Distinct mechanisms of regulation of protein kinase C epsilon by hormones and phorbol diesters

In this study, we examined the effects of T cell activators on the regulation of protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes present in thymocytes. Using affinity-purified anti-PKC antisera, we determined that the major PKC isoforms in murine thymocytes are PKC beta and PKC epsilon. The CD4+/CD8+ thymocyte subset expressed high levels of both PKC beta and PKC epsilon, whereas the CD4-/CD8- subset expressed much less of both. PKC beta was down-regulated following treatment of thymocytes with phorbol 12-myristate acetate (PMA) (2 x 10(-8) M) or ionomycin (0.4 microM). In contrast, PMA did not induce the down-regulation of PKC epsilon. Ionomycin alone, however, induced PKC epsilon down-regulation, similar to its effect on PKC beta. Similar observations were made on a promonocytic cell line, U937, which expresses PKC alpha, PKC beta (Strulovici, B., Daniel-Issakani, S., Oto, E., Nestor, J., Jr., Chan, H., and Tsou, A.-P. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 3569-3576), and PKC epsilon. To facilitate the study of PKC beta and PKC epsilon, we established a Chinese hamster ovary cell line which expresses murine PKC epsilon in addition to endogenous PKC alpha and PKC beta. Both PKC isoforms (beta and epsilon) were mostly in particulate form. PMA treatment left the majority of immunoreactive PKC epsilon intact. By contrast, thrombin treatment caused the disappearance of particulate and cytosolic PKC epsilon (60% by 10 min and 80% by 1 h). PMA and thrombin promoted the down-regulation of PKC beta with similar kinetics (100% down-regulation by 3 h). These results indicate that: 1) thymocytes express PKC epsilon; and 2) this isozyme exhibits a novel form of regulation distinct from the other PKC isozymes.