Increased Diacylglycerol Levels Inhibit [20-3H]Phorbol 12, 13-Dibutyrate Binding and the Glucocorticoid-Mediated Increase in Glycerol Phosphate Dehydrogenase Levels in C6 Rat Glioma Cells

I examined whether the phorbol ester-mediated inhibition of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) induction could be mimicked by raising the cellular diacylglycerol levels. Phorbol ester tumor promoters and diacylglycerols activate protein kinase C. An increase in radiolabeled diacylglycerol levels in C6 rat glioma cells was observed when cells were prelabeled overnight with [3H]arachidonic acid and treated with either phospholipase C (Clostridium perfringens) or 2-bromooctanoate. The increase was dose dependent. The diacylglycerols competed with [20-3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate in binding to the phorbol ester receptor. A Scatchard analysis of the binding of cells treated with 0.1 unit/ml of phospholipase C demonstrated that the inhibition was mainly due to a decrease in binding affinity and not in the total number of binding sites. 2-Bromooctanoate and phospholipase C, but not the synthetic diacylglycerol 1-oleoyl 2-acetyl glycerol, inhibited the glucocorticoid induction of GPDH levels. Boiled phospholipase C, phospholipase A2, or phospholipase D was ineffective in inhibiting induction, a result suggesting that the inhibition was not due to nonspecific membrane perturbation. Thus, inhibition of the glucocorticoid-mediated increase in GPDH induction is most likely mediated by protein kinase C, and not by an alternate phorbol ester receptor.     

Tumor-promoting phorbol ester amplifies the inductions of tyrosine aminotransferase and ornithine decarboxylase by glucocorticoid

In adrenalectomized rats, the tumor-promoting phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) markedly enhanced the inductions of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) and ornithine decarboxylase by glucocorticoids, even with sufficient concentration of glucocorticoids to have a maximal effect, whereas it had no effect on TAT activity and increased ornithine decarboxylase activity only slightly in the absence of glucocorticoids. Phorbol derivatives and components of TPA such as 4 beta-phorbol, phorbol 12-tetradecanoate, phorbol 13-acetate, and 4-O-methylphorbol 12-tetradecanoate 13-acetate, which have no tumor-promoting activity or ability to activate protein kinase C, did not have any effect on TAT induction by glucocorticoid. TPA enhanced the induction of TAT by various glucocorticoids but had no effect on induction of TAT by glucagon or insulin and did not enhance the induction of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by 17 beta-estradiol. These results suggest that TPA specifically enhances the induction of TAT and ornithine decarboxylase by glucocorticoids. Similar effects of TPA on TAT induction by glucocorticoid were observed in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes. Another activator of protein kinase C, rac-1,2-dioctanoylglycerol, was also found to have similar effects on the cells.     

sn-1,2-Dioctanoylglycerol. A cell-permeable diacylglycerol that mimics phorbol diester action on the epidermal growth factor receptor and mitogenesis

The cell-permeable diacylglycerol, sn-1,2-dioctanoylglycerol (DiC8), is shown to mimic the effect of tumor promoting phorbol diesters on epidermal growth factor (EGF) binding and action in intact cells. DiC8 inhibited the binding of [3H]phorbol dibutyrate to A431 cell monolayers indicating that the diacylglycerol interacts with the phorbol diester receptor. At 0.3 microM, DiC8 half-maximally inhibited the high affinity binding of 125I-EGF to A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cells. Scatchard analysis indicated that the inhibition of 125I-EGF binding was very similar to that observed in the presence of 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta-myristate 13 alpha-acetate (PMA). DiC8 also mimicked the action of PMA to increase the phosphorylation state of the EGF receptor in 32P-labeled cells. Phosphoamino acid analysis demonstrated that DiC8 and PMA caused an increase in the level of EGF-receptor phosphoserine and phosphothreonine, whereas EGF caused an increase in the level of phosphoserine, phosphothreonine, and phosphotyrosine. Phosphopeptide mapping of the EGF receptor showed that DiC8 and PMA enhanced the phosphorylation of the same tryptic peptides. DiC8 inhibited the EGF-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGF receptor in A431 cells in a similar manner to that observed with PMA. In further experiments with quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts, DiC8 mimicked the ability of PMA to stimulate the incorporation of [methyl-3H]thymidine synergistically with low concentrations of EGF. This result indicates that DiC8 will mimic the long-term effects of PMA to regulate mitogenesis and raises the possibility that it may be active in two stage carcinogenesis. As both DiC8 and PMA stimulate the Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (C-kinase) in vitro, the results support the hypothesis that the activation of C-kinase is a critical component of phorbol diester action on EGF receptor modulation and cell proliferation.     

Effect of phorbol esters on down-regulation and redistribution of cell surface receptors for tumor necrosis factor-alpha

The effects of various phorbol esters on the interaction of human cells with recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rTNF-alpha) was investigated. Preexposure of several different types of cells with only biologically active tumor promoter, i.e. 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), inhibited the specific binding of rTNF-alpha to its receptor. The reduction in specific binding of TNF-alpha was observed only by PMA but not with several other phorbol esters tested. 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol, which is an analogue of the natural protein kinase C activator, diacylglycerol, was active in down-regulating TNF-alpha receptors but only at 1000 times concentration than PMA. Scatchard analysis of the binding data on U-937 cells revealed that PMA caused a decrease in high affinity cell surface receptor number (approximately 8300 versus approximately 2500 binding sites/cell) without any significant change in the dissociation constant (0.38 nM versus 0.32 nM). This decrease in receptor number is dependent on temperature, the time of exposure, and dose of PMA. Greater than 95% of the specific binding of 125I-TNF-alpha could be abolished within 10 min by preexposure of cells to 10 nM PMA at 37 degrees C. The down-regulation of receptors by PMA occurred only at 37 degrees C but not at 4 degrees C, suggesting a probable internalization of the receptors. The specific binding of TNF-alpha to detergent-solubilized cell extracts remained unchanged after exposure of cells to PMA. The rates of dissociation of TNF-alpha from the cell surface and the rate of internalization was not significantly affected by PMA, but the rate of disappearance from cell interior and its appearance into the medium was slightly enhanced by PMA. PMA did not alter the rate of degradation of the TNF-alpha nor cause the shedding of receptors into the medium. Approximately 70% of TNF-alpha cell surface receptors could be regenerated within 16 h after PMA removal. These results suggest the involvement of PMA-activated protein kinase C in down-regulation and redistribution of TNF-alpha receptors.     

Protein kinase C and phorbol ester receptor expression related to growth and differentiation of nullipotent and pluripotent embryonal carcinoma cells

We have characterized effects of phorbol, 12-myristate 13 acetate (PMA) on growth and differentiation in a nullipotent embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell line, F9, in a pluripotent EC line, P19, and in the differentiated derivatives of these cells, In P19EC and F9EC PMA addition resulted in inhibition of growth, while in the differentiated derivates PMA was mitogenic. PMA did not induce differentiation in EC cells but potentiated the retinoic acid (RA) induced differentiation in P19EC, although, not in F9EC. Rapid morphological changes by PMA were seen in P19EC and two differentiated derivatives which represent different stages of differentiation. In F9 no rapid morphological changes were induced by PMA. Using [3H]phorbol dibutyrate as a ligand we showed that during differentiation into endoderm-like cells the number of phorbol ester receptors increases, while in epithelial-like derivatives no increase is found. In differentiated cells with an increased number of phorbol ester receptors, the cytoplasmic Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (the putative receptor for phorbol esters) activity was also increased. Only in those derivatives where the number of phorbol ester receptors is increased, is the binding of epidermal growth factor (EGF) inhibited by PMA. These results suggest a relationship between levels of expression of phorbol ester receptors, cytoplasmic protein kinase C and biological effects, namely rapid morphological changes, altered growth, potentiation of RA induced differentiation, and inhibition of EGF binding.     

Modes of inhibitory action of 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in thrombin-stimulated arachidonic acid release in intact and permeabilized platelets

The tumor-promoting phorbol ester 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) inhibited thrombin-stimulated arachidonic acid (AA) release in rabbit and human platelets. PMA was effective over the same concentration range that activates protein kinase C in intact rabbit platelets: IC50 vs thrombin = 0.5 nM, greater than 90% inhibition at 10 nM. Suppression of thrombin-stimulated AA release was evident within 5 min of pretreatment with 1 nM PMA. A non-tumor-promoting phorbol ester, 4-O-methyl PMA, showed a very weak ability to inhibit AA release. Thrombin-stimulated serotonin secretion was progressively inhibited by PMA pretreatment in platelets, while PMA was a stimulus for secretion at higher concentrations. 1-(5-Isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methyl-piperazine (H-7), a selective inhibitor of protein kinase C, blocked PMA-induced inhibition of AA release. Furthermore, H-7 enhanced the effect of thrombin on AA release. PMA pretreatment reduced the inhibitory effect of thrombin on forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation, but had no effect on nonstimulated cAMP metabolism in the presence of thrombin. PMA did not inhibit AA release caused by A23187 or melittin. In digitonin-permeabilized platelets, thrombin plus guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S)-stimulated AA release, but not GTP gamma S- and AIF4(-)-stimulated AA release, was abolished by PMA pretreatment. These results suggest that activation of protein kinase C may exert negative feedback on the receptor-mediated activation of phospholipase A2. A possible uncoupling of thrombin receptor to GTP-binding protein leading to activation of phospholipase A2 by PMA pretreatment is discussed.     

Inhibition of human skin fibroblast proliferation by histamine and phorbol esters is mediated by protein kinase C

The proliferation of human skin fibroblasts in culture was examined using a [3H]thymidine incorporation assay. Histamine inhibited thymidine incorporation with an IC50 of about 0.2 microM. This effect was blocked by the H1 receptor antagonist mepyramine but not by the H2 receptor antagonist cimetidine. Protein kinase C activators, including several phorbol esters and mezerine, also inhibited thymidine incorporation. The IC50 for beta-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate was less than 0.1 nM. The alpha-isomer of this compound was inactive. Long-term treatment of cells with the beta-isomer eliminated the ability of both histamine and phorbol ester to inhibit thymidine incorporation, presumably due to downregulation of protein kinase C. Our results suggest that histamine H1 receptors are linked to activation of protein kinase C and that activation of this enzyme leads to an inhibition of cell proliferation.     

Activation of protein kinase C is not required for glyceraldehyde-stimulated insulin secretion from rat islets

Glyceraldehyde-induced insulin release from rat islets of Langerhans was not affected following down-regulation of protein kinase C (PKC) by prolonged exposure to the tumour-promoting phorbol ester, 4 beta-phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Glyceraldehyde did not cause translocation of islet PKC under conditions in which PMA stimulated redistribution of enzyme activity. These results indicate that activation of PKC is not required for glyceraldehyde stimulation of insulin secretion from normal rat islets.     

Reversible inhibition of the hydrocortisone induction of glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase by cytochalasin B in rat glial C6 cells

The hydrocortisone (HC) induction of glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH; EC 1.1.1.8) in rat glial C6 cells was inhibited reversibly and in a dose-dependent manner by cytochalasin B (CB). CB had no effect on basal level GPDH, total cellular RNA, DNA or protein content nor did it act as a general inhibitor of the rate of protein synthesis. CB did not appear to be acting via dissociation of microtubules since colcemid had no effect on the induction process. The addition of an alternate energy source (sodium pyruvate) did not relieve the CB inhibition of GPDH induction suggesting that CB is not exerting its effect by blocking glucose utilization. The inhibition by CB is not dependent on the temporal sequence of the induction process since it specifically inhibited GPDH induction at any time it was added. CB did not alter the rate of degradation of GPDH in these cells and direct measurements of the specific rate of synthesis of GPDH demonstrated that CB decreased the induced rate of GPDH synthesis by about 60%. The site of inhibition was more precisely defined by experiments which demonstrated a 60% decrease in specific nuclear binding of ³H-HC even though total cellular uptake of ³H-HC was unaffected. This effect on nuclear binding of HC is sufficient to account for the decreased accumulation of GPDH activity in CB-treated cells.     

Phorbol ester mimics ACTH action in corticoadrenal cells stimulating steroidogenesis, blocking cell cycle, changing cell shape, and inducing c-fos proto-oncogene expression

Cells of the Y-1 corticoadrenal line are: (a) functional, (b) cell cycle-arrested by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), (c) tumorigenic, and (d) c-Ki-ras overexpressing. We here report that the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) mimics all ACTH-specific effects in Y-1 cells, namely: (a) steroid-ogenesis stimulation, (b) cell cycle block, and (c) cell shape change. In addition, both ACTH and PMA caused a rapid and transient induction of the c-fos proto-oncogene while having no effect on c-Ki-ras mRNA steady state levels. Dibutyryl cAMP, known to elicit ACTH effects in Y-1 cells, was a poor inducer of the c-fos gene. PMA pretreatment rendered Y-1 cells unresponsive to ACTH. These results suggest that protein kinase C is likely to be involved in the mechanisms of action of ACTH.     

Insulin secretion and protein phosphorylation in PKC-depleted islets of Langerhans.

Protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent phosphorylation of endogenous substrates was measured in electrically permeabilised rat islets of Langerhans. The PKC-activating phorbol ester, 4 beta-phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), caused a slow but prolonged increase in insulin secretion from permeabilised islets, which was accompanied by increased 32P incorporation into several islet proteins of apparent M.W. 30-50 kDa. Depletion of islet PKC by prolonged exposure to PMA abolished subsequent secretory and phosphorylating responses to the phorbol ester. However, PKC-depleted islets did not show diminished responses to glucose, suggesting that PKC-mediated phosphorylation of these proteins is not essential for nutrient-induced insulin secretion.     

Suppression of phorbol myristate acetate-triggering of macrophage H2O2 release by sarcoma 180 originating factor

A high molecular weight proteinaceous factor in the cell extract of sarcoma 180 (S-180) was found to inhibit phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-triggering of macrophage H2O2 release. This factor (S-180 factor) was stable at 56 C for 1 hr and resistant to ultraviolet-irradiation. The S-180 factor inhibited the specific binding of PMA to macrophages and this was accompanied by a parallel reduction of PMA-triggered H2O2 release. S-180 factor preferentially depressed macrophage H2O2 release in response to phorbol diesters including PMA, 4 beta-phorbol 12 13 beta,13 alpha-diacetate, 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta,13 alpha-didecanoate, 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta,13 alpha-dibenzoate, and 4-omicron-methyl-PMA rather than the H2O2 release triggered by wheat germ agglutinin or by phagocytosis of latex particles. The S-180 factor failed to affect the PMA-elicited macrophage cell spreading and macrophage phagocytic activity against latex beads with or without PMA-mediated stimulation. A similar inhibitory factor was found in the extracts of some other murine tumor cells (Ehrlich carcinoma and thymic leukemia) and normal cells (liver, spleen, and peritoneal exudate cells).     

Phorbol esters alter muscarinic receptor binding and inhibit polyphosphoinositide breakdown in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells

Many recent reports have indicated that the effect of the phorbol ester tumor promoters is mediated through the Ca2+/phospholipid dependent protein kinase C. We have investigated the effect of two biologically active phorbol esters, 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta-myristate 13 alpha-acetate (PMA) and 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta,13 alpha-didecanoate (beta PDD) on muscarinic agonist binding and receptor-stimulated phosphoinositide breakdown in cultured human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells. Preincubation of these cells with phorbol esters significantly reduced the carbachol-stimulated breakdown of inositol phospholipids and caused a decrease of agonist affinity for [3H](-)methyl quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H](-)MQNB) binding without affecting the affinity of antagonist to the muscarinic receptor. The nontumor promoting 4 alpha-phorbol 12 beta,12 alpha-didecanoate (alpha PDD) was ineffective in our studies. These results suggest that the activation of protein kinase C may play an important role in regulating the muscarinic receptor system.     

Differential effects of the tumor promoter phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate on the morphological and biochemical differentiation of N-18 mouse neuroblastoma cells

The phorbol ester tumor promoter phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) was found to have differential inhibitory effects on the expression of morphological and biochemical differentiation of N-18 mouse neuroblastoma cells. PMA completely inhibited neurite extension and associated growth characteristics and partially inhibited the increased expression of R1 cAMP-binding protein; PMA had no effect on the induction of acetylcholinesterase activity in cells prompted to differentiate either by treatment with 1 mM dibutyryl cAMP or by serum deprivation. 4-alpha-Phorbol-12, 13-didecanoate, an inactive analogue of phorbol ester tumor promoter, was without effect. The implications of these findings concerning the mechanism of action of phorbol ester tumor promoters in the control of cell differentiation are discussed.     

Regulation of Glycerol Phosphate Dehydrogenase and Lactate Dehydrogenase Activity by Forskolin and Dibutyryl Cyclic AMP in the C6 Glial Cells

We have compared the effects of norepinephrine, forskolin, and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (Bt2cAMP) on the regulation of the cytosolic enzyme glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) in the C6 rat glioma cell line. Forskolin and Bt2cAMP elicit a dose-dependent increase in the levels of the enzyme that was, however, unaffected by norepinephrine. The half-maximal effect of forskolin was obtained at 7-8 microM, and the effect was maximal at 30 microM. Dexamethasone at a 50 nM concentration produced a two- to sixfold induction of GPDH after 48 h. The combination of dexamethasone with forskolin or Bt2cAMP leads to an elevation in GPDH levels that is higher than that produced by one of the compounds alone. This potentiation is found when both agents are added together with or after the glucocorticoid. The increase in uninduced and dexamethasone-induced GPDH activity was blocked by cycloheximide and actinomycin D, indicating that de novo protein and RNA synthesis are required. The activity of cytosolic lactate dehydrogenase activity did not change after incubation with dexamethasone, but increased with forskolin or Bt2cAMP.     

Protein kinase C-linked inactivation of the interleukin-1 receptor in a human transformed B-cell line

The effect of tumor-promoting phorbol ester treatment on the binding of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) to specific cell surface receptors was investigated. A 1 h exposure of Raji human B lymphoma cells with the protein kinase C-activating phorbol ester, phorbol dibutyrate (PDBu), reduced IL-1 beta binding by up to 90% of control cells. This effect was dose-dependent and was not observed with 4-alpha-phorbol, an inactive tumor promoter. Analysis of 125I-labeled IL-1 beta binding to intact cells revealed that PDBu caused a 91% decrease in high-affinity cell-surface receptor number without an effect on receptor affinity. The phorbol ester response was rapid (30 min), observed both at 4 and 37 degrees C, and was preceded by the rapid translocation (t much less than 6 min) of protein kinase C (PKC) from the cytosol to the cell membrane. The PDBu-induced decrease in IL-1 beta receptor number was inhibited by prior incubation of cells for 30 min with the PKC inhibitor 1-(5-Isoquinoline sulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H7). The decrease in receptor binding was not due to enhanced IL-1 beta receptor internalization or shedding into the extracellular medium, since a similar effect was observed with solubilized IL-1 beta receptor. The most likely explanation for the phorbol ester effect appears to be cell surface inactivation of IL-1 receptors. These data suggest that modulation of PKC activity could play a role in the regulation of the IL-1 beta receptor.     

Phorbol ester induces both gene expression and phosphorylation of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump.

Regulation of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump in the cell is of critical importance in maintaining calcium homeostasis. Since protein kinase C is known to regulate functions of cellular proteins by direct phosphorylation or by inducing their gene expression, we investigated the possible involvement of protein kinase C in the regulation of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump. The Ca2+ pump was isolated by immunoprecipitation from [32P]orthophosphate-labeled cultured rat aortic endothelial cells grown in the absence or presence of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), an activator of protein kinase C. PMA treatment of cells led to a rapid increase in the phosphorylation level (1.3-fold) within 5 min and a further increase to 2.9-fold after 3 h. Prolonged PMA treatment also induced the accumulation of the Ca2+ pump mRNA, followed by increased levels of the pump protein. The peak level of the pump mRNA induction occurred at 4 h and was 8-20-fold higher than the control culture without PMA. The rate of the Ca2+ pump protein accumulation was slower, reaching a maximum of 3.5-fold after 6 h. Induction of the pump mRNA was suppressed by the protein kinase C inhibitor 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine and by down-regulation of protein kinase C. Inactive phorbol ester 4 alpha-phorbol didecanoate also failed to mimic the PMA effect. These results suggest that the induction of Ca2+ pump expression is mediated by a protein kinase C-dependent mechanism. Furthermore, since the induction of the Ca2+ pump mRNA was blocked when cycloheximide and PMA were added together, this suggests that newly synthesized protein factor is needed to produce the mRNA induction. Our results suggest that protein kinase C is involved in the regulation of the Ca2+ pump in endothelial cells. At the protein level, it modifies the Ca2+ pump by phosphorylation, and at the gene level, it stimulates the expression of its mRNA and thereby increases the amount of the pump protein.