface. Subphase depletion measurements suggested that association of PKC with PS monolayers consisted of two stages: a rapid Ca2+-dependent interaction followed by a slower process that resulted in irreversible binding of PKC to the monolayer. The second stage appeared to involve penetration of PKC into the hydrocarbon region of the phospholipid. The commonly used in vitro substrates for PKC, histone and protamine sulfate, also associated with and penetrated PS monolayers with critical pressures of 50 and 60 dyn/cm, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)