Protein kinase C subspecies in adult rat hippocampal synaptosomes. Activation by diacylglycerol and arachidonic acid

Synaptosomes isolated from the adult rat hippocampus contain the alpha- and beta-subspecies of protein kinase C (PKC), but not the gamma-subspecies which is abundantly expressed in the pyramidal cells in this brain region. Although the gamma-subspecies is known to respond significantly to free arachidonic acid, it is found that both the alpha- and beta-subspecies are also activated dramatically by arachidonic acid in synergistic action with diacylglycerol. Oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids are all active. It is possible that unsaturated fatty acids may take part in the activation of alpha- and beta-subspecies of PKC which are present in the presynaptic nerve endings terminating at the hippocampal pyramidal cells.     

Arachidonic acid and the control of body pattern inHydra

Summary Repeated stimulation ofHydra magnipapillata with the diacylglycerol (DG) 1,2-sn-dioctanoylglycerol (diC₈) induces an increase in positional value and eventually the development of ectopic heads. Upon stimulation, the polyps release [¹⁴C]-arachidonic acid from previously labelled endogenous sources. Arachidonic acid (AA) is not released into the external medium but remains within the animal, AA, linoleic acid and their lipoxygenase products were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Several metabolites were found, most abundantly 12-HETE (hydroxy-eicosa-tetraenoic acid), 8-HETE, 9-HODE (hydroxy-octadecadienoic acid), and 13-HODE; this is the first evidence of their presence in coelenterates. Externally applied AA causes ectopic head formation, though less effectively than diC₈. When administered simultaneously, (diC₈) and AA, which both are known to activate protein kinase C (PKC), act synergistically in inducing ectopic head formation. Since released endogenous AA can spread in tissues, it may mediate a temporal and spatial extension of PKC activation and, hence, broaden the range in which positional value increases. However, in addition to the activation of PKC, the generation of AA metabolites appears to be essential for the induction of ectopic head formation, since not only a selective inhibitor of PKC, chelerythrine, but also an inhibitor of lipoxygenases, NDGA (nordihydroguaiaretic acid), significantly reduces the effectiveness of both AA and DG. Correspondence to: W.A. Müller     

Characterization of protein kinase C in Xenopus oocytes.

Protein kinase C (PKC) was partially purified from Xenopus laevis oocytes by ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by DEAE-cellulose and hydroxyapatite column chromatography. In the latter chromatography, two distinct PKC activities were identified. Both PKC fractions contained an 80 kDa protein which was recognized by three antisera raised against the conserved regions of mammalian PKC. However, specific antisera against alpha, beta I, beta II, and gamma-subspecies of rat PKC did not recognize the protein. Kinetic properties of the Xenopus PKCs were very similar to those of the rat alpha PKC, and only a subtle difference was found in the mode of activation by arachidonic acid. When oocytes were treated with the tumor promoter, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, one of the Xenopus PKCs was found to disappear very rapidly, while the other remained unchanged up to 2 hr.     

Synaptosomal Protein Kinase C Subspecies: B. Down-Regulation Promoted by Phorbol Ester and Its Effect on Evoked Norepinephrine Release

The effect of phorbol esters was investigated on the down-regulation of protein kinase C (PKC) and on the release of [3H]norepinephrine (NE) in synaptosomes from the rat cerebrum. Treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) promoted the translocation of PKC activity in a P2 fraction from the cytosol to the membrane fraction and then its down-regulation, in a dose-dependent manner. TPA induced a rapid down-regulation of the type II(beta) and type III(alpha) subspecies, but did not change the activity of the type I(gamma) subspecies in the cytosolic fraction for at least 15 min. The gamma-subspecies was subsequently decreased at a slower rate. In the synaptosomes thus having only the gamma-subspecies, a subsequent dose of TPA could not enhance K(+)-evoked NE release, although, in the original synaptosomes, TPA was able to enhance K(+)-evoked NE release. Pretreatment with TPA did not alter the K(+)-evoked NE release itself. TPA was also found to enhance the K(+)-evoked NE release from synaptosomes prepared from both hippocampus, which express the gamma-subspecies of PKC at a negligible level, and cerebral cortex, which have a significant level of the gamma-subspecies, to the same degree. These results suggest that the gamma-subspecies of PKC does not participate in the TPA-enhanced K(+)-evoked NE release from synaptosomes.     

Synaptosomal Protein Kinase C Subspecies: A. Dynamic Changes in the Hippocampus and Cerebellar Cortex Concomitant with Synaptogenesis

The expression of protein kinase C (PKC) subspecies in synaptosomes prepared from a number of adult brain regions was compared. Cerebral cortical and thalamic/striatal synaptosomes were found to express three peaks of enzyme activity upon hydroxyapatite chromatography, corresponding to the type I(gamma), type II(beta), and type III(alpha) subspecies. Synaptosomes prepared from either the hippocampus or the cerebellar cortex, however, contained only two major peaks, corresponding to the alpha- and beta-subspecies, with barely detectable levels of the gamma-subspecies, even though these tissue areas were enriched in the latter enzyme. When the ontogenic pattern of hippocampal synaptosomal PKC subspecies was examined, it was found that at postnatal day 7, significant quantities of the gamma-subspecies were present and that this subspecies reached its peak levels at around postnatal day 14, before steadily declining to its adult level. Similar changes were observed also for the gamma-subspecies in cerebellar cortex synaptosomes. The dynamic changes in the synaptosomal PKC subspecies take place at a critical period in the development of the rat brain, concomitant with an active period of synaptogenesis, suggesting that it may play a role in synaptogenesis.     

Arachidonic acid-induced IL-6 expression is mediated by PKC alpha activation in osteoblastic cells

There are several pieces of evidence supporting the important role that essential fatty acids (EFAs) and their metabolites play in regulating calcium and bone metabolism, and their relevance to the pathobiology of bone disease, with particular reference to modulating effects on cytokines. We found that arachidonic acid (AA) triggers a cell signal in osteoblasts and leads to the expression of IL-6. To explore the biochemical pathways involved in AA induction of cytokine gene expression, we evaluated the potential protein kinase C (PKC) dependent mechanism accounting for the AA effect on IL-6 gene expression. The osteoblast-like cell line MG-63 was pretreated with calphostin C, a PKC inhibitor, or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for an extended period, a condition which causes PKC downregulation, and subsequently with AA. After these treatments, IL-6 gene expression was no longer evident. We also showed that PKC and, in particular, PKC alpha, which are both recruited to the particulate fraction, undergo proteolysis and autophosphorylation; all of these steps are required for PKC activation and, subsequently, for AA-induced signaling. It is interesting that other unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid (OA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are unable to induce either PKC activation or IL-6 gene expression.     

Protein kinases C translocation responses to low concentrations of arachidonic acid

Arachidonic acid (AA) directly activates protein kinases C (PKC) and may thereby serve as a regulatory signal during cell stimulation. The effect, however, requires a > or =20 microm concentration of the fatty acid. We find that human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) equilibrated with a ligand for the diacylglycerol receptor on PKC, [(3)H]phorbol dibutyrate (PDB), increased binding of [(3)H]PDB within 15 s of exposure to > or =10-30 nm AA. Other unsaturated fatty acids, but not a saturated fatty acid, likewise stimulated PDB binding. These responses, similar to those caused by chemotactic factors, resulted from a rise in the number of diacylglycerol receptors that were plasma membrane-associated and therefore accessible to PDB. Unlike chemotactic factors, however, AA was fully active on cells overloaded with Ca(2+) chelators. The major metabolites of AA made by PMN, leukotriene B(4) and 5-hydroxyicosatetraenoate, did not mimic AA, and an AA antimetabolite did not block responses to AA. AA also induced PMN to translocate cytosolic PKCalpha, beta(II), and delta to membranes. This response paralleled PDB binding with respect to dose requirements, time, Ca(2+)-independence, resistance to an AA antimetabolite, and induction by another unsaturated fatty acid but not by a saturated fatty acid. Finally, HEK 293 cells transfected with vectors encoding PKCbeta(I) or PKCdelta fused to the reporter enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were studied. AA caused EGFP-PKCbeta translocation from cytosol to plasma membrane at > or =0.5 microm, and EGFP-PKCdelta translocation from cytosol to nuclear and, to a lesser extent, plasma membrane at as little as 30 nm. We conclude that AA induces PKC translocations to specific membrane targets at concentrations 2-4 orders of magnitude below those activating the enzymes. These responses, at least as they occur in PMN, do not require changes in cell Ca(2+) or oxygenation of the fatty acid. AA seems more suited for signaling the movement than activation of PKC.     

Phorbol ester plus calcium ionophore induces release of arachidonic acid from membrane phospholipids of a human B cell line

Binding of LA350, a lymphoblastoid human B cell line, by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) plus a calcium ionophore, either ionomycin or A23187, produced unique alterations in the release of arachidonic acid (AA) from cellular phospholipids. After equilibrium labeling of cells with radioactive fatty acids, [14C]AA demonstrated a selective enhanced release from the cells in response to the binding of PMA plus calcium ionophore as compared to the release of [14C]stearic acid (STE), [3H]oleic acid (OLE) and [3H]palmitic acid (PAL). The major phospholipid sources of the released [14C]AA were shown to be phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol. The participation of protein kinase C (PKC) in the enhanced synergistic release of [14C]AA was demonstrated by the inhibition of the release by the PKC inhibitor, staurosporine. Approximately 2-6% of the labeled AA liberated was converted to 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid by an endogenous 5-lipoxygenase. Therefore during cell activation the B cell is capable of liberating AA via a PKC-dependent mechanism, implicating AA and/or its metabolites in signal transduction.     

Arachidonic acid metabolites alter G protein-mediated signal transduction in heart. Effects on muscarinic K+ channels

The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR)-stimulated, inwardly rectifying K+ current (IK [ACh]) was examined in single bullfrog atrial cells using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. IK[ACh] was activated either by bath addition of 1 microM ACh or via activation of the G protein, Gk, with guanosine-gamma-thiotriphosphate (GTP gamma S). Arachidonic acid (AA) modulated IK[ACh] under both conditions. AA decreased mAChR-stimulated IK[ACh] and increased the rate of decay from the peak current (desensitization). In addition, AA affected GTP gamma S-activated IK[ACh] by modulation of Gk. The effects of AA and its metabolites on Gk were assessed by examining their effects on both the basal rate of Gk activation by GTP gamma S, and the mAChR-mediated increase in activation rate produced by nanomolar ACh. AA increased the basal rate of GTP gamma S-mediated IK[ACh] activation, but reduced the ACh-induced augmentation of this rate. All of the effects of AA on GTP gamma S-mediated IK[ACh] activation were produced by metabolites. A lipoxygenase inhibitor, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), decreased the basal and ACh-enhanced rate of IK[ACh] activation in both the presence and absence of exogenous AA. In contrast, indomethacin (INDO), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, increased the basal rate of IK[ACh] activation by GTP gamma S in both the presence and absence of exogenous AA, and reversed the effects of AA on the ACh-augmented basal rate. AA metabolites produced via lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathways thus have opposing effects on the signal transduction pathway from mAChR to IK[ACh]. We directly tested a lipoxygenase pathway metabolite, LTC4, on GTP gamma S-mediated IK[ACh] activation and found that it not only overcame the inhibitory effects of NDGA, but also increased both the basal and ACh-augmented rate of IK[ACh] activation. From these data, we propose that AA metabolites modulate the function of Gk by altering its kinetic properties.     

Signalling events mediating the activation of protein kinase C by interleukin-2 in cytotoxic T cells.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) plays a vital role in the generation and regulation of the immune response, including important aspects of T cell survival. IL-2-mediated survival of T cells appears to be dependent on the activation of a pool of membrane-associated protein kinase C (PKC) that occurs in the absence of detectable translocation of the enzyme from the cytosol to membranes. In this report we investigate the mechanism(s) responsible for this PKC activation after IL-2 stimulation in the cytotoxic T cell line, CTLL-2. Tyrosine kinase activity, activated after IL-2 stimulation, was found not to be linked to the activation of PKC by the cytokine. On the other hand, a pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G protein did appear coupled to PKC activation since PTX effectively blocked IL-2 stimulated PKC activity. Diacylglycerols (DAG), but not inositol 1,3,5-triphosphate (IP3) and intracellular Ca2+, increased after IL-2 stimulation suggesting that DAGs were generated via the phosphatidylcholine-phospholipase C (PC-PLC) or phosphatidylcholine-phospholipase D (PC-PLD) pathways. The increase in DAG by IL-2 was probably necessary for activation of membrane-resident PKC since exogenously applied DAG stimulated this PKC pool in both intact cells and in isolated membranes. IL-2 also increased arachidonic acid (AA) production in CTLL-2 cells, probably via phospholipase A2 (PLA2) since the PLA2 inhibitors oleoyloxyethyl phosphocholine and AACOCF3 (AACF) effectively blocked IL-2 stimulated PKC activation. Exogenous AA also increased PKC activity in intact cells and isolated membranes, suggesting that AA produced by IL-2 receptor stimulation was probably linked to PKC activation. These results suggest that the activation of membrane-resident PKC by IL-2 involves multiple second messengers, including G proteins, DAG and AA.     

Protein kinase C gamma (PKC gamma): function of neuron specific isotype

The gamma isotype of protein kinase C (PKC gamma) is a member of the classical PKC (cPKC) subfamily which is activated by Ca(2+) and diacylglycerol in the presence of phosphatidylserine. Physiologically, PKC gamma is activated by a mechanism coupled with receptor-mediated breakdown of inositol phospholipid as other cPKC isotypes such as PKC alpha and PKC beta. PKC gamma is expressed solely in the brain and spinal cord and its localization is restricted to neurons, while PKC alpha and PKC beta are expressed in many tissues in addition to the brain. Within the brain, PKC gamma is the most abundant in the cerebellum, hippocampus and cerebral cortex, where the existence of neuronal plasticity has been demonstrated. Pharmacological and electrophysiological studies have shown that several neuronal functions, including long term potentiation (LTP) and long term depression (LTD), specifically require PKC gamma. Generation of mice deficient in PKC gamma provided more information regarding the physiological functions of this isotype. PKC gamma deficient mice (i) have modified long term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampus, (ii) exhibit mild deficits in spatial and contextual learning (iii) exhibit impaired motor coordination due to persistent multiple innervations of climbing fibers on Purkinje cells, (iv) show attenuation of opioid receptor activation, and (v) show decreased effects of ethanol on type A of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor. Furthermore, a point mutation in the PKC gamma gene may contribute to retinitis pigmentosa and Parkinsonian syndrome. This article reviews the specific functions of this neuron-specific isotype of PKC in neuronal signal transduction.     

Effect of phorbol myristate acetate on release of arachidonic acid and its metabolites in the osteoblastic MOB 3-4 cell line and its subclone, MOB 3-4-F2.

We examined the effect of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) on release of arachidonic acid (AA) and its metabolites in osteoblastic cells in an attempt to study mechanism of the regulation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity. In the MOB 3-4-F2 cell line, a subclone of the clonal osteoblastic MOB 3-4 cell line, PMA (0.1-100 nM) changed its appearance and increased AA release in a dose- and time-dependent manner, whereas 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (4 alpha-PDD) did not show a significant affect on the release. The addition of 1,2-bis(O-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA, greater than or equal to 1.5 mM), a Ca2+ chelator, almost completely inhibited the PMA-induced AA release without affecting the intrinsic AA release. Preincubation with staurosporine (5-20 nM), an inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC), partially (approximately 60%) blocked the AA release. However, 30-min preincubation with H-7 (50-200 microM), an inhibitor of PKC, failed to block the AA release. PMA, thus, appeared to stimulate AA release partially by a staurosporine-sensitive mechanism, probably an activation of PKC, in an external Ca(2+)-dependent manner. On the other hand, MOB 3-4 cells responded to PMA with an increased AA release but not with a drastic change of its shape. Both staurosporine and BAPTA exerted similar inhibitory effects. Prolonged exposure (48 h) to PMA (0.1-10 nM) enhanced DNA synthesis of MOB 3-4-F2 cells, but not MOB 3-4 cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Glutamate Exocytosis and MARCKS Phosphorylation Are Enhanced by a Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Coupled to a Protein Kinase C Synergistically Activated by Diacylglycerol and Arachidonic Acid

Abstract: 4-Aminopyridine evokes repetitive firing of synaptosomes and exocytosis of glutamate by inhibiting a dendrotoxin-sensitive K⁺ channel responsible for stabilizing the membrane potential. We have shown previously that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by high concentrations of phorbol ester (4β-phorbol dibutyrate) can increase release by inhibiting a dendrotoxin-insensitive ion channel, whereas the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonist (1 S ,3 R )-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylate [(1 S ,3 R )-ACPD] mimics the action of 4β-phorbol dibutyrate, but only in the presence of 2 µ M arachidonic acid (AA). In this article, we investigate the role of AA. AA plus (1 S ,3 R )-ACPD is without effect on KCl-induced glutamate exocytosis, indicating that the regulatory pathway acts upstream of the release-coupled Ca²⁺ channel or Ca²⁺-secretion coupling. Diacylglycerol concentrations are greatly enhanced by (1 S ,3 R )-ACPD alone, independently of AA, indicating that AA acts downstream of phospholipase C. Myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) is the major presynaptic substrate for PKC. mGluR activation by (1 S ,3 R )-ACPD enhances phosphorylation of MARCKS, but only in the presence of AA. These results strongly suggest that AA acts on presynaptic PKC synergistically with diacylglycerol generated by the phospholipase-coupled mGluR, consistent with the known behaviour of certain purified PKC isoforms. The magnitude of the effects observed in a population of rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes suggests that this is a major mechanism regulating the release of the brain's dominant excitatory neurotransmitter and supports the concept that AA, or a related compound with a similar locus of action, may in certain circumstances play a role in synaptic plasticity.     

Nitric oxide alters arachidonic acid turnover in brain cortex synaptoneurosomes

Nitric oxide (NO) and arachidonic acid (AA) and also its metabolites are very important inter- and intracellular second messengers. They are involved in mechanisms of learning and memory. However, liberated in excessive amount in brain ischemia, Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases they are responsible for cell degeneration and death. Previously, we could show that Alzheimer disease's amyloid-beta protein enhanced nitric oxide liberation. The role of NO in AA metabolism is till now not well understood. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms of NO-evoked activation of AA release and inhibition of AA incorporation into phospholipids of cortical rat brain synaptoneurosomes. The studies were carried out using NO donors, butyryl-cGMP (b-cGMP) and H2O2. All these compounds enhanced AA liberation from phosphatydilinositol (PI) and phosphatidylcholine (PC). Protein kinase ERK1/2, protein kinase C (PKC), cGMP-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) were involved in basal and NO-induced cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) activation. Moreover, NO donors, b-cGMP and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exerted inhibitory effect on AA incorporation into PI and PC influencing arachidonyl-CoA transferase (AA-CoA-T) activity. AA-CoA synthase (AA-CoA-S) activity did not change. Specific inhibitors of protein kinase ERK1/2 (UO126), PKC (GF109203X), PKG (KT5823) had no effect on NO-mediated lowering of AA incorporation into PI and PC but inhibited the basal AA-CoA-S activity. Our data indicated that AA (10 microM) itself markedly decreased AA incorporation by about 50% into phospholipids of synaptoneurosomes membranes. Increasing release of AA and its metabolites causes the lowering of AA incorporation evoked by NO, b-cGMP and H2O2. Antioxidant, Resveratrol (100 microM) prevented NO- and cGMP-evoked inhibition of AA incorporation. These results suggest that NO affects the intracellular level of AA through alteration of cPLA2 and AA-CoA acyltransferase activities and may have an important implication in alterations of nerve endings properties and function.     

Phospholipase D activation by norepinephrine is mediated by 12(s)-, 15(s)-, and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids generated by stimulation of cytosolic phospholipase a2. tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase d2 in response to norepinephrine

Norepinephrine (NE) stimulates phospholipase D (PLD) through a Ras/MAPK pathway in rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). NE also activates calcium influx and calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II-dependent cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)). Arachidonic acid (AA) released by cPLA(2)-catalyzed phospholipid hydrolysis is then metabolized into hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs) through lipoxygenase and cytochrome P450 4A (CYP4A) pathways. HETEs, in turn, have been shown to stimulate Ras translocation and to increase MAPK activity in VSMC. This study was conducted to determine the contribution of cPLA(2)-derived AA and its metabolites (HETEs) to the activation of PLD. NE-induced PLD activation was reduced by two structurally distinct CaM antagonists, W-7 and calmidazolium, and by CaM-dependent protein kinase II inhibition. Blockade of cPLA(2) activity or protein depletion with selective cPLA(2) antisense oligonucleotides abolished NE-induced PLD activation. The increase in PLD activity elicited by NE was also blocked by inhibitors of lipoxygenases (baicalein) and CYP4A (17-octadecynoic acid), but not of cyclooxygenase (indomethacin). AA and its metabolites (12(S)-, 15(S)-, and 20-HETEs) increased PLD activity. PLD activation by AA and HETEs was reduced by inhibitors of Ras farnesyltransferase (farnesyl protein transferase III and BMS-191563) and MEK (U0126 and PD98059). These data suggest that HETEs are the mediators of cPLA(2)-dependent PLD activation by NE in VSMC. In addition to cPLA(2), PLD was also found to contribute to AA release for prostacyclin production via the phosphatidate phosphohydrolase/diacylglycerol lipase pathway. Finally, a catalytically inactive PLD(2) (but not PLD(1)) mutant inhibited NE-induced PLD activity, and PLD(2) was tyrosine-phosphorylated in response to NE by a MAPK-dependent pathway. We conclude that NE stimulates cPLA(2)-dependent PLD(2) through lipoxygenase- and CYP4A-derived HETEs via the Ras/ERK pathway by a mechanism involving tyrosine phosphorylation of PLD(2) in rabbit VSMC.     

Requirement for diacylglycerol and protein kinase C in HeLa cell-substratum adhesion and their feedback amplification of arachidonic acid production for optimum cell spreading.

Release of arachidonic acid (AA) and subsequent formation of a lipoxygenase (LOX) metabolite(s) is an obligatory signal to induce spreading of HeLa cells on a gelatin substratum (Chun and Jacobson, 1992). This study characterizes signaling pathways that follow the LOX metabolite(s) formation. Levels of diacylglycerol (DG) increase upon attachment and before cell spreading on a gelatin substratum. DG production and cell spreading are insignificant when phospholipase A2 (PLA2) or LOX is blocked. In contrast, when cells in suspension where PLA2 activity is not stimulated are treated with exogenous AA, DG production is turned on, and inhibition of LOX turns it off. This indicates that the formation of a LOX metabolite(s) from AA released during cell attachment induces the production of DG. Consistent with the DG production is the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) which, as with AA and DG, occurs upon attachment and before cell spreading. Inhibition of AA release and subsequent DG production blocks both PKC activation and cell spreading. Cell spreading is also blocked by the inhibition of PKC with calphostin C or sphingosine. The inhibition of cell spreading induced by blocking AA release is reversed by the direct activation of PKC with phorbol ester. However, the inhibition of cell spreading induced by PKC inhibition is not reversed by exogenously applied AA. In addition, inhibition of PKC does not block AA release and DG production. The data indicate that there is a sequence of events triggered by HeLa cell attachment to a gelatin substratum that leads to the initiation of cell spreading: AA release, a LOX metabolite(s) formation, DG production, and PKC activation. The data also provide evidence indicating that HeLa cell spreading is a cyclic feedback amplification process centered on the production of AA, which is the first messenger produced in the sequence of messengers initiating cell spreading. Both DG and PKC activity that are increased during HeLa cell attachment to a gelatin substratum appear to be involved. DG not only activates PKC, which is essential for cell spreading, but is also hydrolyzed to AA. PKC, which is initially activated as consequence of AA production, also increases more AA production by activating PLA2.     

Arachidonic acid modulates hippocampal calcium current via protein kinase C and oxygen radicals

Arachidonic acid (AA) is a second messenger liberated via receptor activation of phospholipase A2 or diacylglycerol-lipase. We used whole-cell voltage clamp of acutely isolated hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells to investigate the hypothesis that AA modulates Ca2+ channel current (ICa) via activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and generation of free radicals. AA depressed ICa in a dose- and time-dependent manner similar to that previously reported for the action of phorbol esters on ICa. A similar depression was seen with a xanthine-based free radical generating system. The specific PKC inhibitor PKCI (19-36), the protein kinase inhibitor H-7, and the superoxide free radical scavenger SOD each blocked ICa depression by 70%-80%. Complete block of the AA response occurred when SOD was used simultaneously with a PKC inhibitor. These data suggest that PKC and free radicals play a role in AA-induced suppression of ICa.     

Involvement of group VI Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 in protein kinase C-dependent arachidonic acid liberation in zymosan-stimulated macrophage-like P388D1 cells.

We investigated the possible involvement of group VI Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2) in arachidonic acid (AA) liberation in zymosan-stimulated macrophage-like P388D1 cells. Zymosan-induced AA liberation was markedly inhibited by methyl arachidonoyl fluorophosphonate, a dual inhibitor of group IV cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and iPLA2. We found that a relatively specific iPLA2 inhibitor, bromoenol lactone, significantly decreased the zymosan-induced AA liberation in parallel with the decrease in iPLA2 activity, without an effect on diacylglycerol formation. Consistent with this, attenuation of iPLA2 activity by a group VI iPLA2 antisense oligonucleotide resulted in a decrease in zymosan-induced prostaglandin D2 generation. These findings suggest that zymosan-induced AA liberation may be, at least in part, mediated by iPLA2. A protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor diminished zymosan-induced AA liberation, while a PKC activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), enhanced the liberation. Bromoenol lactone suppressed the PMA-enhanced AA liberation without any effect on PMA-induced PKC activation. Down-regulation of PKCalpha on prolonged exposure to PMA also decreased zymosan-induced AA liberation. Under these conditions, the remaining AA liberation was insensitive to bromoenol lactone. Furthermore, the PKC depletion suppressed increases in iPLA2 proteins and the activity in the membrane fraction of zymosan-stimulated cells. In contrast, the zymosan-induced increases in iPLA2 proteins and the activity in the fraction were facilitated by simultaneous addition of PMA. Although intracellular Ca2+ depletion prevented zymosan-induced AA liberation, the translocation of PKCalpha to membranes was also inhibited. Taken together, we propose that zymosan may stimulate iPLA2-mediated AA liberation, probably through a PKC-dependent mechanism.