Phorbol ester translocation of protein kinase C in guinea-pig synaptosomes and the potentiation of calcium-dependent glutamate release

Mechanism of action of volatile anesthetics: role of protein kinase C

1. It is not completely clear how volatile anesthetics cause anesthesia, but one possible consequence of their action is to alter presynaptic activity and the release of neurotransmitters due to alterations in intracellular signaling. 2. Protein kinase C (PKC) is a signal transducing enzyme that is an important regulator of multiple physiological processes like neurotransmitter release, ion channel activity, and neurotransmitter receptor desensitization. Thus, PKC is an attractive molecular target for the synaptic action of general anesthetics. 3. However, the effects of these agents on PKC activity are not yet fully understood and there are several contradictory data on the literature regarding the in vitro and in vivo preparations. 4. Here, we will review some evidence for volatile anesthetics effects on neuronal PKC activation.

Protein kinase Calpha is a calpain target in cultured embryonic muscle cells

Previously we isolated a micro-calpain/PKCalpha complex from skeletal muscle which suggested tight interactions between the Ca2+-dependent protease and the kinase in this tissue. Our previous studies also underlined the involvement of ubiquitous calpains in muscular fusion and differentiation. In order to precise the relationships between PKCalpha and ubiquitous calpains in muscle cells, the expression of these two enzymes was first examined during myogenesis of embryonic myoblasts in culture. Our results show that calpains and PKCalpha are both present in myotubes and essentially localized in the cytosolic compartment. Moreover, calpains were mainly present after 40 h of cell differentiation concomitantly with a depletion of PKCalpha content in the particulate fraction and the appearance of PKMalpha fragment. These results suggest a possible calpain dependent down-regulation process of PKCalpha in our model at the time of intense fusion. In our experimental conditions phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) induced a rapid depletion of PKCalpha in the cytosolic fraction and its translocation toward the particulate fraction. Long term exposure of myotubes in the presence of PMA induced down-regulation of PKCalpha, this process being partially blocked by calpain inhibitors (CS peptide and inhibitor II) and antisense oligonucleotides for the two major ubiquitous calpain isoforms (m- and micro-calpains). Taken together, our findings argue for an involvement of calpains in the differentiation of embryonic myoblasts by limited proteolytic cleavage of PKCalpha.

PKC-independent inhibition of glutamate exocytosis by arachidonic acid in rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes

In rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes, the addition of 4 beta-phorbol dibutyrate (4 beta-PDBu) and arachidonic acid enhances and decreases, respectively, the glutamate release evoked by 4-aminopyridine. Pretreatment of synaptosomes with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) or pre-incubation with staurosporine, prevent the stimulatory effect of 4 beta-PDBu, but are without effect on the inhibitory action of arachidonic acid. Moreover, methyl arachidonate, which is not effective as a PKC activator, also strongly inhibits glutamate exocytosis. These results suggest that PKC is not involved in the inhibition of glutamate release by arachidonic acid.

Differential action of nerve growth factor and phorbol ester TPA on rat synaptosomal PKC isoenzymes

The subcellular redistribution of protein kinase C family members (alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon and zeta isoforms) was examined in response to treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13 acetate (TPA) or nerve growth factor (NGF) in a synaptosomal-enriched P2 fraction from rat brain. Treatment with TPA affected members of the classical-PKC family (alpha, beta and gamma), resulting in a final loss of total protein of each isoenzyme. The kinetics of changes of members of the novel-PKC family are different, the delta isoform being translocated, but not down-regulated, while the epsilon isoform showing only a slight diminishing of immunoreactivity in the soluble and particulate fractions. The atypical-PKC zeta isoform was not translocated in response to TPA. Incubation with NGF induced a loss of immunoreactivity of the cytosolic alpha, beta and epsilon isoforms, but the membrane fractions of these isoforms were not appreciably affected. In contrast, a marked translocation from cytosol to membrane was observed in the case of the gamma and delta isoforms. The zeta isoform presented a slight translocation from the particulate fraction to the soluble fraction. Thus, the results show that the effects of TPA and NGF on PKC isoforms are not coincident in synaptosomes, the 6 isoform being activated and not down-regulated by both treatments, whereas the gamma isoform is only down-regulated in the case of TPA, but presents sustained translocation with NGF, indicating that PKC isoform-specific degradation pathways exist in synaptic terminals. The effects of NGF on PKC isoforms coexist with an increase in NGF-induced polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis, suggesting the participation of phospholipases.

Protein kinase C modulates field-evoked transmitter release from cultured rat cerebellar granule cells via a dendrotoxin-sensitive K+ channel

The role of protein kinase C (PKC) in the control of neurotransmitter release from cultured rat cerebellar granule cells was investigated. Release of preloaded [3H]-D-aspartate which is incorporated into synaptic vesicles in this preparation was evoked by electrical field stimulation or elevated KCl. PKC activation by phorbol esters resulted in a large facilitation of field-evoked Ca(2+)-dependent [3H]-D-aspartate release and a lesser enhancement of KCl-stimulated release. Inhibition of PKC by Ro 31-8220 or staurosporine virtually abolished field-evoked release but had no effect on KCl-evoked release. Field-evoked, but not KCl-evoked, synaptic vesicle exocytosis monitored by the fluorescent vesicle probe FM2-10 was inhibited by staurosporine. PKC was not directly modulating neurite Ca2+ channels coupled to release, as Ro 31-8220 did not inhibit these channels. Activation or inhibition of PKC modulated field-evoked plasma membrane depolarization, but had no effect on KCl-evoked depolarization, consistent with a regulation of Na+ or K+ channels activated by field stimulation. No modulation of field-evoked neurite Na+ influx was seen using phorbol esters. Phorbol ester-induced facilitation of field-evoked [3H]-D-aspartate release and neurite Ca2+ entry was non-additive with that produced by the specific K+ channel antagonist dendrotoxin-1, suggesting that PKC modulates transmitter release from field-stimulated cerebellar granule cells by inhibiting a dendrotoxin-1-sensitive K+ channel.

Fluoxetine action on murine T-lymphocyte proliferation: participation of PKC activation and calcium mobilisation

The present study was undertaken to analyse the effect of fluoxetine upon murine T-lymphocyte proliferation. We found that fluoxetine exerted a dual effect, which depended on the degree of lymphocyte activation: at mitogenic concentration (2 microg/mL) of concavalin A (Con A), we observed an inhibitory effect on cellular proliferation, whereas, on submitogenic Con A concentration (1 microg/mL), fluoxetine stimulated the cellular response. Given these facts, we studied PKC activation and calcium mobilisation in both stimulatory and inhibitory effects of fluoxetine on T-cell proliferation. We observed that fluoxetine increased PKC translocation obtained with 1 microg/mL Con A concentration, whereas PKC was degraded when 2 microg/mL was used. This mechanism is thought to be mediated by calcium mobilisation. According to our results, fluoxetine seemed to modulate calcium influx, which, in turn, would influence PKC translocation, modulating the immune response.

The effect of 4 beta-phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate and staurosporine on the extracellular glutamate levels during ischemia in the rat striatum

Hypothermia diminishes the ischemia-induced protein kinase C (PKC) translocation and inhibition, and also reduces transmitter release during ischemia. To study the role of PKC in the mechanism of glutamate release during ischemia, we measured extracellular glutamate levels in the striatum with the microdialysis technique, in the presence and absence in the dialysate of the PKC activator 4 beta-phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) and the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine. We confirm that hypothermia attenuates the elevation of extracellular levels of glutamate in the striatum during ischemia. In the presence of PDBu, the glutamate levels in the dialysate increased from 0.3 mumol/L to an end ischemic level of 4.8 mumol/L during hypothermic ischemia (33 degrees C). These levels were significantly higher than in hypothermic ischemia (33 degrees C) without added PDBu. Staurosporine significantly mitigated the glutamate levels during normothermic ischemia. Our data suggest that PKC is involved in the temperature-dependent elevations of extracellular glutamate levels in the striatum during ischemia, and we propose that compounds preventing PKC activation may mimic the hypothermic protective action against ischemic brain damage.

Receptor-mediated activation of protein kinase C in hippocampal long-term potentiation: facts, problems and implications

During the last decade hippocampal long-term potentiation has become one of the most frequently used models to study cellular mechanisms of learning and memory. Receptor-mediated activation of protein kinase C is thought to be involved in LTP stabilisation. In the present review, 1. the molecular structure and activation mechanisms of PKC isoenzymes, 2. the biochemical evidences for PKC activation after induction of LTP using different stimulation paradigms as well as 3. the involvement of metabotropic glutamate receptors in PKC activation after induction of LTP are critically discussed.

Up-regulation of protein kinase C-epsilon promotes the expression of cytokine-inducible nitric oxide synthase in RAW 264.7 cells

Stimulation of the murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cell line with phorbol esters fails to promote nitric oxide synthesis as occurs in rat hepatocytes or peritoneal macrophages. Transfection of RAW 264.7 cells with plasmids harboring protein kinase C (PKC) -epsilon isotype but not with PKC-alpha, -beta1, -delta, or constitutively active -alpha and -beta1 isotypes resulted in the expression of nitric oxide synthase type II (iNOS), as reflected by the synthesis of nitric oxide measured in the culture medium of transfected cells. cotransfection of RAW 264.7 cells with the -1592 to +121-base pair promoter region of the murine iNOS gene and PKC isotypes specifically induced the transactivation of this promoter in the case of the plasmids containing the PKC-epsilon isotype. The mechanism by which PKC-epsilon induced iNOS expression involved the activation of nuclear factor binding to kappaB sites (NF-kappaB) as deduced by the suppressive effect of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate on nitric oxide synthesis, an inhibitor of NF-kappaB activation, and by the activation of kappaB sites in cells transfected with a vector containing a kappaB motif linked to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene. These results suggest that PKC-epsilon can regulate a pathway that promotes iNOS expression in macrophages in response to phorbol ester activation.

Decrease in [Ca2+]c but not in cAMP Mediates L-AP4 inhibition of glutamate release: PKC-mediated suppression of this inhibitory pathway

We investigated the mechanism of the inhibition of glutamate release by (L)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate ((L)-AP4) in cerebrocortical nerve terminals from young rats (3 weeks of age). The Ca(2+)-dependent release of glutamate was reduced by (L)-AP4 in a concentration-dependent manner. This inhibitory effect was prevented by pertussis toxin, insensitive to staurosporine and associated with a reduction both in the depolarization-evoked increase in the cytoplasmic free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) and in forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation. However, the reduction in [Ca(2+)](c) but not in cAMP seemed to be responsible for the decrease in release, since inhibition by (L)-AP4 can also be observed in the absence of detectable changes in cAMP The inhibitory modulation by (L)-AP4 was suppressed by the activation of protein kinase C with phorbol esters. The nerve terminals from young rats also exhibited a facilitatory pathway of glutamate release which was mediated by protein kinase C. Interestingly, stimulation of this pathway with the glutamate agonist (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylate in the presence of arachidonic acid also abolished the inhibitory action of (L)-AP4. The dominance of the facilitatory pathway in its interaction with the (L)-AP4-mediated inhibitory control may provide some clues to understand the presynaptic changes during synaptic plasticity.

Hippocampal long-term potentiation: transient increase but no persistent translocation of protein kinase C isoenzymes alpha and beta

Using a monoclonal antibody the translocation of the Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) isoenzymes alpha/beta was studied in hippocampal slices after stimulation of glutamate receptors or induction of long-term potentiation. In submerged slices preincubated for 60 min in a medium usually used in electrophysiological studies, cytosolic PKC was not detectable and the amount of membrane-associated enzyme was increased. The treatment of these slices with 10(-6) M phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate induced a time-dependent translocation of alpha/beta PKC from the membrane-associated into the membrane-inserted state. The glutamatergic agonists N-methyl-D-aspartate, quisqualate and trans-ACPD did not cause a membrane insertion of alpha/beta PKC as observed for the phorbol ester when applied alone or in combination. Furthermore, 2 min and 15 min after induction of LTP in the Schaffer collateral-CA1 pathway the distribution of alpha/beta PKC between the two membrane fractions remained unchanged. An increase in the total amount of PKC immunoreactivity was measured immediately after tetanization (142.6% of controls). The data suggest that a membrane insertion of alpha/beta PKC is not a prerequisite for the LTP-induced increased phosphorylation of PKC substrates and that the enzyme might be recruited from a previously inactive pool.

Transduction of a protein kinase C-generated signal into the long-lasting facilitation of glutamate release

The present study investigated the delayed and persistent effects of 4 beta-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) on the K(+)-evoked release of endogenous glutamate and dynorphin B-like immunoreactivity from a subcellular fraction (P3) that is enriched in hippocampal mossy fiber synaptosomes. It is demonstrated that the alpha, beta, gamma, epsilon, and zeta isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC) are present in the P3 fraction obtained using the guinea pig hippocampus as starting tissue. The K(+)-evoked release of glutamate was found to be selectively enhanced when mossy fiber-enriched synaptosomes were preincubated with PDBu for 15 minutes and extensively washed with a PDBu-free medium. The persistent enhancement of glutamate release observed under this condition was not reversed by the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine and was desensitized to the potentiating effects of an acute reexposure to PDBu. The overall content and activity of PKC was not substantially altered during the initial 15 minutes of treatment with PDBu (10 microM). More prolonged pretreatments with PDBu altered the substrate specificity of PKC and decreased the content of all PKC isoforms, but did not reverse the facilitation of glutamate release that followed preincubation in the presence of PDBu. It is concluded that the persistent activation of PKC enhances K(+)-evoked glutamate release from hippocampal mossy fiber-enriched synaptosomes and that, once established, this presynaptic facilitation is sustained by a process that is no longer directly dependent on continued PKC phosphotransferase activity.

Activation of Protein Kinase C by Phorbol Esters and Arachidonic Acid Required for the Optimal Potentiation of Glutamate Exocytosis

The effects of arachidonic acid and phorbol esters in the Ca(2+)-dependent release of glutamate evoked by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) in rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes were studied. In the absence of arachidonic acid, high concentrations (500 nM) of 4 beta-phorbol dibutyrate (4 beta-PDBu) were required to enhance the release of glutamate. However, in the presence of arachidonic acid, low concentrations of 4 beta-PDBu (1-50 nM) were effective in potentiating glutamate exocytosis. This potentiation of glutamate release by phorbol esters was not observed with the methyl ester of arachidonic acid, which does not activate protein kinase C. Moreover, pretreatment of synaptosomes with the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine also prevented the stimulatory effect by arachidonic acid and phorbol esters. These results suggest that the activation of protein kinase C by both arachidonic acid and phorbol esters may play a role in the potentiation of glutamate exocytosis.

Bifemelane enhances high K+-evoked release of glutamate from mossy fiber synaptosomes of guinea-pig hippocampus

We have shown that bifemelane augments long-term potentiation in the mossy fiber-CA3 system, but not in the Schaffer collateral-CA1 system. To elucidate the mechanism of action of bifemelane in relation to pathway-specific augmentation of long-term potentiation, we prepared a mossy fiber terminal-rich synaptosomal fraction (P3) from guinea-pig hippocampus and investigated the effect of bifemelane on the release of glutamate from these synaptosomes, using an in vitro superfusion technique. Bifemelane (0.01-1 microM) dose dependently increased the 30 mM K(+)-evoked release of glutamate from the P3 fraction, without affecting glutamate release from a conventional synaptosomal P2 fraction. This stimulatory effect of 1 microM bifemelane was abolished by 100 microM H-7, which also suppressed the increase in K(+)-evoked glutamate release by phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (1 microM). Bifemelane (1 microM) induced the translocation of protein kinase C activity from cytosol to membrane in the P3 fraction (which contains large and irregular-shaped synaptosomes probably derived from mossy fiber terminals), but not in the P2 fraction. These findings suggest that bifemelane directly acts on mossy fiber terminals to potentiate depolarization-induced glutamate release, which may be at least partly mediated by the translocation (activation) of protein kinase C.

Effects of phorbol esters and secretagogues on nitrobenzylthioinosine binding to nucleoside transporters and nucleoside uptake in cultured chromaffin cells

Secretagogues inhibited adenosine uptake in chromaffin cells without causing apparent changes in the uptake affinity. The inhibition caused by carbachol, nicotine and acetylcholine reached 50%. This inhibition was reproduced by the action of protein kinase C activators such as phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 100 nM), phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu; 100 nM), dicaproin (10 micrograms/ml) and tricaprylin (10 micrograms/ml), with inhibitions of Vmax. of 18, 20, 37 and 47% respectively. No changes in the affinity of uptake were observed with these effectors. Down-regulation of protein kinase C by phorbol esters decreased the inhibitory effects of carbachol on adenosine uptake. Binding studies with nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBTI) showed a similar decrease in the number of transporters when chromaffin cells were treated with the same effectors used for the uptake studies. The high-affinity dissociation constants showed minor changes with respect to the control. The ratio between maximal uptake capacity and the transporter number per cell was not significantly modified by the action of secretagogues or direct effectors of protein kinase C. The number of high-affinity binding sites for NBTI was decreased in cellular homogenates by the direct action of protein kinase C activators, with staurosporine able to reverse this action. Protein kinase C from bovine brain in the presence of ATP and effectors, decreased the number of high-affinity NBTI-binding sites in purified chromaffin cell plasma membranes. These data suggest the possibility of a molecular modification at the transporter level.

An ion channel locus for the protein kinase C potentiation of transmitter glutamate release from guinea pig cerebrocortical synaptosomes

The mechanism by which protein kinase C (PKC) activates transmitter release from guinea pig cerebrocortical synaptosomes was investigated by employing parallel fluorescent assays of glutamate release, cytoplasmic free Ca2+, and plasma membrane potential. 4 beta-Phorbol dibutyrate (4 beta-PDBu) enhances the Ca(2+)-dependent, 4-aminopyridine (4AP)-evoked release of glutamate from synaptosomes, the 4AP-evoked elevation of cytoplasmic free Ca2+, and the 4AP-evoked depolarization of the plasma membrane. 4 beta-PDBu itself causes a slow depolarization, which may underlie the small effect of 4 beta-PDBu on spontaneous, KCl-evoked, and Ca(2+)-independent/4AP-evoked glutamate release. Because 4AP (but not KCl) generates spontaneous, tetrodotoxin-sensitive action potentials in synaptosomes, a major locus of presynaptic PKC action is to enhance these action potentials, perhaps by inhibiting delayed rectifier K+ channels.

Ca(2+)-independent release of glutamate during in vitro anoxia in isolated nerve terminals

The effects of in vitro anoxia on the release of glutamate in isolated nerve terminals were studied. The extra-synaptosomal concentration of glutamate ([Glu]ext) under aerobic conditions was 2.3 microM and increased to 4.9 microM after 10 min of anoxia. However, when synaptosomes were incubated in the presence of lactate plus pyruvate instead of glucose, to prevent anaerobic glycolysis, anoxia induced an eightfold increase in the [Glu]ext. The accumulation of glutamate in the external medium during anoxia was Ca2+ independent and insensitive to a significant reduction of the Ca(2+)-dependent release of the amino acid. These results indicate that a Ca(2+)-independent efflux of cytoplasmic glutamate occurs during in vitro anoxia in isolated nerve terminals.

The role of protein kinase C and its neuronal substrates dephosphin, B-50, and MARCKS in neurotransmitter release

This article focuses on the role of protein phosphorylation, especially that mediated by protein kinase C (PKC), in neurotransmitter release. In the first part of the article, the evidence linking PKC activation to neurotransmitter release is evaluated. Neurotransmitter release can be elicited in at least two manners that may involve distinct mechanisms: Evoked release is stimulated by calcium influx following chemical or electrical depolarization, whereas enhanced release is stimulated by direct application of phorbol ester or fatty acid activators of PKC. A markedly distinct sensitivity of the two pathways to PKC inhibitors or to PKC downregulation suggests that only enhanced release is directly PKC-mediated. In the second part of the article, a framework is provided for understanding the complex and apparently contrasting effects of PKC inhibitors. A model is proposed whereby the site of interaction of a PKC inhibitor with the enzyme dictates the apparent potency of the inhibitor, since the multiple activators also interact with these distinct sites on the enzyme. Appropriate PKC inhibitors can now be selected on the basis of both the PKC activator used and the site of inhibitor interaction with PKC. In the third part of the article, the known nerve terminal substrates of PKC are examined. Only four have been identified, tyrosine hydroxylase, MARCKS, B-50, and dephosphin, and the latter two may be associated with neurotransmitter release. Phosphorylation of the first three of these proteins by PKC accompanies release. B-50 may be associated with evoked release since antibodies delivered into permeabilized synaptosomes block evoked, but not enhanced release. Dephosphin and its PKC phosphorylation may also be associated with evoked release, but in a unique manner. Dephosphin is a phosphoprotein concentrated in nerve terminals, which, upon stimulation of release, is rapidly dephosphorylated by a calcium-stimulated phosphatase (possibly calcineurin [CN]). Upon termination of the rise in intracellular calcium, dephosphin is phosphorylated by PKC. A priming model of neurotransmitter release is proposed where PKC-mediated phosphorylation of such a protein is an obligatory step that primes the release apparatus, in preparation for a calcium influx signal. Protein dephosphorylation may therefore be as important as protein phosphorylation in neurotransmitter release.

Synaptosomal protein kinase C subspecies: B. Down-regulation promoted by phorbol ester and its effect on evoked norepinephrine release

The effect of phorbol esters was investigated on the down-regulation of protein kinase C (PKC) and on the release of [3H]norepinephrine (NE) in synaptosomes from the rat cerebrum. Treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) promoted the translocation of PKC activity in a P2 fraction from the cytosol to the membrane fraction and then its down-regulation, in a dose-dependent manner. TPA induced a rapid down-regulation of the type II(beta) and type III(alpha) subspecies, but did not change the activity of the type I(gamma) subspecies in the cytosolic fraction for at least 15 min. The gamma-subspecies was subsequently decreased at a slower rate. In the synaptosomes thus having only the gamma-subspecies, a subsequent dose of TPA could not enhance K(+)-evoked NE release, although, in the original synaptosomes, TPA was able to enhance K(+)-evoked NE release. Pretreatment with TPA did not alter the K(+)-evoked NE release itself. TPA was also found to enhance the K(+)-evoked NE release from synaptosomes prepared from both hippocampus, which express the gamma-subspecies of PKC at a negligible level, and cerebral cortex, which have a significant level of the gamma-subspecies, to the same degree. These results suggest that the gamma-subspecies of PKC does not participate in the TPA-enhanced K(+)-evoked NE release from synaptosomes.

The release and uptake of excitatory amino acids

In this article, David Nicholls and David Attwell describe recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms by which excitatory amino acids are released from cells, and of the way in which a low extracellular glutamate concentration is maintained. Glutamate can be released from cells by two mechanism: either by Ca2(+)-dependent vesicular release or, in pathological conditions, by reversal of the plasma membrane uptake carrier. The contrasting pharmacology and ionic dependence of the glutamate uptake carriers in the vesicle membrane and in the plasma membrane explain how glutamate (but probably not aspartate) can function as a neurotransmitter, and why the extracellular glutamate concentration rises to neurotoxic levels in brain anoxia.

Lack of translocation of protein kinase C from the cytosol to the membranes in vasopressin-stimulated hepatocytes

The ability of Ca2(+)-mobilizing hormones to promote changes in the subcellular distribution of protein kinase C (PKC) was studied in isolated hepatocytes. In recently isolated cells the distribution of PKC between the soluble and particulate fractions was 47 and 53% respectively. Exposure of the hepatocytes to 100 nM-vasopressin produced an increased phosphoinositide turnover, as reflected by the changes in the concentrations of inositol trisphosphate and Ca2+, and in glycogen phosphorylase a activity. However, the distribution of both PKC activity and [3H]phorbol dibutyrate binding between the cytosol and the membranes remained unchanged under these conditions. To determine the threshold values of the concentrations of Ca2+ and diacylglycerol required to produce a redistribution of PKC, the hepatocytes were treated with the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin, and with permeant diacylglycerol derivatives. Hepatocytes incubated in the presence of 100 nM-vasopressin required concentrations of Ca2+ 2.5 times those produced physiologically by the hormone to produce translocation of PKC from the cytosol to the membranes. These studies suggest that, at least in hepatocytes, activation of PKC in response to Ca2(+)-mobilizing hormones involves only the pre-existent membrane-bound enzyme without affecting the soluble enzyme.

Effect of diadenosine polyphosphates on catecholamine secretion from isolated chromaffin cells

1. The action of several diadenosine polyphosphates (AP3A, AP4A and AP5A) on basal, and on nicotine- and high K(+)-evoked, catecholamine (CA) release has been investigated. Each of the three diadenosine polyphosphates weakly but significantly increased basal CA secretion. This enhancement represented about 10% of the response evoked by 2 microM nicotine. 2. The evoked secretory response to diadenosine polyphosphates had an absolute requirement for extracellular Ca2+. 3. In contrast, these compounds had an inhibitory action on nicotine-evoked release. This response was concentration-dependent, EC50 values being 3.2 +/- 0.4 microM, 4.0 +/- 1.6 microM and 19.3 +/- 4.0 microM for AP3A, AP4A, and AP5A, respectively. The lower the concentration of nicotine used to evoke secretion, the higher the inhibitory power of these compounds. 4. The CA secretion evoked by K(+)-rich solutions was further enhanced by AP3A and AP5A, whereas AP4A inhibited it. The possible physiological role of these dual actions is discussed.

MAC-1 mediates adherence of human monocytes to endothelium via a protein kinase C dependent mechanism

Leukocyte adherence is mediated by a superfamily of glycoproteins denoted LFA-1 (the lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1), Mac-1 (macrophage antigen-1) and p150,95. The relative importance of these in mediating human monocyte adherence to endothelium, and the biochemical mechanisms which modulate these events, are not understood. In this report, the role of protein kinase C (pkC) in regulating human monocyte adherence to endothelial cells has been investigated. Addition of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), which specifically stimulates pkC, caused a dose-dependent increase in their adherence to monolayers of bovine aortic endothelial cells. 4 alpha-phorbol didecanoate (4 alpha-PDD), a structural analogue of PDBu which does not stimulate pkC, failed to increase monocyte adhesion. PDBu also produced a dose-dependent increase in the expression of both Mac-1 and p150,95. The pkC-stimulated adherence of monocytes to endothelium was inhibited by the presence of a monoclonal antibody to Mac-1, while monoclonal antibodies to p150,95 and LFA-1 did not influence adherence. It is concluded that monocyte adherence to endothelial cells is regulated through a pkC-dependent mechanism; moreover, this process is mediated primarily via the Mac-1 adhesion glycoprotein.

Substrate-dependent inhibition of protein kinase C by specific inhibitors

Protein kinase C (PKC) and its proteolysis-derived protein kinase independent of Ca2+ and phospholipids (PKM), were purified from rat brain. By using histone H1 and protamine as substrates, we assayed the effect of several inhibitors of PKC and PKM. The inhibition turned out to be dependent on both the nature of the kinase and the type of substrate assayed. These results may help to interpret the different responses elicited by PKC inhibitors in vivo.

4-Aminopyridine stimulates B-50 (GAP43) phosphorylation and [3H]noradrenaline release in rat hippocampal slices

In situ phosphorylation of the presynaptic protein kinase C substrate B-50 was investigated in rat hippocampal slices incubated with the convulsant drug 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). Phosphorylation of B-50 was significantly enhanced 1 min after the addition of 4-AP (100 microM). This increase by 4-AP was concentration dependent (estimated EC50 30-50 microM). Concomitant with the changes in B-50 phosphorylation, 4-AP also dose-dependently stimulated [3H]noradrenaline [( 3H]NA) release from the slices. 4-AP stimulated [3H]NA release within 5 min to seven times the control level. The B-50 phosphorylation induced by 4-AP remained elevated after removal of the convulsant, this is contrast to B-50 phosphorylation induced by depolarization with K+. A similar persistent increase was observed for [3H]NA release after a 5-min incubation period with 4-AP. These results give more insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying 4-AP-induced epileptogenesis and provide further evidence for the correlation between B-50 phosphorylation and neurotransmitter release in the hippocampal slice.

4-Aminopyridine stimulates B-50 (GAP-43) phosphorylation in rat synaptosomes

Recently, we have shown that stimulation of [3H]-noradrenaline release from hippocampal slices by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) is accompanied by an enhancement of the phosphorylation of B-50, a major presynaptic substrate of protein kinase C (PKC). PKC has been implicated in the regulation of transmitter release. In this study, we investigated the effects of 4-AP on B-50 phosphorylation in synaptosomes from rat brain and compared the effects of 4-AP with those of depolarization with K+, in order to gain more insight into the mechanism of action of 4-AP. B-50 phosphorylation was stimulated by incubation with 4-AP for 2 minutes at concentrations ranging from 10 microM to 5 mM. 4-AP (100 microM) stimulated B-50 phosphorylation already within 15 seconds; longer incubations revealed a sustained increase in the presence of 4-AP. B-50 phosphorylation was also stimulated by depolarization with 30 mM K+ for 15 seconds. The effects of both 4-AP or K+ depolarization on B-50 phosphorylation were abolished at low extracellular Ca2+ concentrations. The increase in B-50 phosphorylation induced by 4-AP seemed to be dependent on the state of depolarization, since the effect of 4-AP was largest under nondepolarizing conditions. Comparing the effects of 4-AP and K+ depolarization on B-50 phosphorylation suggests that a different mechanism of action is involved. These results indicate that the stimulation of B-50 phosphorylation by 4-AP in hippocampal slices can be attributed to a direct action of 4-AP on presynaptic terminals. In addition, our results support the hypothesis that B-50 phosphorylation by PKC is involved in Ca2(+)-dependent transmitter release evoked by 4-AP.

Lack of correlation between translocation and biological effects mediated by protein kinase C: an appraisal

Protein kinase C is involved in the mechanism of action of hormones, growth factors, mitogens and tumour promoters. The correlation between the extent of the biological effects mediated by protein kinase C and its fractional activation shows cell type specific patterns of behaviour. The discrepancy between enzyme activity and biological effects elicited by protein kinase C is particularly relevant to lymphoblastic cells. In B cells, the full expression of some biological responses mediated by protein kinase C may be achieved by activation of less than 5% of the enzyme activity.

Effect of phorbol esters on the distribution and total activity of protein kinase C in the perfused rat heart

1. The perfused rat heart was treated with the tumour-promoter and protein kinase C activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and the distribution of protein kinase C activity between cytosolic and particulate fractions determined. 2. Phorbol ester treatment led to a rapid loss of protein kinase C activity from the cytosol (t0.5 = 2 min) with a corresponding translocation into the particulate fraction. Translocated protein kinase C activity was tightly bound to the particulate fraction, could only be extracted with buffers containing 2% Triton X-100 and could therefore be misinterpreted as being down-regulated. 3. Claims of rapid down-regulation of protein kinase C activity by phorbol esters need to be supported by rigorous procedures for extraction of the particulate material.