Dissociation of Phosphorylation and Translocation of a Myristoylated Protein Kinase C Substrate (MARCKS Protein) in C6 Glioma and N1E-115 Neuroblastoma Cells

Abstract: An 80-kDa protein labeled with [³H]myristic acid in C6 glioma and N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells has been identified as the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS protein) on the basis of its calmodulin-binding, acidic nature, heat stability, and immunochemical properties. When C6 cells preincubated with [³H]myristate were treated with 200 n M 4β-12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (β-TPA), labeled MARCKS was rapidly increased in the soluble digitonin fraction (maximal, fivefold at 10 min) with a concomitant decrease in the Triton X-100–soluble membrane fraction. However, phosphorylation of this protein was increased in the presence of β-TPA to a similar extent in both fractions (maximal, fourfold at 30 min). In contrast, β-TPA–stimulated phosphorylation of MARCKS in N1E-115 cells was confined to the membrane fraction only and no change in the distribution of the myristoylated protein was noted relative to α-TPA controls. These results indicate that although phosphorylation of MARCKS by protein kinase C occurs in both cell lines, it is not directly associated with translocation from membrane to cytosol, which occurs in C6 cells only. The cell-specific translocation of MARCKS appears to correlate with previously demonstrated differential effects of phorbol esters on stimulation of phosphatidylcholine turnover in these two cell lines.