Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate competitively inhibits phorbol ester binding to protein kinase C

Calcium phospholipid dependent protein kinase C (PKC) is activated by diacylglycerol (DG) and by phorbol esters and is recognized to be the phorbol ester receptor of cells; DG displaces phorbol ester competitively from PKC. A phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), can also activate PKC in the presence of phosphatidylserine (PS) and Ca2+ with a KPIP2 of 0.04 mol %. Preliminary experiments have suggested a common binding site for PIP2 and DG on PKC. Here, we investigate the effect of PIP2 on phorbol ester binding to PKC in a mixed micellar assay. In the presence of 20 mol % PS, PIP2 inhibited specific binding of [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) in a dose-dependent fashion up to 85% at 1 mol %. Inhibition of binding was more pronounced with PIP2 than with DG. Scatchard analysis indicated that the decrease in binding of PDBu in the presence of PIP2 is the result of an altered affinity for the phorbol ester rather than of a change in maximal binding. The plot of apparent dissociation constants (Kd') against PIP2 concentration was linear over a range of 0.01-1 mol % with a Ki of 0.043 mol % and confirmed the competitive nature of inhibition between PDBu and PIP2. Competition between PIP2 and phorbol ester could be demonstrated in a liposomal assay system also. These results indicate that PIP2, DG, and phorbol ester all compete for the same activator-receiving region on the regulatory moiety of protein kinase C, and they lend support to the suggestion that PIP2 is a primary activator of the enzyme.     

Concanavalin A and phorbol ester cause opposite subcellular redistribution of protein kinase C

Concanavalin A and phorbol ester induce human blood monocytes to produce superoxide. We tested whether activation of human monocytes by these agents is accompanied by a subcellular redistribution of protein kinase C. Phorbol ester predictably caused a profound shift of the enzyme from the cytosol to the particulate fraction. In contrast concanavalin A induced a shift of the enzyme from the particulate fraction to the cytosol. The opposite effect of these agents on kinase C translocation was observed also by analysis of the phosphorylation of cytosolic proteins. Kinase C is either not involved in monocyte activation or does so by distinct pathways determined by the activating agent.     

Substitution by fatty acids for phosphatidylserine in a reconstitution of phorbol ester binding to protein kinase C.

1. Fatty acids can be substituted or phosphatidylserine in a reconstitution of phorbol ester binding to protein kinase C. 2. Phorbol ester, however, does not seem to be effectively utilized for the activation of the enzyme. 3. It is suggested that fatty acids play a role on the activation of protein kinase C in the abnormal conditions such as ischemia, while the phospholipid-dependent activation has a physiological significance in normal conditions.     

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.     

TPA induces subcellular translocation and subsequent down-regulation of both phorbol ester binding and protein kinase C activities in MCF-7 cells

Phorbol ester TPA has been previously shown to induce a rapid translocation, followed by a progressive decline of protein kinase C activity in MCF-7 cells (J.M. Darbon et al, 1986, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 137: 1159-1166). We show now a parallel TPA-induced movement of phorbol ester binding sites from the cytosolic to the particulate fraction with no change in the binding affinities for the (3H) PDBu probe (KD congruent to 2 nM). The subcellular redistribution process is followed by a rapid decrease of the phorbol ester binding capacity at the membrane level. The concomitant decline in both phorbol ester binding and protein kinase C activities that we observed during the course of TPA treatment strongly argues for a real down-regulation of the enzyme in phorbol ester-treated MCF-7 cells. The molecular mechanisms of these events and their relations to the inhibition of cell growth remain to be clarified.     

Phospholipid functional groups involved in protein kinase C activation, phorbol ester binding, and binding to mixed micelles

The specificity of the phospholipid cofactor requirement of rat brain protein kinase C was investigated using Triton X-100 mixed micellar methods. Sixteen analogues of phosphatidylserine were prepared and tested for their ability to support protein kinase C activity, [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding, and protein kinase C binding to mixed micelles. Phosphatidylserinol, -L-serine methyl ester, -N-acetyl-L-serine, -2-hydroxyacetate, -3-hydroxypropionate, and -4-hydroxybutyrate did not activate protein kinase C in mixed micelles containing 2 mol % of sn-1,2-dioleoylglycerol. This indicates that both the carboxyl and amino moieties are important for activation. Phosphatidyl-D-serine and -L-homoserine were incapable of supporting full activation; this demonstrates stereospecificity and the importance of the distance between the phosphate and carboxyl and amino moieties. Since 1,2-rac-phosphatidyl-L-serine and 1,3-phosphatidyl-L-serine fully supported protein kinase C activity, the stereochemistry within the glycerol backbone at the interface was not necessary for maximal activation. Neither lysophosphatidyl-L-serine nor 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine supported protein kinase C activity implying that the interfacial conformation is critical to the activation process. The phospholipid dependencies of [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding and of protein kinase C binding to mixed micelles containing sn-1,2-dioleoylglycerol did not mirror those for activation. The data demonstrate that protein kinase C possesses a high degree of specificity with respect to phospholipid activation and implicate several functional groups within the phospho-L-serine polar head group in binding and activation.     

Evidence of protein kinase C involvement in phorbol diester-stimulated arachidonic acid release and prostaglandin synthesis

Many stimulators of prostaglandin production are thought to activate the Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase first described by Nishizuka and his colleagues (Takai, Y., Kishimoto, A., Iwasa, Y., Kawahara, Y., Mori, T., and Nishizuka, Y. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 3692-3695. In this paper we report evidence that the activation of protein kinase C caused by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) is involved in the increased prostaglandin production induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. We have shown that TPA activates protein kinase C in MDCK cells with similar dose response curve as observed for TPA induction of arachidonic acid release in MDCK cells. Activation of protein kinase C was associated with increased phosphorylation of proteins of 40,000 and 48,000 daltons. We used two compounds (1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OMe) and 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)piperazine) known to inhibit protein kinase C by different mechanisms to further examine if activation of protein kinase C was involved in the increased synthesis of prostaglandins in TPA-treated MDCK cells. We found that both compounds inhibited protein kinase C partially purified from MDCK cells and that ET-18-OMe inhibited the phosphorylation of proteins by protein kinase C in the intact cells. Addition of either compound during or after TPA treatment decreased both release of arachidonic acid from phospholipids and prostaglandin synthesis. Release of [3H]arachidonic acid from phosphatidylethanolamine in TPA-treated cells was blocked by ET-18-OMe or 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)piperazine addition. However, arachidonic acid release stimulated by A23187 is not blocked by Et-18-OMe. When assayed in vitro, treatment of cells with Et-18-OMe did not prevent the enhanced conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins induced by pretreatment of cells with TPA. Our results suggest that the stimulation of phospholipase A2 activity by TPA occurs via activation of protein kinase C by TPA.     

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.     

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.     

Synergy between zinc and phorbol ester in translocation of protein kinase C to cytoskeleton

Protein kinase C was measured in the cytoskeletal fraction of lymphocytes, platelets and HL60 cells, by specific binding of [3H]phorbol dibutyrate and by immunoblotting with antibody to a consensus sequence in the regulatory domain of alpha-, beta- and gamma-isozymes of protein kinase C. Treatment of cells for 40 min with a combination of zinc (2-50 microM), zinc ionophore pyrithione and unlabelled phorbol dibutyrate (200 nM) caused up to a ten-fold increase in cytoskeletal protein kinase C and a corresponding decrease in other cellular compartments. Omission of any of the reagents resulted in much less or no translocation. These effects were inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline, which chelates zinc, and were not seen with calcium. Increase in cytoskeletal protein kinase C persisted for several hours and appeared to involve attachment of the enzyme to actin microfilaments. We propose that zinc, like calcium, regulates the distribution of PKC in cells. However, unlike calcium which controls the binding of PKC to the lipid component on cell membranes, zinc controls the distribution of PKC to membrane cytoskeleton, possibly actin.     

Long-term phorbol ester treatment down-regulates protein kinase C and sensitizes the phosphoinositide signaling pathway to hormone and growth factor stimulation. Evidence for a role of protein kinase C in agonist-induced desensitization

Exposure of a nontransformed, continuous line of epithelial cells derived from rat liver (WB cells) to epidermal growth factor, angiotensin II, [Arg8]vasopressin, and epinephrine resulted in rapid accumulation of the inositol phosphates (InsP) InsP1, InsP2, and InsP3. Although short-term (5-60 min) pretreatment of WB cells with the phorbol ester 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta-myristate 13 alpha-acetate (PMA) markedly attenuated InsP accumulation in response to all agonists, the inhibitory effects on the InsP response were lost after 2 h incubation with PMA; and, with extended (6-24 h) preincubation, a time-dependent potentiation of the InsP response to angiotensin II, epidermal growth factor and [Arg8]vasopressin was observed. The InsP response during a 15-min challenge with angiotensin II in cells pretreated for 18 h with 600 nM and 10 microM PMA was increased by 2-3-fold and 4-6-fold, respectively. Long-term (18 h) treatment with 600 nM and 10 microM PMA caused a similar 90-100% loss of measurable Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent enzyme (protein kinase C) activity in cytosolic and soluble particulate fractions. The effects of long-term PMA pretreatment do not represent a general enhancement of hormone responsiveness since the InsP response to epinephrine was not affected. In control cells, the InsP response to angiotensin II and epinephrine desensitized very rapidly. Long-term pretreatment with PMA greatly reduced the contribution of agonist-induced desensitization to the angiotensin II response; in contrast, the extent of desensitization occurring during incubation of WB cells with epinephrine was unaltered by long-term treatment with PMA suggesting that an additional mechanism may be involved in alpha 1-adrenergic receptor desensitization. No PMA-induced change in resting levels of [3H]phosphoinositides or the metabolism of exogenous [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate by WB homogenates occurred. Stimulation of InsP formation in intact cells by NaF and activation of phospholipase C by GTP gamma S in membranes both were unaltered by short-term or long-term PMA pretreatment. These data are consistent with the idea that following long-term treatment of WB cells with PMA, the occurrence of agonist-induced desensitization of receptors linked to the phosphoinositide/Ca2+ signaling system is reduced, apparently at least in part due to the loss of contribution of a negative feedback regulatory role of protein kinase C.     

Effect of the phorbol ester TPA on PTH secretion. Evidence for a role for protein kinase C in the control of PTH release

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion is stimulated by low extracellular calcium (Ca2+) in association with a reduction in cyosolic Ca2+, indicating that this cell type does not conform to classical models of stimulus-secretion coupling. We used the phorbol ester TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate), which directly activates protein kinase C, to investigate the possible role of this enzyme in the unusual secretory properties of the parathyroid cell. TPA causes a dose-dependent stimulation of PTH release inhibited by high extracellular Ca2+ (EC50 = 10 nM) but has relatively little effect on secretion stimulated by low Ca2+. This effect was mimicked by the beta 4-isomer of phorbol 12,13-didecanoate which also activates kinase C, but not by the alpha 4-isomer, which has no effect on this enzyme. TPA does not modify cellular cAMP or cytosolic Ca2+ in the parathyroid cell indicating that its effects on PTH secretion are not mediated indirectly via changes in these second messengers. These results suggest that inhibition of PTH release at high Ca2+ might be related to a reduction in protein kinase C activity which can be overcome when the enzyme is directly activated by TPA.     

Evidence for the functional involvement of protein kinase C in the action of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in bone.

In the present study the involvement of protein kinase C in the action of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) on osteoblast-like cells and in the stimulation of in vitro bone resorption by 1,25(OH)2D3 was examined. Incubation for 24 h with 1,25(OH)2D3 potently stimulated osteocalcin synthesis by ROS 17/2.8 cells. This stimulation was inhibited (30-70% inhibition) by 25 microM of the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycerol (AMG) and sphingosine without affecting basal osteocalcin synthesis. 1,25(OH)2D3-stimulated osteocalcin secretion by nontransformed isolated fetal rat osteoblasts was also inhibited (30-55%) by AMG. Also, AMG inhibited 10(-9) M 1,25(OH)2D3-induced up-regulation of vitamin D receptor in ROS 17/2.8 cells. Activation of PKC with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) did not cause an increase in osteocalcin secretion, while only a small increase in cellular content of osteocalcin in ROS 17/2.8 cells was observed. Addition of PMA together with 1,25(OH)2D3 did not change the response to 1,25(OH)2D3. The PKC inhibitors were not toxic for the cells. 1,25(OH)2D3 did not stimulate diacylglycerol production in ROS 17/2.8 cells up to 5 min after administration. However, 4- and 24-h incubation with 10 nM 1,25(OH)2D3 increased phorbol ester binding in ROS 17/2.8 cells. 1,25(OH)2D3 potently stimulated bone resorption after 3 and 6 days of culture in fetal mouse long bones and calvaria. Both the PKC inhibitors AMG (25 microM) and staurosporine (50 nM) strongly inhibited (60-86% inhibition) 1,25(OH)2D3-stimulated bone resorption without affecting basal 45Ca release. These effects were not due to a cytotoxic effect of both PKC inhibitors. Nor is it likely that the effects of AMG and staurosporine are due to inhibition of cell proliferation as hydroxyurea did not affect 1,25(OH)2D3-stimulated bone resorption. The inhibition of 1,25(OH)2D3-stimulated bone resorption by PKC inhibitors suggests that besides osteocalcin synthesis PKC is also involved in other responses of 1,25(OH)2D3 in bone. 1,25(OH)2D3 does not directly activate PKC via an increase in diacylglycerol production but more likely via an increase in PKC. Together, the present study demonstrates a functional involvement of PKC in the action of 1,25(OH)2D3 in bone and bone cells which may have consequences for the development of 1,25(OH)2D3 analogs, e.g. with less hypercalcemic and relatively more antiproliferative activity.     

Altered catalytic properties of protein kinase C in phorbol ester treated cells

Exposure of various cell types (rat-1 fibroblasts, bovine adrenocortical cells, human lymphoid cells) to nanomolar concentrations of TPA, resulted in a rapid, apparent loss of cellular protein kinase C content, when the enzyme was assayed by its phospholipid and Ca2+-dependent histone (H1)-kinase activity, following solubilization and DEAE-cellulose chromatography isolation. By contrast, no loss of protein kinase C was detected when the enzyme was probed by its high affinity PDBu binding capacity nor when the kinase activity was assayed with protein substrates other than histones, such as vinculin and a cytochrome P-450. It is concluded that, in addition to the previously reported enzyme subcellular redistribution, following TPA treatment, the phorbol ester induces striking alterations of the cellular protein kinase C catalytic activities. The molecular mechanisms of these changes and their implication in the tumor promotion process remain to be clarified.     

Rapid filtration assays for protein kinase C activity and phorbol ester binding using multiwell plates with fitted filtration discs.

In the conventional approach protein kinase activity and phorbol ester binding associated with protein kinase C (PKC) are measured by initially incubating samples in either test tubes or multiwell plates, followed by filtration of the terminated reaction mixture using either a manifold filtration device or a cell harvester. Here we report a method in which both the incubations and filtrations necessary for the determination of either protein kinase activity or phorbol ester binding are carried out in the same multiwell plate with fitted filtration discs made of polyvinylidene difluoride (Durapore membrane). Due to the very low binding of protein to these filters, there is no interference caused by these filters during the incubation period of the assays. The drawback with these filters compared to commonly used cellulose acetate membrane filters is that they retain less of the phosphate acceptor substrate histone H1 (only 15%) if filtered and washed with standard 5% trichloroacetic acid. However, this can be overcome by increasing the trichloroacetic acid concentration to 25% during filtration. For phorbol ester binding determinations, the samples are incubated with [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate in the microwells, the ligand bound PKC is adsorbed onto DEAE-Sephadex beads, and the beads then are filtered and washed in the same microwells. Furthermore, this multiwell filtration approach can also be adopted to previously described cytosolic phorbol ester receptor assays, which have the broader conditions for optimal binding to receptors. Durapore membrane filters are found to work well for punching into scintillation vials and there is complete recovery of the radioactivity retained with the filters. In the protein kinase assay the background radioactivity is very low (< 200 cpm) and in the phorbol ester binding assay the nonspecific binding is less than 1%. Thus, these low background values result in at least a fourfold increase in sensitivity for these assays. Since the incubations and filtrations are carried out in the same well without any transfer of the sample, the coefficient of variation in multiple determinations is found to be low. Furthermore, this method is rapid and more convenient for analyzing a larger number of samples than conventional methods which use test tubes, and it is less expensive to set up compared to the automated methods that use a cell harvester.     

Purification to homogeneity of protein kinase C from bovine brain--identity with the phorbol ester receptor

The calcium- and phospholipid-dependent kinase activity (protein kinase C) was isolated from bovine brains by a combination of DEAE-cellulose chromatography, gel filtration and hydrophobic chromatography on octyl-Sepharose and phenyl-Sepharose. The phorbol ester receptor co-purifies with the protein kinase C throughout the procedure yielding a homogeneous protein of 79 500 daltons on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The purified kinase incorporated approximately 5000 nmol phosphate into substrate/min/mg protein at saturating concentrations of Ca2+ and phosphatidyl serine. Reciprocal plots of protein kinase activity at varying phosphatidyl serine concentrations were biphasic and yielded two apparent Ka values for phosphatidyl serine of 0.6-2 and 35-80 micrograms/ml). These apparent Ka values were reduced 2- to 3-fold by either diolein (20 micrograms/ml) or phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (10 micrograms/ml). The protein binds [3H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate ( [3H]PDB) with high affinity (Ka = 15 nM) in a phosphatidyl serine-dependent manner. At saturating phosphatidyl serine concentrations 0.89 mol [3H]PDB are bound per mol protein. The identification of protein kinase C as the phorbol ester receptor is discussed with respect to the function and regulation of this protein.     

New insights into the regulation of protein kinase C and novel phorbol ester receptors.

Protein kinase C (PKC), a family of related serine-threonine kinases, is a key player in the cellular responses mediated by the second messenger diacylglycerol (DAG) and the phorbol ester tumor promoters. The traditional view of PKCs as DAG/phospholipid-regulated proteins has expanded in the last few years by three seminal discoveries. First, PKC activity and maturation is controlled by autophosphorylation and transphosphorylation mechanisms, which includes phosphorylation of PKC isozymes by phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinases (PDKs) and tyrosine kinases. Second, PKC activity and localization are regulated by direct interaction with different types of interacting proteins. Protein-protein interactions are now recognized as important mechanisms that target individual PKCs to different intracellular compartments and confer selectivity by associating individual isozymes with specific substrates. Last, the discovery of novel phorbol ester receptors lacking kinase activity allows us to speculate that some of the biological responses elicited by phorbol esters or by activation of receptors coupled to elevation in DAG levels could be mediated by PKC-independent pathways.     

A novel phorbol ester receptor/protein kinase, nPKC, distantly related to the protein kinase C family

Protein kinase C (PKC)-related cDNA clones encode an 84 kd protein, nPKC. nPKC contains a cysteine-rich repeat sequence homologous to that seen in conventional PKCs (alpha, beta I, beta II, and gamma), which make up a family of 77-78 kd proteins with closely related sequences. nPKC, when expressed in COS cells, confers increased high-affinity phorbol ester receptor activity to intact cells. Antibodies raised against nPKC identified a 90 kd protein in rabbit brain extract as well as in extracts from COS cells transfected with the cDNA construct. nPKC shows protein kinase activity that is regulated by phospholipid, diacylglycerol, and phorbol ester but is independent of Ca2+. The structural and enzymological characteristics of nPKC clearly distinguish it from conventional PKCs, which until now have been the only substances believed to mediate the various effects of diacylglycerol and phorbol esters. These results suggest an additional signaling pathway involving nPKC.     

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone and phorbol esters stimulate sphingomyelin synthesis in GH3 pituitary cells. Evidence for involvement of protein kinase C

Previous studies demonstrated that phorbol esters and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulated phosphatidylcholine synthesis via protein kinase C in GH3 pituitary cells (Kolesnick, R. N. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 14525-14530). Since phosphatidylcholine may serve as the precursor for sphingomyelin synthesis, studies were performed to assess the effect of protein kinase C on sphingomyelin synthesis. The potent phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), stimulated time- and concentration-dependent incorporation of 32Pi into the head group of sphingomyelin in cells short term labeled with 32Pi and resuspended in medium without radiolabel. TPA (10(-7) M) increased incorporation at a rate 1.4-fold of control after 2 h; EC50 congruent to 2 x 10(-9) M TPA. This correlated closely to TPA-induced phosphatidylcholine synthesis; EC50 congruent to 9 x 10(-10) M TPA. TRH (10(-7) M), which activates protein kinase C via a receptor-mediated mechanism, similarly stimulated 32Pi incorporation into sphingomyelin at a rate 1.5-fold of control; EC50 congruent to 5 x 10(-10) M TRH. This correlated closely with TRH-induced phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol synthesis; EC50 congruent to 2 x 10(-10) and 1.5 x 10(-10) M TRH, respectively. In cells short term labeled with [3H]palmitate, TRH induced a time- and concentration-dependent reduction in the level of [3H]ceramide and a quantitative increase in the level of [3H]sphingomyelin. Compositional analysis of the incorporated [3H]palmitate revealed that TRH increased radiolabel into both the sphingoid base and the fatty acid moieties of sphingomyelin. Similarly, TRH increased incorporation of [3H] serine into sphingomyelin to 145 +/- 8% of control after 3 h. TPA also stimulated these events. Like the effect of TRH on phosphatidylcholine synthesis, TRH-induced sphingomyelin synthesis was abolished in cells "down-modulated" for protein kinase C. In contrast, TRH-induced phosphatidylinositol synthesis still occurred in these cells. These studies suggest that protein kinase C stimulates coordinate synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin. This is the first report of stimulation of sphingomyelin synthesis via a cell surface receptor.