Different isozymes of protein kinase C mediate feedback inhibition of phospholipase C and stimulatory signals for exocytosis in rat RBL-2H3 cells

Differences in the regulation of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C in normal and neoplastic keratinocytes

The induction of epidermal differentiation by Ca2+ in vitro is associated with enhanced activity of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PLC). Neoplastic keratinocyte cell lines expressing a mutant c-Ha-ras gene and normal keratinocytes transformed to the neoplastic phenotype by transduction with the v-Ha-ras gene (v-Ha-ras keratinocytes) have elevated constitutive activity of PLC that increases further in response to Ca2+, but the cells do not differentiate normally. PLC-gamma 1 (145 kDa) is the major isoform detected by immunoblotting of extracts from control, v-Ha-ras, and neoplastic keratinocyte cell lines cultured in 0.05 mM Ca2+ medium. The amount of PLC-gamma 1 protein was higher in neoplastic cell lines than in normal and v-Ha-ras keratinocytes that had similar PLC-gamma 1 protein levels. Thus, higher PLC-gamma 1 protein levels cannot account for the elevated constitutive activity PLC in v-Ha-ras keratinocytes. After induction of differentiation by Ca2+, the amount of PLC-gamma 1 protein increased in all cell types, and PLC-delta 1 (85 kDa), barely detectable in 0.05 mM Ca2+, increased. PLC-beta 1 was not detected at any Ca2+ concentration. PLC-gamma 1 and PLC-delta 1 mRNA did not increase after elevation of extracellular Ca2+, suggesting that posttranscriptional mechanisms can regulate PLC-gamma 1 and PLC-delta 1 protein levels in normal and neoplastic keratinocytes. Activation of protein kinase C by treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) inhibited the stimulation of inositol phosphate (InsP) formation by Ca2+ but did not alter basal InsP levels in normal keratinocytes. In contrast, TPA treatment reduced both Ca(2+)-stimulated and basal InsP formation in neoplastic cells lines and v-Ha-ras keratinocytes. In both normal and v-Ha-ras keratinocytes labeled with [32P]orthophosphate, antibodies against PLC-gamma 1 immunoprecipitated a complex of 32P-labeled proteins. The relative labeling of the PLC-gamma 1 band was greater in normal than in v-Ha-ras keratinocytes. Furthermore, treatment with TPA specifically increased the relative phosphorylation of PLC-gamma 1 in v-Ha-ras keratinocytes but not in normal keratinocytes. These results suggest that the negative regulation of constitutive activity of PLC by protein kinase C differs in normal and neoplastic keratinocytes and that this could be the mechanism of increased PLC activity produced by an oncogenic ras gene in keratinocytes.

Phosphatidylcholine breakdown and signal transduction

PC hydrolysis by PLA2, PLC or PLD is a widespread response elicited by most growth factors, cytokines, neurotransmitters, hormones and other extracellular signals. The mechanisms can involve G-proteins, PKC, Ca2+ and tyrosine kinase activities. Although an agonist-responsive cytosolic PLA2 has been purified, cloned and sequenced, the agonist-responsive form(s) of PC-PLC has not been identified and no form of PC-PLD has been purified or cloned. Regulation of PLA2 by Ca2+ and MAPK is well established and involves membrane translocation and phosphorylation, respectively. PKC regulation of the enzyme in intact cells is probably mediated by MAPK. The question of G-protein control of PLA2 remains controversial since the nature of the G-protein is unknown and it is not established that its interaction with the enzyme is direct or not. Growth factor regulation of PLA2 involves tyrosine kinase activity, but not necessarily PKC. It may be mediated by MAPK. The physiological significance of PLA2 activation is undoubtedly related to the release of AA for eicosanoid production, but the LPC formed may have actions also. There is much evidence that PKC regulates PC-PLC and PC-PLD and this is probably a major mechanism by which agonists that promote PI hydrolysis secondarily activate PC hydrolysis. Since no agonist-responsive forms of either phospholipase have been isolated, it is not clear that PKC exerts its effects directly on the enzymes. Although it is assumed that a phosphorylation mechanism is involved, this may not be the case, and regulation may be by protein-protein interactions. G-protein control of PC-PLD is well-established, although, again, it has not been demonstrated that this is direct, and the nature of the G-protein(s) involved is unknown. In some cell types, there is evidence of the participation of a soluble protein, which may be a low Mr GTP-binding protein. What role this plays in the activation of PC-PLD is obscure. Agonist activation of PC hydrolysis in cells is usually Ca(2+)-dependent, but the step at which Ca2+ is involved is unclear, since PC-PLD and PC-PLC per se are not influenced by physiological concentrations of the ion. Most growth factors promote PC hydrolysis and this is mainly due to activation of PKC as a result of PI breakdown. However, in some cases, PC breakdown occurs in the absence of PI hydrolysis, implying another mechanism that does not involve PI-derived DAG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Expression of protein kinase C isoforms in smooth muscle cells in various states of differentiation

We analysed the expression of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in smooth muscle cells (SMC) in various states of differentiation, using Western blots and thermocycle amplification of mRNA. SMC isolated from intact tissues express three isoforms of PKC, namely alpha, delta, and zeta. Following cell culture, SMC additionally express mRNA for PKC-epsilon, but significant amounts of the corresponding protein were not detected. Transformed SMC, such as the cell line DDT1 MF-2, express both mRNA and protein for PKC-epsilon, lack the delta isoenzyme, whilst maintaining the expression of the alpha and zeta isoforms. Thus PKC-delta and epsilon isoenzyme expression appears to vary with the state of differentiation of these cells, with PKC-epsilon expression increasing as the cells become proliferative.

Protein kinase C--a question of specificity

Following the initial identification of protein kinase C (PKC) by Nishizuka and co-workers in the late seventies, a wealth of information on this protein kinase has accumulated. Perhaps most striking was the realization that PKC is not just a single polypeptide but in fact consists of a large family of related proteins. These PKC isotypes are unique, not only with respect to primary structure, but also on the basis of expression patterns, subcellular localization, activation in vitro and responsiveness to extra-cellular signals. This review focuses on the heterogeneity within the PKC family and highlights some of the recent evidence that the isotypes might have separate and unique functions in the cell.

Receptors for IgE

Following advances during the past 5 years in our understanding of the molecular structure of receptors for IgE, progress has been made in elucidating the structure and function of IgE receptors and the signalling events through these receptors. IgE is not the only ligand for some of these receptors, leading to their having unexpected and interesting biological activities.

Formation of diacylglycerol, inositol phosphates, arachidonic acid and its metabolites in macrophages

Treatment of macrophages with zymosan, 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and fluoride but not with A 23187 or arachidonic acid (delta Ach) leads to a generation of diacylglycerol (acyl2Gro). Formation of inositol phosphates is achieved with zymosan, only. An elevation of intracellular calcium is obtained with zymosan and A 23187 but not with PMA, fluoride or delta Ach. Prior treatment of the cells with phorbol ester for 3 h which has been shown recently to result in a down-regulation of protein kinase (PK) C-beta but not PKC-delta [Duyster, J., Schwende, H., Fitzke, E., Hidaka H. & Dieter P. (1993) Biochem. J. 292, 203-207] has no effect on the zymosan-induced formation of acyl2Gro or inositol phosphates but inhibits the PMA-induced generation of acyl2Gro. Down-regulation of PKC-delta by prior phorbol ester treatment for 24 h augments the zymosan-induced generation of acyl2Gro and inositol phosphates. The acyl2Gro lipase inhibitor RG 80267 inhibits the PMA-induced and fluoride-induced generation of prostaglandin (PG) E2, reduces the zymosan-induced release of PGE2 by 50% but has no effect on PGE2 formation of unstimulated, A 23187-treated or delta Ach-treated cells. Furthermore, RG 80267 enhances accumulation of delta Ach-labeled acyl2Gro in response to zymosan, PMA and fluoride. These data indicate that zymosan activates a phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-specific phospholipase (PL) C, that generation of acyl2Gro by PMA and fluoride occurs via hydrolysis of other phospholipids, that PKC-beta is involved in the PMA-induced generation of acyl2Gro and PKC-delta negatively modulates the zymosan-induced activation of PLC and PMA and fluoride induce a liberation of delta Ach from acyl2Gro, A 23187 activates the PLA2 pathway and zymosan stimulates both, the acyl2Gro- and PLA2-pathway.

Phospholipase D activation regulates endothelin-1 stimulation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in SK-N-MC cells

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is known to stimulate phospholipase C (PLC) activity in SK-N-MC human neuroblastoma/epithelioma cells: here we show that phospholipase D (PLD) is also stimulated. The generation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) by ET-1-stimulated PLC was attenuated by protein kinase C (PKC) activation and enhanced by PKC inhibition. An enhancement of ET-1-stimulated Ins(1,4,5)P3 accumulation was also seen when the product of PLD activity was either diverted into phosphatidyl butanol in the presence of butanol, or phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PPH) activity was inhibited by DL-propranolol. We conclude that there is an inhibitory, PKC-mediated, feedback loop in these cells which is dependent, in part, on the activation of PKC by product(s) of the PLD/PPH pathway. This provides a novel role for agonist-stimulated PLD activation.

Signal transduction by Fc receptors: the Fc epsilon RI case

The family of proteins collectively known as Fc receptors (FcR) plays a variety of roles both in the initiation of the immune response and in its consequences. During the past five years the structure of these proteins and the genes that code for them have been largely elucidated. The most unexpected finding has been their extensive diversity. Considerable efforts are now being expended to define the molecular events initiated by these various FcR and these events are the focus of our review.