The role of protein kinase C in the stimulation of phosphatidylcholine synthesis by phospholipase C

The role of protein kinase C in the stimulation of phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis by phospholipase C was investigated. Phospholipase C treatment of Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) generates diacylglycerol, which is an activator of protein kinase C. The protein kinase C activator, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) stimulated choline incorporation into two CHO cell lines, a wild-type cell line, WTB, and a mutant cell line, DTG 1-5-4. DTG 1-5-4 is a mutant defective in receptor-mediated endocytosis. A 3-h phospholipase C treatment resulted in the activation and translocation of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase in both cell lines. TPA treatment, however, resulted in only a slight (20%) translocation of cytidylyltransferase in WTB; no detectable translocation of cytidylyltransferase was observed in DTG 1-5-4. A decrease in the phosphocholine pools was observed in response to TPA treatment in both cell lines, which indicated that the cytidylyltransferase step was being activated. Phospholipase C stimulated choline incorporation into PC even when protein kinase C had been down-regulated in both cell lines. It was concluded that phospholipase C does not activate PC synthesis by activating protein kinase C.     

The effects of phorbol ester on mouse blastomeres: a role for protein kinase C in compaction?

The effects of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and other activators of protein kinase C on the cytoskeletal organization of mouse oocytes and early embryos have been examined. The effects observed depended on the developmental stage on exposure to PMA. PMA had little effect on the cytoskeletal or microvillous organization of unfertilized oocytes. Interphase cells from embryos prior to compaction showed limited disruption and loss of microvilli when exposed to PMA and foci of polymerized actin remained visible in the cytocortex of embryos up to the early 8-cell stage. When compacted late 8-cell embryos were exposed to PMA, most microvilli were lost and little polymerized actin remained in the cytocortex. PMA also caused loss of microtubules from compact 8-cell embryos under some experimental conditions. Intercellular flattening was both prevented and reversed. The relevance of these observations to the rearrangement of cell-cell contacts and cytoskeletal organization seen during compaction at the 8-cell stage is discussed and a possible role for protein kinase C in the generation of cell polarity proposed.     

Activation of protein kinase C by a tumor-promoting phorbol ester in pancreatic islets

Rat pancreatic islet homogenates display protein kinase C activity. This phospholipid-dependent and calcium-sensitive enzyme is activated by diacylglycerol or the tumor-promoting phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). In the presence of TPA, the Ka for Ca2+ is close to 5 microM. TPA does not affect phosphoinositide turnover but stimulates [32P]- and [3H]choline-labelling of phosphatidylcholine in intact islets. Exogenous phospholipase C stimulates insulin release, in a sustained and glucose-independent fashion. The secretory response to phospholipase C persists in media deprived of CaCl2. It is proposed that protein kinase C participates in the coupling of stimulus recognition to insulin release evoked by TPA, phospholipase C and, possibly, those secretatogues causing phosphoinositide breakdown in pancreatic islets.     

Evidence for phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis by phospholipase C in rat platelets.

Production of [3H]1,2-dipalmitoylglycerol ([3H]DAG) from 1-palmitoyl-2-[9,10-3H]palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and [3H]phosphorylcholine from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-[Me-3H]phosphocholine was studied using sonicated rat platelets. The formation of [3H]DAG and [3H]phosphorylcholine occurred at a comparable rate. [3H]Phosphorylcholine formation was dependent on the concentration of the substrate, platelet sonicates and calcium in the incubation medium. The [3H]phosphorylcholine formation increased in presence of 0.01% deoxycholate and 0.01% Triton X-100. The phosphatidylcholine-phospholipase C (PC-PLC) in the platelet sonicates was recovered in both the supernatant and particulate fractions obtained after ultracentrifugation at 105,000 x g for 1 h. The PC-PLC activity in both fractions was inhibited by 2 mM EDTA. In the presence of 0.01% deoxycholate and 0.01% Triton X-100 the activity in the particulate fraction increased compared to the activity in the supernatant, which was inhibited by 0.01% Triton X-100. The pH optima for PC-PLC in both fractions was between pH 7.2 and 7.6. PC-PLC activity was also found in rabbit and human platelet sonicates, but the activity was significantly lower than in rat platelet sonicates. There was no evidence to suggest presence of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase D activity in rat sonicated platelets. This data, therefore, provides direct evidence for the presence of PC-PLC activity in rat platelets.     

Inhibition of phorbol ester binding and protein kinase C activity by heavy metals

Other laboratories have reported biphasic effects of heavy metals on protein kinase C activity: stimulation followed by inhibition at higher concentrations. We demonstrate that these earlier findings most likely resulted from a combination of the effect of the heavy metals to liberate Ca2+ from Ca2+-EGTA buffer systems and the direct inhibitory effects of the metals on protein kinase C. Simulations of such interactions substantiate this conclusion. When soluble protein kinase C is prepared without the addition of Ca2+ or chelator, heavy metals (Cd2+, Cu2+, Hg2+, Zn2+, in the 10 microM range) inhibit the activity of, and the binding of regulatory ligands to, protein kinase C. Heavy metals inhibit the extent of [3H]phorbol dibutyrate binding without affecting the affinity of the interaction, an inhibition that is not surmounted by excess phospholipid. Heavy metals also inhibit the phospholipid-dependent catalytic activity of protein kinase C in a manner that excess phosphatidylserine can overcome. The inhibition of enzyme activity by heavy metals cannot be surmounted by excess Ca2+ or Mg2+. The inhibitory effects of heavy metals are not confined to protein kinase C. Heavy metals also inhibit cyclic AMP binding to cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and the catalytic activity of that kinase, but in a distinctly different pattern.     

Protein kinase C negatively modulated by phorbol ester

Pretreatment of protein kinase C with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and phospholipid resulted in complete inhibition of ATP/phosphotransferase activity, irreversibly. The inactivation by TPA required the phospholipid, and TPA alone did not cause inactivation. Ca2+ and diacylglycerol mimicked TPA. This action of TPA was not general for all protein kinases as it did not accelerate the inactivation of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase by phospholipid. The addition of MgATP to the reaction mixture completely protected protein kinase C from being inactivated by TPA, in the presence of phospholipid. The nucleotide-binding site of the enzyme was probably influenced by the binding of TPA and phospholipid.     

The long-term combined stimulatory effects of ethanol and phorbol ester on phosphatidylethanolamine hydrolysis are mediated by a phospholipase C and prevented by overexpressed alpha-protein kinase C in fibroblasts.

The protein kinase C (PKC) activator 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) has been shown to potentiate the stimulatory effect of ethanol on the hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Following an initial 20-min period, the main product of PtdEtn degradation in cells treated with TPA plus ethanol was ethanolamine phosphate. Here, we have examined the regulatory role of PKC and the possible catalytic role of phospholipase C in the formation of ethanolamine phosphate. TPA, bryostatin, and bombesin, direct or indirect activators of PKC, had similar potentiating effects on ethanol-induced formation of [14C]ethanolamine phosphate from [14C]PtdEtn in [14C]ethanolamine-prelabelled NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. At lower concentrations of ethanol (40-80 mM), significant stimulation of ethanolamine phosphate formation required longer treatments (2 h or longer). The combined effects of TPA (100 nM) and ethanol (50-200 mM) on ethanolamine phosphate formation were not inhibited by the PKC inhibitors staurosporine or 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H7). In contrast, these inhibitors significantly inhibited TPA-induced formation of ethanolamine, catalyzed by a phospholipase-D-type enzyme. In membranes isolated from TPA+ethanol-treated cells, enhanced formation of ethanolamine phosphate was maintained for at least 20 min. Down-regulation of PKC by prolonged (24-h) treatment of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts by 300 nM TPA enhanced, while overexpression of alpha-PKC in Balb/c fibroblasts diminished, the stimulatory effect of ethanol on the formation of ethanolamine phosphate. Finally, addition of the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid (2 microM) to fibroblasts inhibited TPA+ethanol-induced formation of ethanolamine phosphate. These results suggest that alpha-PKC-mediated protein phosphorylation may negatively regulate PtdEtn hydrolysis and that the potentiating effect of TPA may result, at least partly, from increased degradation of this PKC isoform.     

Mechanism of inhibition of adenylate cyclase by phospholipase C-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine. Involvement of a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein and protein kinase C.

The phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine has been shown recently to be activated by a number of agonists. Muscarinic receptors, which trigger various signal transduction mechanisms including inhibition of adenylate cyclase through Gi, have been shown to be potent stimulants of this novel phospholipid degradative pathway. We demonstrate here, by exogenous addition of Bacillus cereus phosphatidylcholine-hydrolyzing phospholipase C, that phosphatidylcholine breakdown mimics the ability of carbachol to inhibit adenylate cyclase. This effect is sensitive to pertussis toxin and is entirely dependent on the presence of protein kinase C. This kinase is also required for the inhibition by carbachol of adenylate cyclase. These results suggest that the activation of phosphatidylcholine breakdown by phospholipase C may play an important role linking or favoring the coupling muscarinic receptors to Gi. Results presented here also show that phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoinositides by exogenous addition of Bacillus thuringiensis phosphoinositide-hydrolyzing phospholipase C does not affect adenylate cyclase, despite the fact that protein kinase C is translocated to an extent similar to that produced by the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine. According to the results shown here, both phospholipases also differ in their ability to down-regulate protein kinase C as well as to phosphorylate p80 and to transmodulate the binding of epidermal growth factor, two well established effects of protein kinase C in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. This emphasizes the complexity, from a functional point of view, of protein kinase C activation "in vivo."     

Conventional protein kinase C isoforms mediate neuroprotection induced by phorbol ester and estrogen

Rapid signal transduction pathways play a prominent role in mediating neuroprotective actions of estrogen in the CNS. We have previously shown that estrogen-induced neuroprotection of primary cerebrocortical neurons from beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) toxicity depends on activation of protein kinase C (PKC). PKC activation with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) also provides neuroprotection in this paradigm. Because the PKC family includes several isoforms that have opposing roles in regulating cell survival, we sought to identify which PKC isoforms contribute to neuroprotection induced by PMA and estrogen. We detected protein expression of multiple PKC isoforms in primary neuron cultures, including conventional (alpha, betaI, betaII), novel (delta, epsilon, theta) and atypical (zeta, iota/lambda) PKC. Using a panel of isoform-specific peptide inhibitors and activators, we find that novel and atypical PKC isoforms do not participate in the mechanism of either PMA or estrogen neuroprotection. In contrast, a selective peptide activator of conventional PKC isoforms provides dose-dependent neuroprotection against Abeta toxicity. In addition, peptide inhibitors of conventional, betaI, or betaII PKC isoforms significantly reduce protection afforded by PMA or 17beta-estradiol. Taken together, these data provide evidence that conventional PKC isoforms mediate phorbol ester and estrogen neuroprotection of cultured neurons challenged by Abeta toxicity.     

Kinetic evidence that 1,2-diolein inhibits phorbol ester binding to protein kinase C via a competitive mechanism

Diacylglycerols inhibit binding of [20-3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate ([3H]PDBu) to protein kinase C (the phorbol ester receptor). This inhibition could reflect competitive binding by the diglyceride. Alternatively, it might simply represent perturbation of the lipid environment required for binding activity. As predicted for a competitive mechanism, we report here that inhibitory concentrations of the diglyceride 1,2-diolein do not affect the off-rate of [3H]PDBu from its receptor. This behavior contrasts with that of arachidonic acid, which appears to interact via a mixed mechanism.     

A phorbol ester and a daphnane ester stimulate a calcium-independent kinase activity from human mononuclear cells

TPA and a non-promoting, pro-inflammatory ester RX were used to stimulate the forms of PKC isolated from human mononuclear cells. Three peaks of kinase activity corresponding to gamma, beta and alpha PKC were stimulated by TPA in the presence and absence of calcium and/or phosphatidylserine (PS) but were not activated by RX. A fourth peak eluted at high phosphate concentration was activated by TPA and RX in the presence of PS and the absence of calcium. Activity in this fraction was labile to freezing and thawing and was inhibited by staurosporine.     

Evidence for protein kinase C independent activation of phospholipase D by phorbol esters in lymphocytes

Recently it was reported that tumor-promoting phorbol esters stimulate the production of phosphatidylethanol (PEt) in lymphocytes through the activation of phospholipase D (PLD). However, it remains unclear whether this activation is mediated through protein kinase (PKC). The study reported here shows that tumor promoters 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), phorbol dibutyrate (PDBU), 12-deoxyphorbol-13-phenylacetate (DOPP), 12-deoxyphorbol-13-phenylacetate-20-acetate (DOPPA) and mezerin activated PLD, as measured by the formation of PEt, whereas Concanavalin A (ConA) had no effect. Inhibitors of PKC, sphingosine (2 x 10(-6) M - 5 x 10(-6) M), H-7, HA1004 (5 x 10(-7) - 5 x 10(-6) M) and K252a (1 x 10(-7) - 1 x 10(-6) M) failed to block the PEt synthesis induced by TPA. In fact, sphingosine increased it. Other PKC activators, 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG) and dioctanoylglycerol (DiC8) had no effect on lymphocyte PLD activity. Analysis of the phospholipid contents after stimulation by TPA showed that only phosphatidylcholine (PC) was significantly decreased. Interestingly, TPA activated PLD in intact cells but not in lysates or subcellular fractions. These observations suggest that stimulation of PLD-catalyzed PEt synthesis by TPA is not solely mediated through PKC activation.     

Evidence for a protein kinase C-directed mechanism in the phorbol diester-induced phospholipase D pathway of diacylglycerol generation from phosphatidylcholine

In this study we provide evidence for the involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in phorbol diester-induced phosphatidylcholine (PC) hydrolysis by the phospholipase D pathway. Rat embryo fibroblasts (REF52) were prelabeled with either tritiated choline or myristic acid; these compounds are preferentially incorporated into cellular PC. Phorbol diester-induced PC degradation was determined by measuring the release of [3H]choline, and the formation of [3H]myristoyl-containing phosphatidate (PA), diacylglycerol (DG), and phosphatidylethanol (PE). Staurosporine, a PKC inhibitor, blocked from 73 to 90% of the phorbol diester-induced PC hydrolysis. The inhibition of phorbol diester-induced choline release by staurosporine was dose dependent with an approximate ED50 of 150 nM. Pretreatment of cells with phorbol diester inhibited subsequent phorbol diester-induced PC degradation by 78-92%. A close correlation between the ED50 for phorbol diester-stimulated choline release and the Kd for phorbol diester binding was demonstrated. Neither forskolin nor dibutyryl cAMP elicited cellular PC degradation. In vitro experiments using phospholipase D from Streptomyces chromofuscus showed that staurosporine did not inhibit and TPA did not stimulate enzyme activity.     

Assessment of receptor-dependent activation of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis by both phospholipase D and phospholipase C.

Enhancement of cellular phospholipase D (PLD)-1 and phospholipase C (PLC)-mediated hydrolysis of endogenous phosphatidylcholine (PC) during receptor-mediated cell activation has received increasing attention inasmuch as both enzymes can result in the formation of 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG). The activities of PLD and PLC were examined in purified mast cells by quantitating the mass of the water-soluble hydrolysis products choline and phosphorylcholine, respectively. Using an assay based on choline kinase-mediated phosphorylation of choline that is capable of measuring choline and phosphorylcholine in the low picomole range, we quantitated the masses of both cell-associated and extracellular choline and phosphorylcholine. Activating mast cells by crosslinking its immunoglobulin E receptor (Fc epsilon-RI) resulted in an increase in cellular choline from 13.1 +/- 1.2 pmol/10(6) mast cells (mean +/- SE in unstimulated cells) to levels 5- to 10-fold higher, peaking 20 s after stimulation and rapidly returning toward baseline. The increase in cellular choline mass paralleled the increase in labeled phosphatidic acid accumulation detected in stimulated cells prelabeled with [3H]palmitic acid and preceded the increase in labeled DAG. Although intracellular phosphorylcholine levels were approximately 15-fold greater than choline in unstimulated cells (182 +/- 19 pmol/10(6) mast cells), stimulation resulted in a significant fall in phosphorylcholine levels shortly after stimulation. Pulse chase experiments demonstrated that the receptor-dependent increase in intracellular choline and the fall in phosphorylcholine were not due to hydrolysis of intracellular phosphorylcholine and suggested a receptor-dependent increase in PC resynthesis. When the extracellular medium was examined for the presence of water-soluble products of PC hydrolysis, receptor-dependent increases in the mass of both choline and phosphorylcholine were observed. Labeling studies demonstrated that these extracellular increases were not the result of leakage of these compounds from the cytosol. Taken together, these data lend support for a quantitatively greater role for receptor-mediated PC-PLD compared with PC-PLC during activation of mast cells.     

Activation of glucose transport in skeletal muscle by phospholipase C and phorbol ester. Evaluation of the regulatory roles of protein kinase C and calcium

It has been hypothesized on the basis of studies on BC3H-1 myocytes that diacylglycerol generation with activation of protein kinase C (PKC) is involved in the stimulation of glucose transport in muscle by insulin (Standaert, M. L., Farese, R. V., Cooper, R. D., and Pollet, R. J. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 8696-8705). In the present study, we used the rat epitrochlearis muscle to evaluate the possibility that PKC activity mediates the stimulation of glucose transport by insulin in mammalian skeletal muscle. Phospholipase C from Clostridium perfringens (PLC-Cp), which generates diacylglycerol from membrane phospholipids, and 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta-myristate 13 alpha-acetate (PMA) induced increases in glucose transport activity (assessed using 3-O-methylglucose transport) that were approximately 80 and approximately 20% as great, respectively, as that induced by a maximal insulin stimulus. PLC-Cp and PMA both caused a approximately 2-fold increase in membrane-associated PKC activity. In contrast, insulin did not affect PKC activity. These findings argue against a role of diacylglycerol-mediated PKC activation in the stimulation of skeletal muscle glucose transport by insulin. They also show that the BC3H-1 myocyte is not a good model for studying regulation of glucose transport in skeletal muscle. Neither the submaximal nor maximal effects of PLC-Cp and insulin on glucose transport were additive, suggesting that PLC-Cp interferes with insulin action. The maximal effects of PLC-Cp and hypoxia or muscle contractions were also not additive. However, the submaximal effects of hypoxia and PLC-Cp were completely additive. These findings raise the possibility that PLC-Cp stimulates glucose transport by the exercise/hypoxia-activated, not the insulin-activated, pathway in skeletal muscle. Exposure to PLC-Cp activated glycogen phosphorylase and potentiated twitch tension in response to electrical stimulation, providing evidence that PLC-Cp increases cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration. Dantrolene, an inhibitor of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, completely blocked both the activation of phosphorylase and the stimulation of glucose transport by PLC-Cp. These findings provide evidence that an increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration is involved in the activation of glucose transport in skeletal muscle by PLC-Cp.     

Differentiative action of K252a on protein kinase C and a calcium-unresponsive, phorbol ester/phospholipid-activated protein kinase

The Triton X-100 extract of the particulate fraction of porcine spleen contains a protein kinase which can be activated by phospholipid and the phorbol ester TPA but does not respond to phospholipid and calcium. The partially purified kinase has a molecular weight of 76 kDa (p76-kinase) and hence is somewhat smaller than the similarly behaving p82-kinase from mouse epidermis and spleen. The p76-kinase shows strong autophosphorylation. The protein kinase inhibitor K252a clearly differentiates between the Ca2+-unresponsive p76-kinase and Ca2+-responsive PKC. At concentrations of up to 5 x 10(-7)M it fails to suppress p76-kinase-catalyzed autophosphorylation and histone phosphorylation, but it inhibits PKC-catalyzed phosphorylation up to 50%. The IC50 values of K252a regarding PKC and the p76-kinase differ by two orders of magnitude. At low concentrations, K252a appears to slightly activate further TPA-activated p76-kinase. It is not able, however, to replace TPA and to stimulate the p76-kinase in the presence of phospholipid alone.