Phosphatidylinositol turnover in platelet activation; calcium mobilization and protein phosphorylation

Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (C-kinase) in platelets is normally activated by diacylglycerol, which is derived from phosphatidylinositol through its receptor-linked breakdown. Under appropriate conditions this enzyme can also be activated by synthetic diacylglycerol which is directly added to intact platelets. C-Kinase thus activated preferentially phosphorylates an endogenous platelet protein having a molecular weight of approximately 40,000. This protein phosphorylation is merely a prerequisite but not a sufficient requirement for the release of serotonin. Evidence is presented suggesting that Ca2+ mobilization and C-kinase activation are synergistically involved in the physiological response of platelets to extracellular messengers, such as thrombin, collagen and platelet-activating factor.     

Ca2+/Diacylglycerol-Activated, Phospholipid-Dependent Protein Kinase in the Hermissenda CNS

In mammalian systems, Ca2+/diacylglycerol-activated phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (C-kinase) appears to play an important role in regulating physiological responses that outlast the transient rise in cytosolic Ca2+. Electrophysiological experiments in neurons of the nudibranch mollusc, Hermissenda crassicornis, have suggested a role for C-kinase in the long-lasting reductions in early and late K+ currents that have been observed following associative learning. Accordingly, we have investigated the catalytic properties of C-kinase in Hermissenda CNS. Following homogenization in Ca2+-free buffer, C-kinase can be separated from Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase by centrifugation; C-kinase activity is found in the supernatant whereas essentially all of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase is found in the membrane fraction. Addition of Ca2+, phosphatidylserine, and diacylglycerol to the cytosol results in phosphorylation of at least eight endogenous proteins. The Hermissenda CNS C-kinase can also phosphorylate lysine-rich histone, a substrate for mammalian C-kinase. The molluscan enzyme exhibits phospholipid specificity in that phosphatidylserine is much more effective than phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidic acid. Addition of diacylglycerol, in the presence of Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine, increases the activity of the C-kinase. The percentage of activation by diacylglycerol is larger at lower Ca2+ concentrations. Enzyme activity is inhibited by trifluoperazine and polymixin B sulfate. These studies indicate that the Hermissenda C-kinase is catalytically similar to mammalian C-kinase.     

A role of calcium-activated phospholipid-dependent protein kinase in human platelet activation. Comparison of thrombin and collagen actions

In human platelets stimulated by thrombin and collagen, diacylglycerol is rapidly produced from phosphatidylinositol. Concurrently, an endogenous protein having a molecular weight of about 40,000 (40K protein) is phosphorylated, and serotonin is released. These reactions are all inhibited by a prior treatment of platelets with prostaglandin E1, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, sodium nitroprusside, or with 8-bromo-cyclic GMP, which are known as potent inhibitors for platelet activation. Ca2+-activated phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) preferentially phosphorylates 40K protein. As judged by fingerprint analysis, the sites in 40K protein that are phosphorylated during the platelet activation appear to be identical with those phosphorylated by protein kinase C in a purified cell-free system. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, which directly activates protein kinase C by substituting for diacylglycerol, stimulates 40K protein phosphorylation and release reaction without inducing diacylglycerol formation. Tetracaine, which inhibits protein kinase C by competing with phospholipid, blocks 40K protein phosphorylation and serotonin release without inhibiting the receptor-linked diacylglycerol formation. The results indicate that thrombin and collagen activate platelets in almost similar mechanisms and that protein kinase C may lie on a common pathway which leads to the release of serotonin. However, analysis with indomethacin indicates that the role of thromboxane A2 appears to be more predominant for the action of collagen, and it is suggestive that this arachidonate metabolite activates platelets in an analogous mechanism to thrombin.     

The platelet activation induced by wheat germ agglutinin

In human platelets, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) induced serotonin release without cell agglutination. WGA induced the phosphorylation of both 40-kDa and 20-kDa proteins in a parallel manner, and at least, the phosphorylation of 40-kDa protein was preceded by transient formation of endogenous diacylglycerol (DG) accompanied by a decrease in phosphatidylinositol (PI). Both phosphorylation of these two proteins and serotonin release were inhibited by prior treatment of platelets with dibutyryl cyclic AMP, W-7, or TMB-8. These results suggest that both phosphatidylinositol turnover and Ca2+ mobilization play an essential role in WGA-induced platelet activation.     

Role of protein kinase C in transmembrane signaling

Many extracellular signals elicit Ca2+ mobilization and diacylglycerol formation in their target cells. Diacylglycerol is derived from the receptor-linked phosphoinositide turnover and serves as a second messenger for the activation of protein kinase C in the presence of Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine. Unique diacylglycerols such as 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol, which activate intracellular protein kinase C when added to intact cells, have been synthesized. Tumor-promoting phorbol esters substitute for such diacylglycerols and directly activate protein kinase C in both intact cell and cell-free systems. Under appropriate conditions, the synthetic diacylglycerols and phorbol esters induce protein kinase C activation without Ca2+ mobilization, whereas Ca2+ ionophore A23187 induces Ca2+ mobilization without protein kinase C activation. Using these substances, we have obtained evidence that both protein C and Ca2+ are involved in and play a synergistic role in exocytosis, cell division, and other cellular functions. In this article, the role of protein kinase C in transmembrane signaling is discussed.     

Nerve growth factor action is mediated by cyclic AMP- and Ca+2/phospholipid-dependent protein kinases

Nerve growth factor (NGF) mediates the phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase in PC12 cells on two distinct peptide fragments, separable by two-dimensional tryptic phosphopeptide mapping (phosphopeptides T1 and T3). Phorbol diester derivatives capable of activating Ca+2/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (C-kinase) cause a specific phosphorylation of peptide T3 in a dose-dependent, saturable manner. Derivatives of the endogenous C-kinase activator diacylglycerol, also cause the phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase on peptide T3. The C-kinase inhibitors chlorpromazine and trifluoperazine inhibit the phorbol diester stimulated phosphorylation of site T3 in a dose-dependent manner. These agents inhibit the phosphorylation of T3 in response to NGF, but have no effect on NGF's ability to cause T1 phosphorylation. In a PC12 mutant deficient in cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity, NGF mediates the phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase on peptide T3 but not on T1. We conclude that NGF mediates the activation of both the cAMP-dependent protein kinase and the C-kinase to phosphorylate substrate proteins. These kinases can act independently to phosphorylate tyrosine hydroxylase, each at a different site, and each of which results in the enzyme activation. A molecular framework is thus provided for events underlying NGF action.     

Protein kinase-dependent phosphorylation of cardiac sarcolemmal Ca2(+)-ATPase, as studied with a specific monoclonal antibody

Phosphorylation of the Ca2(+)-pump ATPase of cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles by exogenously added protein kinases was examined to elucidate the molecular basis for its regulation. The Ca2(+)-pump ATPase was isolated from protein kinase-treated sarcolemmal vesicles using a monoclonal antibody raised against the erythrocyte Ca2(+)-ATPase. Protein kinase C (C-kinase) was found to phosphorylate the Ca2(+)-ATPase. The stoichiometry of this phosphorylation was about 1 mol per mol of the ATPase molecule. The C-kinase activation resulted in up to twofold acceleration of Ca2+ uptake by sarcolemmal vesicles due to its effect on the affinity of the Ca2+ pump for Ca2+ in both the presence and absence of calmodulin. Both the phosphorylation and stimulation of ATPase activity by C kinase were also observed with a highly-purified Ca2(+)-ATPase preparation isolated from cardiac sarcolemma with calmodulin-Sepharose and a high salt-washing procedure. Thus, C-kinase appears to stimulate the activity of the sarcolemmal Ca2(+)-pump through its direct phosphorylation. In contrast to these results, neither cAMP-dependent protein kinase, cGMP-dependent protein kinase nor Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylated the Ca2(+)-ATPase in the sarcolemmal membrane or the purified enzyme preparation, and also they exerted virtually no effect on Ca2+ uptake by sarcolemmal vesicles.     

Proteolytic activation of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase by calcium-dependent neutral protease

A Ca2+-dependent protease I), which hydrolyzes casein at Ca2+ concentrations lower than the 10(-5) M range, is purified roughly 4000-fold from the soluble fraction of rat brain. This protease is able to activate Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) by limited proteolysis analogously to the previously known Ca2+-dependent analogously to the previously known Ca2+-dependent protease (Ca2+ protease II) which is active at the millimolar range of Ca2+ (Inoue, M., Kishimoto, A., Takai, Y., and Nishizuka, Y. (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252, 7610-7616). The protein kinase fragment thus produced shows a molecular weight of about 5.1 X 10(4), and is significantly smaller than native protein kinase C (Mr = 7.7 X 10(4). Although protein kinase C may be normally activated in a reversible manner by the simultaneous presence of phospholipid and diacylglycerol at Ca2+ concentrations less than 10(-6) M, this enzyme fragment is fully active without any lipid fractions and independent of Ca2+. The limited proteolysis of protein kinase C is markedly enhanced in the velocity by the addition of phospholipid and diacylglycerol, which are both required for the reversible activation of the enzyme. However, casein hydrolysis by this protease is not affected by phospholipid and diacylglycerol. Available evidence suggests that, at lower concentrations of this divalent cation, Ca2+ protease I reacts preferentially with the active form of protein kinase C which is associated with membrane, and converts it to the permanently active form. In contrast, the inactive form of protein kinase C, which is free of membrane phospholipid, does not appear to be very susceptible to the proteolytic attack. It remains unknown, however, whether this mechanism of irreversible activation of protein kinase C does operate in physiological processes. It is noted that Ca2+ protease II, which is active at higher concentrations of Ca2+, proteolytically activates protein kinase C irrespective of the presence and absence of phospholipid and diacylglycerol.     

Biochemical mechanisms of memory storage

A series of studies on Hermissenda classical conditioning has lead to a discovery that the biophysical events (accumulation of Ca2+ and depolarization in B cell) found during memory acquisition are clearly distinct from those (suppression of K-currents, IA and ICa2+K+) detected in the retention phase of memory. Biochemical analysis of eyes isolated shortly after (a few hours) training revealed increased phosphorylation of a 20,000 M.W. protein which is very likely one of the substrates for both Ca/CaM-dependent protein kinase and C-kinase and possibly a locus of convergence for conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus pathways. Furthermore, conditioning-specific changes in the two K+ currents have been reproduced by simultaneous activation of the CaM-kinase pathway (via iontophoretic injection of CaM-kinase II plus Ca2+-load or IP3 injection) and the C-kinase pathway (via bath application of phorbol-ester or diacylglycerol analog plus Ca2+-load). Therefore, synergistic interaction between the two Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation systems in the identified B cell is considered to be critically important for acquisition of associative memory. Evidence also has been obtained for similar biophysical changes and molecular mechanisms during retention of classical conditioning in the mammalian brain. Further work will be needed to uncover the biochemical mechanism(s) responsible for transforming short-term into long-lasting memory.     

Synergistic functions of phorbol ester and calcium in serotonin release from human platelets

In human platelets, thrombin activates Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) and mobilizes Ca2+ concomitantly, whereas 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) may be intercalated into membranes and directly activates protein kinase C without mobilization of Ca2+ in sufficient quantities. A series of experiments with TPA and Ca2+-ionophore (A23187) indicates that activation of protein kinase C is a prerequisite requirement for release of serotonin, and that this enzyme activation and Ca2+ mobilization act synergistically to elicit a full cellular response. Both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP inhibit activation of protein kinase C by prohibiting the signal-dependent breakdown of inositol phospholipid to produce diacyl-glycerol, but none of these cyclic nucleotides prevents the TPA-induced activation of this enzyme.     

Specificity of the fatty acyl moieties of diacylglycerol for the activation of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase

The specificity of the fatty acyl moieties of diacylglycerol for the activation of Ca2+-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase was investigated. Diacylglycerol has been previously shown to activate this enzyme by increasing the affinity for Ca2+ and phospholipid, both of which are indispensable for the enzyme activation. Diacylglycerols containing at least one unsaturated fatty acid at either position 1 or 2 are fully active in this capacity, irrespective of the chain length of the other fatty acyl moiety in the range tested, C2 to C18. Diacylglycerols containing two saturated fatty acids such as dipalmitin and distearin are far less effective. Mono- and triacylglycerols and free fatty acids are totally inactive, indicating that the diacylglycerol structure is essential.     

Autoanti-phosphatidylinositide antibodies specifically inhibit noradrenaline effects on Ca2+ and Cl- channels in rat portal vein myocytes.

High levels of circulating autoantibodies (auto-Ab) directed against phosphatidylinositides have been identified in the sera of patients with malignant tumors. These polyclonal autoantibodies had higher avidity and specificity for phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) than for the other phosphatidylinositides. Effects of the auto-Ab were studied in smooth muscle myocytes in the PtdIns-involving transduction mechanism triggered by activation of alpha 1-adrenoceptors. Noradrenaline activated a Ca(2+)-dependent Cl- current through the Ca(2+)-releasing action of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) and enhanced the Ca2+ channel current through a diacylglycerol and protein kinase C-dependent mechanism. External applications of auto-Ab (0.03-0.3 mg/ml) were without effect on noradrenaline-induced responses whereas intracellular applications (0.0004-0.012 mg/ml) inhibited both Cl- current activation and Ca2+ channel current stimulation. Intracellular applications of IgG from healthy donors had no effect on noradrenaline-induced responses. When anti-PtdIns Ab were preincubated with PtdIns the inhibition of the noradrenaline-induced responses on Ca2+ and Cl- channels was not observed. Autoanti-PtdIns Ab inhibited also the acetylcholine-activated Cl- current, confirming that the acetylcholine response was mediated through the phosphatidylinositol breakdown. In contrast, the autoanti-PtdIns Ab were ineffective against the transduction pathway after beta-adrenoceptor activation. Therefore, these results suggest that the biological effect of autoanti-PtdIns Ab results from a specific binding to membrane PtdIns or PtdIns metabolites and thereby prevented InsP3 and diacylglycerol production. These autoanti-PtdIns Ab appear to be a new specific tool to identify the role of phosphatidylinositides in intracellular transduction processes.     

Involvement of three intracellular messenger systems, protein kinase C, calcium ion and cyclic AMP, in the regulation of c-fos gene expression in Swiss 3T3 cells

In quiescent cultures of Swiss 3T3 cells, platelet-derived growth factor or fibroblast growth factor known to induce both protein kinase C activation and Ca2+ mobilization raised c-fos mRNA. This action of the growth factors was mimicked by the specific activators for protein kinase C, such as phorbol esters and a membrane-permeable synthetic diacylglycerol, and also by the Ca2+ ionophores, such as A23187 and ionomycin. Prostaglandin E1 known to elevate cyclic AMP also raised c-fos mRNA, and this action was mimicked by 8-bromo-cyclic AMP, dibutyryl cyclic AMP and forskolin. These results suggest that expression of the c-fos gene is regulated by three different intracellular messenger systems, protein kinase C, Ca2+ and cyclic AMP, in Swiss 3T3 cells.     

Cyclosporin A inhibits late steps of T lymphocyte activation after transmembrane signaling

The in vitro stimulation of murine splenic T lymphocytes with concanavalin A (Con A) produced interleukin 2 (IL2). The addition of cyclosporin A (CsA) to the culture resulted in complete inhibition of IL2 production. The Con A stimulation of T lymphocytes induced the breakdown of phosphatidylinositol into inositol trisphosphate and diacylglycerol, each of which could function as the second messengers in the subsequent signal transduction pathway. CsA did not inhibit the production of inositol (poly)phosphates. Further, CsA did not affect Ca2+-calmodulin functions; a) the redistribution of various cytoskeletal proteins as well as Con A-receptor aggregation, and b) the cytosolic Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent enzyme activities. Moreover, the activity of protein kinase C, which has been accepted to be the target of diacylglycerol, was not influenced in the presence of CsA. While the above steps of signal transduction are bypassed by synergy between calcium ionophore and phorbol ester, T lymphocyte activation which was induced by such stimuli was completely inhibited by CsA. These results indicate that CsA does not influence early steps of T lymphocyte activation as bypassed by calcium ionophore and phorbol ester, but rather inhibits later step(s) subsequent to the activation of protein kinase C and Ca2+-calmodulin.     

Lipopolysaccharide and phorbol esters induce differentiation but have opposite effects on phosphatidylinositol turnover and Ca2+ mobilization in 70Z/3 pre-B lymphocytes

We have recently shown that both lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) induce differentiation in the transformed murine pre-B lymphocyte cell line 70Z/3 by enhancing Na+-H+ exchange across the plasma membrane through an amiloride-sensitive transport system (Rosoff, P.M., Stein, L.F., and Cantley, L.C. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 7056-7060). These data suggested that the activation of protein kinase C indirectly by LPS and directly by TPA was the critical step in the initiation of differentiation in these cells. We extend these observations to show that LPS rapidly stimulates an increase in phosphatidylinositol turnover, leading to a rise in the levels of diacylglycerol and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and a concomitant decrease in the amount of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. There is also a rapid elevation of intracellular free [Ca2+] which is independent of the presence of extracellular Ca2+ or Na+. These results suggest that the increase in cytosolic [Ca2+] is due to release of cation from internal stores. TPA, which also causes differentiation in these cells, and the synthetic diacylglycerol, 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol, have opposite effects from LPS on both phosphatidylinositol turnover and cellular Ca+ mobilization. These data suggest that protein kinase C inhibits the activity of phospholipase C. Thus protein kinase C plays a pivotal role in the regulation of mitogen-induced differentiation in these cells by both transducing a positive stimulus to the Na+-H+ exchange system as well as feedback regulating its own stimulatory pathway.     

The involvement of protein phosphorylation in stimulus-secretion coupling in the mouse exocrine pancreas

Secretagogue-induced protein phosphorylation was studied in the mouse pancreas in vitro, by using polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis to separate the labelled proteins. Muscarinic cholinergic agonists increased the phosphorylation of a single band, which corresponded to Mr 32000, when the tissue was incubated with Ca2+ present in the extracellular medium, but not in Ca2+-free Krebs solution. In the presence of Ca2+, ionophore A23187 stimulated phosphorylation of the same band. The dose-response curve for carbachol-induced phosphorylation was biphasic, with maximum response at 1.0 microM-carbachol, and lesser responses when greater concentrations were used. This resembles the dose-response curve for carbachol-induced amylase secretion. The data suggest that the muscarinic-agonist-induced protein phosphorylation is stimulated secondarily to elevation of cytosol [Ca2+] and do not support the idea that diacylglycerol formed from hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol is the activator of the protein kinase. Derivatives of cyclic AMP stimulated phosphorylation of bands corresponding to Mr 95500, 32000 and 20000. The effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and bethanechol on the protein of Mr 32000 were not additive, suggesting that the two agents produced phosphorylation of the same site(s) on this protein. Since derivatives of cyclic AMP, which are not very effective secretagogues in the exocrine pancreas, stimulate phosphorylation of the protein of Mr 32000, it is difficult to argue that phosphorylation of this particular protein leads to protein secretion.     

Activation of protein kinase in the bovine corpus luteum by phospholipid and Ca2+.

A new species of protein kinase has been identified in cytosol preparations from bovine corpora lutea. Enzyme activity required the simultaneous presence of Ca2+ and phospholipid, and was also enhanced by glyceryl dioleate. Phosphatidylserine was the most effective phospholipid for stimulating histone phosphorylation. Other phospholipids capable of supporting enzymic activity were, in order of decreasing activity, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid, cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol. Several other phospholipids tested were ineffective. A cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase was also present in the luteal cytosol. This enzyme activity was eliminated by protein kinase inhibitor without affecting the Ca2+- and phospholipid-stimulated activity. Lysine-rich histone (IIIS) was a much better substrate than type-IIA histone for Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent phosphorylation. Ca2+ and phospholipid also enhanced phosphorylation of endogenous luteal cytosol protein. Calmodulin, alone or in the presence of Ca2+, was unable to increase phosphorylation. Trifluoperazine inhibited protein kinase activity stimulated by Ca2+ and phospholipid. These data suggest that a phospholipid-sensitive, Ca2+-dependent protein kinase may provide an important link between hormonally-induced changes in phospholipid metabolism and corpus-luteum function.     

Protein kinase C from chicken gizzard: characterization and detection of an inhibitor and endogenous substrates

Protein kinase C was purified from the cytosolic fraction of chicken gizzard by Ca2+ -dependent hydrophobic interaction chromatography, anion-exchange chromatography, and hydrophobic chromatography. The molecular weight was estimated as 61,500 by gel filtration and 80,000 by denaturing gel electrophoresis, indicating that the native enzyme is a monomer. Using the mixed micellar assay, with histone III-S as the substrate, protein kinase C required Ca2+, phospholipid, and diacylglycerol for activity, with half-maximal activation at approximately 5 x 10(-7) M Ca2+ in the presence of L-alpha-phosphatidyl-L-serine and 1,2-diolein. No activation by Ca2+ was observed in the absence of diacylglycerol. Protein kinase C requires free Mg2+, in addition to the MgATP2- substrate, for activity. The Km for ATP was determined to be 20 microM. Activity was sensitive to ionic strength, with half-maximal inhibition at 70 mM NaCl. Using the liposomal assay, phosphorylation of platelet P47 protein and smooth muscle vinculin was more strongly dependent on Ca2+ and lipids than was histone phosphorylation. Partial digestion of protein kinase C with trypsin yielded a constitutively active fragment. A heat-stable inhibitor and three major endogenous protein substrates of protein kinase C were also detected in chicken gizzard smooth muscle.     

Prostaglandin E1 and forskolin antagonize C-kinase activation in the human platelet.

In human platelets, prostaglandin E1 and forskolin inhibit 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced phospholipase C, C-kinase and myosin light-chain kinase activity in a concentration-dependent way. Phospholipase C activation, however, was only partly inhibited, and this at higher concentrations than the protein kinases. Direct activation of the C kinase either by exogenous synthetic diacylglycerol or by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate was antagonized by prostaglandin E1 and forskolin. Since C-kinase activation is one of the key events in excitatory signal transduction in the platelets, we suggest that the inhibitory effect of agents that increase platelet cyclic AMP on platelet secretion and aggregation might reside in their capacity to antagonize C-kinase activity.     

Interaction of protein kinase C with phosphoinositides.

Calcium/phosphatidylserine-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) is activated by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), as well as by diacylglycerol (DG) and phorbol esters. Here we report that PIP2, like DG, increases the affinity of PKC for Ca2+, and causes Ca(2+)-dependent translocation of the enzyme from the soluble to a particulate fraction (liposomes). Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) also displaces phorbol ester from PKC and causes Ca(2+)-dependent translocation of the enzyme to liposomes, but is much less efficient than PIP2, and a much weaker activator, with a histone phosphorylation v(PIP)/v(PIP2) of approximately 0.15. Scatchard analysis indicates competitive inhibition between PIP and phorbol ester with Ki(PIP) = 0.26 mol% as compared with Ki(PIP2) = 0.043 mol%. No effect of phosphatidylinositol (PI) on phorbol ester binding to PKC, translocation of PKC, or activation of PKC was observed. These results suggest that both PIP and PIP2 can complex with PKC, but full activation of the enzyme takes place only when PIP is converted to PIP2. We suggest that an inositide interconversion shuttle has a role in the regulation of protein phosphorylation.