Concanavalin A prevents phorbol-mediated redistribution of protein kinase C and beta-adrenergic receptors in rat glioma C6 cells

Direct assay of membrane-associated protein kinase C activity in B lymphocytes in the presence of Brij 58

This paper describes a simple and direct procedure for assaying Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) activity in membrane fractions isolated from purified murine B lymphocytes (B cells) treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). The results indicate that membrane-bound PKC in B cells, treated with PMA, can be measured directly in the presence of 0.5% Brij 58 by assaying the transfer of 32P from [gamma-32P]ATP to histone type III-S. This method obviates the need for partial purification of the protein kinase by ion-exchange chromatography prior to assaying PKC activity. The properties of membrane-associated PKC activity in B cells have been characterized, and the kinetics of PMA-induced translocation of PKC in cultured murine B cells, the rat glial tumor clone C6, and primary neonatal osteoblastic cells have been defined by this direct assay. The results obtained with B cells and the other cell lines indicate that this direct assay procedure could be useful for studies on the factors controlling PKC translocation in a variety of cultured mammalian cells.

Concanavalin A amplifies both beta-adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptor-adenylate cyclase-linked pathways in cardiac myocytes

Concanavalin A (Con A) is a tetrameric plant lectin that disrupts plasma membrane-cytoskeletal interactions and alters plasma membrane fluidity. We used Con A as a probe to explore beta-adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptor-mediated regulation of cAMP in intact neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. Preincubation with Con A, 0.5 micrograms/ml, attenuated 1 microM (-)-norepinephrine (NE)-induced downregulation of beta-adrenergic receptors and resulted in a 50% augmentation of cAMP accumulation stimulated by 1 microM NE. Con A also augmented forskolin (1-10 microM)-stimulated cAMP accumulation by an average of 37% (P less than 0.05); however, Con A preincubation had no effect on basal or cholera toxin-stimulated cAMP content. The muscarinic cholinergic agonist carbachol (1-100 microM) decreased 1 microM NE-stimulated cAMP generation by an average of 32% (n = 7, P less than 0.05); preincubation with Con A further enhanced the inhibitory effect of carbachol by 18% (n = 7, P less than 0.05). Carbachol (1 microM) for 2 h decreased muscarinic cholinergic receptor density in whole cells by 33%; preincubation with Con A prevented this receptor downregulation. Con A pretreatment did not affect (-)-isoproterenol- or forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in cell homogenates, suggesting that an intact cytoarchitecture is necessary for Con A to augment cAMP formation. We conclude that Con A, through its modulation of beta-adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptor signaling, amplifies both stimulatory and inhibitory adenylate cyclase-linked pathways in intact neonatal ventricular myocytes. These data suggest the possibility that plasma membrane-cytoskeletal interaction is an important regulator of transmembrane signaling because interference with this interaction results in alterations in cAMP accumulation mediated by both beta-adrenergic- and muscarinic cholinergic-adenylate cyclase pathways.

Mechanisms by which a phorbol ester and a diacylglycerol analog inhibit hen granulosa cell steroidogenesis

We have previously reported that treatment of hen granulosa cells with the tumor-promoting phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), or the diacylglycerol analog, 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG), attenuates the steroidogenic response to luteinizing hormone (LH) at sites both prior and distal to the formation of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). The present study was designed to determine the site(s) of inhibition within the steroidogenic pathway by evaluating the effects of OAG and PMA on key enzyme systems involved in hen granulosa cell steroidogenesis: adenylyl cyclase, phosphodiesterase, the cholesterol-side-chain-cleavage (CSCC) complex and 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta-HSD). The adenylyl cyclase activator, forskolin (0.1 mM), stimulated a 3.3-fold increase in granulosa cell cAMP formation, and this increase was inhibited by the presence of OAG (2.5, 25 and 63 microM) in a dose-dependent manner. By contrast, a 1.8-fold increase in cAMP accumulation induced by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX; 1.0 mM), was not altered by OAG at any dose (2.5, 25 and 63 microM). Inclusion of 25-hydroxycholesterol (2500 ng/tube) in the incubation medium in the presence of 1.0 microM cyanoketone resulted in a 10-fold increase in pregnenolone production. Increasing concentrations of OAG (2.5, 25 and 63 microM) caused a dose-dependent suppression of the conversion of 25-hydroxycholesterol to pregnenolone. On the other hand, granulosa cells incubated with 200 ng/tube pregnenolone increased progesterone production 100-fold, but this increase was not inhibited by either PMA (3.2, 32, 8.1 and 162 nM) or OAG (2.5, 25 and 63 microM). The results indicate that activation of protein kinase C can suppress the function of at least two key enzymes involved in hen granulosa cell steroidogenesis. Inhibition of adenylyl cyclase greatly reduces the steroidogenic response of granulosa cells to endocrine factors that act via increasing levels of cAMP (i.e. LH). Furthermore, a reduction in CSCC activity limits the availability of precursor required for progesterone production. These data provide additional evidence of a role for protein kinase C in modulating ovarian function in the domestic hen.

Phorbol ester prevents the thyroid-stimulating-hormone-induced but not the forskolin-induced decrease of cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity in thyroid cell cultures

The potent tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) affects several thyroid cell functions and interacts with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) either by inhibiting or potentiating its action on different cellular parameters. Since phorbol ester acts mainly through the activation of protein kinase C, which is its receptor, we studied this activation and its interaction with TSH and forskolin in suspension cultures of porcine thyroid cells. In thyroid cell cultures, TPA has a dual effect on protein kinase C activity: immediately (2-5 min) after exposure of cells to TPA, it began to be translocated from the cytosol to the particulate fraction. The transfer of the cytosolic enzyme was total and could occur with or without a loss of activity. The translocated enzyme still needed Ca2+ and phospholipids for its activation. The basal activity increased transiently (2-4 h) in both the cytosol and particulate fractions during translocation. The peak activity in the particulate fraction was reached 10-30 min after exposure of cells to TPA, and was followed by down-regulation of protein kinase C and almost complete disappearance of its activity. The residual activity was about 13% of control after a 2-day exposure to TPA. It was unequally distributed between cytosol (4%) and particulate fraction (9%). Prolonged exposure of cells to TPA did not affect either the activity or the subcellular distribution of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity. TPA interacted with TSH and prevented the decrease of this activity induced by prolonged exposure of cells to the hormone not only when it was introduced simultaneously with TSH, but also when it was added 24 h after TSH. However, the forskolin-induced decrease in cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity was not prevented by the presence of TPA. TPA also affected the increases in cAMP accumulation mediated by TSH and forskolin. The TSH-induced increase was significantly stimulated by TPA after short contacts (5-15 min), while longer preincubations of cells with TPA provoked a very strong inhibition of the TSH action. However, the forskolin-induced stimulation of the cAMP accumulation was maintained and even further increased in the presence of TPA. Consequently, the actions of TSH and TPA are apparently interdependent, while those of forskolin and TPA seem to be parallel and independent. Neither TSH nor forskolin prevented the TPA-induced down regulation of protein kinase C. The biologically inactive phorbol ester analogue 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate had no effect on protein kinase C activity, and did not interact with either TSH or forskolin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Translocation of protein kinase C in porcine thyroid cells following exposure to thyrotropin

We have previously shown that protein kinase C activators modulate differentiated thyroid function in vitro; however, how protein kinase C may be activated physiologically is unknown. The present studies were undertaken in order to determine whether TSH could activate protein kinase C in vitro. Following exposure of porcine thyroid cells to TSH, translocation of protein kinase C from the cytosol to its membrane-bound form was observed. Maximal translocation occurred at the lowest TSH concentration able to trigger this response (10 mU/ml) but persisted at higher concentrations (20-100 mU/ml). Time-course studies revealed that translocation of protein kinase C was seen only after 40 min. TSH could also produce a similar translocation in human neutrophils (known to have TSH receptors). In thyroid cells pre-treated with TSH, modulation of phorbol-mediated protein kinase C translocation was noted. These results indicate that TSH causes the translocation of protein kinase C in porcine thyroid cells (and possibly other TSH receptor-containing cells) and therefore may regulate the action of protein kinase C on differentiated thyroid function.