Rosiglitazone, a PPAR-γ agonist, inhibits VEGF secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells and ROS production by human leukocytes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of rosiglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ agonist, on the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by leukocytes. METHODS: PBMCs and leukocytes were obtained from venous blood samples collected from 20 healthy individuals. VEGF secretion was evaluated using a commercial ELISA kit, while ROS production was determined using a luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay. RESULTS: Rosiglitazone and calphostin C (a protein kinase C inhibitor) inhibited VEGF secretion by PBMCs by 63.7 and 62.3%, respectively. Both agents reduced ROS production in non-stimulated human leukocytes and down-regulated the enhanced generation of ROS in leukocytes that had been stimulated with the PKC activator phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate. CONCLUSION: The results support the involvement of PKC as a direct, and/or NADPH-oxidase as an indirect, target for the action of rosiglitazone on VEGF secretion by PBMCs and ROS production in human leukocytes.

Biochemical characterization of hyperactive beta2-chimaerin mutants revealed an enhanced exposure of C1 and Rac-GAP domains.

Recent studies established that the Rac-GAP beta2-chimaerin plays important roles in development, neuritogenesis, and cancer progression. A unique feature of beta2-chimaerin is that it can be activated by phorbol esters and the lipid second messenger diacylglycerol (DAG), which bind with high affinity to its C1 domain and promote beta2-chimaerin translocation to membranes, leading to the inactivation of the small G-protein Rac. Crystallographic evidence and cellular studies suggest that beta2-chimaerin remains in an inactive conformation in the cytosol with the C1 domain inaccessible to ligands. We developed a series of beta2-chimaerin point mutants in which intramolecular contacts that occlude the C1 domain have been disrupted. These mutants showed enhanced translocation in response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) in cells. Binding assays using [(3)H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate ([(3)H]PDBu) revealed that internal contact mutants have a reduced acidic phospholipid requirement for phorbol ester binding. Moreover, disruption of intramolecular contacts enhances binding of beta2-chimaerin to acidic phospholipid vesicles and confers enhanced Rac-GAP activity in vitro. These studies suggest that beta2-chimaerin must undergo a conformational rearrangement in order to expose its lipid binding sites and become activated.

Mechanism of membrane redistribution of protein kinase C by its ATP-competitive inhibitors.

ATP-competitive inhibitors of PKC (protein kinase C) such as the bisindolylmaleimide GF 109203X, which interact with the ATP-binding site in the PKC molecule, have also been shown to affect several redistribution events of PKC. However, the reason why these inhibitors affect the redistribution is still controversial. In the present study, using immunoblot analysis and GFP (green fluorescent protein)-tagged PKC, we showed that, at commonly used concentrations, these ATP-competitive inhibitors alone induced redistribution of DAG (diacylglycerol)-sensitive PKCalpha, PKCbetaII, PKCdelta and PKCepsilon, but not atypical PKCzeta, to the endomembrane or the plasma membrane. Studies with deletion and point mutants showed that the DAG-sensitive C1 domain of PKC was required for membrane redistribution by these inhibitors. Furthermore, membrane redistribution was prevented by the aminosteroid PLC (phospholipase C) inhibitor U-73122, although an ATP-competitive inhibitor had no significant effect on acute DAG generation. Immunoblot analysis showed that an ATP-competitive inhibitor enhanced cell-permeable DAG analogue- or phorbol-ester-induced translocation of endogenous PKC. Furthermore, these inhibitors also enhanced [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding to the cytosolic fractions from PKCalpha-GFP-overexpressing cells. These results clearly demonstrate that ATP-competitive inhibitors cause redistribution of DAG-sensitive PKCs to membranes containing endogenous DAG by altering the DAG sensitivity of PKC and support the idea that the inhibitors destabilize the closed conformation of PKC and make the C1 domain accessible to DAG. Most importantly, our findings provide novel insights for the interpretation of studies using ATP-competitive inhibitors, and, especially, suggest caution about the interpretation of the relationship between the redistribution and kinase activity of PKC.

Proliferation of human breast cancer cells and anti-cancer action of doxorubicin and vinblastine are independent of PKC-alpha.

Protein kinase C (PKC) has been considered for a potential target of anticancer chemotherapy. PKC-alpha has been associated with growth and metastasis of some cancer cells. However, the role of PKC-alpha in human breast cancer cell proliferation and anticancer chemotherapy remains unclear. In this study, we examined whether alterations of PKC-alpha by phorbol esters and PKC inhibitors could affect proliferation of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapeutic agents. Exposure for 24 h to doxorubicin (DOX) and vinblastine (VIN) caused a concentration-dependent reduction in proliferation of MCF-7 cells. However, these two anticancer drugs altered cellular morphology and growth pattern in distinct manners. Phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu, 100 nM), which enhanced activities of PKC-alpha, increased cancer cell proliferation and attenuated VIN (1 microM)-induced cytotoxicity. These effects were not affected in the presence of 10 nM staurosporine. Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, 100 nM) that completely depleted PKC-alpha also enhanced cancer cell proliferation and attenuated VIN-induced cytotoxicity. Three potent PKC inhibitors, staurosporine (10 nM), chelerythrine (5 microM) and bisindolylmaleimide-I (100 nM), had no significant effect on MCF-7 cell proliferation; staurosporine and chelerythrine, but not bisindolylmaleimide-I, attenuated VIN-induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, neither phorbol esters nor PKC inhibitors had an effect on cytotoxic effects of DOX (1 microM) on MCF-7 cell proliferation. Thus, these data suggest that MCF-7 cell proliferation or the anti-cancer action of DOX and VIN on breast cancer cells is independent of PKC-alpha.

Branched diacylglycerol-lactones as potent protein kinase C ligands and alpha-secretase activators.

Using as our lead structure a potent PKC ligand (1) that we had previously described, we investigated a series of branched DAG-lactones to optimize the scaffold for PKC binding affinity and reduced lipophilicity, and we examined the potential utility of select compounds as alpha-secretase activators. Activation of alpha-secretase upon PKC stimulation by ligands causes increased degradation of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), resulting in enhanced secretion of sAPPalpha and reduced deposition of beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta), which is implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. We modified in a systematic manner the C5-acyl group, the 3-alkylidene, and the lactone ring in 1 and established structure-activity relationships for this series of potent PKC ligands. Select DAG-lactones with high binding affinities for PKC were evaluated for their abilities to lead to increased sAPPalpha secretion as a result of alpha-secretase activation. The DAG-lactones potently induced alpha-secretase activation, and their potencies correlated with the corresponding PKC binding affinities and lipophilicities. Further investigation indicated that 2 exhibited a modestly higher level of sAPPalpha secretion than did phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu).

Odor increases [3H]phorbol dibutyrate binding to protein kinase C in olfactory structures of rat brain. Effect of entorhinal cortex lesion.

Since protein kinase C (PKC) is known to be activated in the olfactory bulb and in several limbic areas related to odor processing, we determined whether an olfactory stimulus was able to modulate the activity of PKC in animals with bilateral entorhinal cortex lesion. The translocation of PKC from the cytosol to the membrane was studied using the phorbol ester 12,13-dibutyrate ([3H]PDBu) binding in control and bilateral entorhinal cortex (EC) lesioned rats. The lesion of EC per se did not significantly affect [3H]PDBu binding in any of the brain structures analyzed, while odor stimulation induced it in both control and EC-lesioned groups in the external plexiform layer of the olfactory bulb. In contrast, an odor-induced increase of [3H]PDBu binding in internal glomerular layer of the olfactory bulb was only observed in EC lesioned animals. Similar results were obtained in the piriform cortex. In both CA1 and CA3 hippocampal subfields, odor stimulation induced an increase of [3H]PDBu binding in both control and EC-lesioned animals, the increase being potentiated only in CA1 of lesioned rats. The dentate gyrus and the amygdala exhibited a similar pattern of [3H]PDBu binding, showing a significant increase exclusively in EC-lesioned animals after odor stimulation. The results strongly suggest that the EC plays a key role in odor processing. PKC appears to play an important role in responding to the activation of lipid second messengers, which have been described to be involved in the processing of odor stimuli in several structures of the olfactory pathway.

Effects of tyrosine phosphorylation of cortactin on podosome formation in A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells.

Cortactin, a predominant substrate of Src family kinases, plays an important role in Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization in lamellipodia and membrane ruffles and was recently shown to be enriched in podosomes induced by either c-Src or phorbol ester. However, the mechanisms by which cortactin regulates podosome formation have not been determined. In this study, we showed that cortactin is required for podosome formation, using siRNA knockdown of cortactin expression in smooth muscle A7r5 cells. Treatment with phorbol ester or expression of constitutively active c-Src induced genesis of cortactin-containing podosomes as well as increase in phosphorylation of cortactin at Y421 and Y466, the Src phosphorylation sites on cortactin. The Src kinase inhibitor SU-6656 significantly inhibited formation of podosomes induced by phorbol ester and phosphorylation of cortactin, whereas PKCalpha inhibitor did not affect podosome formation in c-Src-transfected cells. Unexpectedly, expression of cortactin mutants containing Y421F, Y421D, Y466F, or Y466D mutated sites did not affect podosome formation or cortactin translocation to podosomes, although endogenous tyrosine-phosphorylated cortactin at Y421 and Y466 was present in podosomes. Our data indicate that 1) PKCalpha acts upstream of Src in phosphorylation of cortactin and podosome formation in smooth muscle cells; 2) expression of cortactin is essential for genesis of podosomes; 3) phosphorylation at Y421 and Y466 is not required for translocation of cortactin to podosomes, although phosphorylation at these sites appears to be enriched in podosomes; and 4) tyrosine phosphorylation of cortactin may be involved in regulation of stability and turnover of podosomes, rather than targeting this protein to the site of podosome formation.

Diacylglycerol-activated Hmunc13 serves as an effector of the GTPase Rab34.

Hmunc13 is a cytosolic diacylglycerol (DAG)-binding protein, which is upregulated in renal cortical tubule and mesangial cells by hyperglycemia. In response to DAG activation, hmunc13 translocates to the Golgi. To investigate how this may relate to its function, we used a bacterial two-hybrid screen to look for hmunc13-interacting proteins. Full-length Rab34 was specifically isolated from a human kidney cDNA library. Co-expression of the two proteins confirmed Rab34 as a Golgi-associated protein, which was immunoprecipitated from cell lysates by hmunc13. Glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins of WT, Q111L (GTP bound), and T66N (GDP bound) mutants were created, and their GTP-binding activity verified by radioactive overlay assay. Binding of hmunc13 was observed with Q111L, barely detectable with T66N and enhanced with Rab34WT loaded with GTPgammaS compared with GDP loaded. Deletion of munc homolgy domain (MHD)-2, eliminated the hmunc13/Rab34 interaction. The Q111L mutant localized to the Golgi apparatus, but T66N was cytosolic. Localization of both mutants and Rab34WT was unchanged by DAG activation. The data suggest that DAG activation of hmunc13 causes it to be translocated to the Golgi, where it binds to GTP-bound Rab34 via MHD-2. Because Rab34 is known to regulate intracellular lysosome positioning, we propose that hmunc13 serves as an effector of Rab34, mediating lysosome-Golgi trafficking.

Role of the regulatory domain of protein kinase D2 in phorbol ester binding, catalytic activity, and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling.

Protein kinase D2 (PKD2) belongs to the PKD family of serine/threonine kinases that is activated by phorbol esters and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Its C-terminal regulatory domain comprises two cysteine-rich domains (C1a/C1b) followed by a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. Here, we examined the role of the regulatory domain in PKD2 phorbol ester binding, catalytic activity, and subcellular localization: The PH domain is a negative regulator of kinase activity. C1a/C1b, in particular C1b, is required for phorbol ester binding and gastrin-stimulated PKD2 activation, but it has no inhibitory effect on the catalytic activity. Gastrin triggers nuclear accumulation of PKD2 in living AGS-B cancer cells. C1a/C1b, not the PH domain, plays a complex role in the regulation of nucleocytoplasmic shuttling: We identified a nuclear localization sequence in the linker region between C1a and C1b and a nuclear export signal in the C1a domain. In conclusion, our results define the critical components of the PKD2 regulatory domain controlling phorbol ester binding, catalytic activity, and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and reveal marked differences to the regulatory properties of this domain in PKD1. These findings could explain functional differences between PKD isoforms and point to a functional role of PKD2 in the nucleus upon activation by GPCRs.

Phorbol ester differentiates the levels of [3H]MK-801 binding in rats lines selected for differential sensitivity to the hypnotic effects of ethanol.

These studies addressed the possible involvement between sensitivity to the hypnotic action of ethanol and function of the NMDA receptor. The studies were carried out using high-alcohol sensitive (HAS) and low-alcohol sensitive (LAS) rats, two rats having differential sensitivity to the acute hypnotic action of ethanol. The animal models were developed by a selective breeding experiment. Using a quantitative autoradiograph technique, it was demonstrated that [3H]MK-801 binding to the NMDA receptor was highest in hippocampus in both HAS and LAS rats, but significant [3H]MK-801 binding was also detected in cortex, caudate-putamen, and thalamus of HAS and LAS rats. The density of [3H]MK-801 binding was lower only in cerebellar granule layers of untreated HAS rats as compared to the same brain area in untreated LAS rats. Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by 100 nM PDBu, increased [3H]MK-801 binding in cortex, caudate-putamen, thalamus, central gray, and cerebellum of HAS rats but activation of PKC did not influence [3H]MK-801 binding in LAS rats. These activation of PKC differentiates between [3H]MK-801 binding of HAS and LAS rats in frontal cortex (layer II-IV and cingulate), caudate-putamen, and ventral lateral thalamic nuclei. The basal level of PKC-gamma mRNA was higher in HAS rats than that of LAS rats. These results suggest that the activation of PKC potentiates NMDA receptor function of the rat line which is more sensitive to alcohol (HAS) but does not affect [3H]MK-801 binding of alcohol resistant (LAS) rats.

Involvement of the antiplatelet activity of magnesium sulfate in suppression of protein kinase C and the Na+/H+ exchanger.

Magnesium sulfate is widely used to prevent seizures in pregnant women with hypertension. The aim of this study was to examine the inhibitory mechanisms of magnesium sulfate in platelet aggregation in vitro. In this study, magnesium sulfate concentration-dependently (0.6-3.0 mM) inhibited platelet aggregation in human platelets stimulated by agonists. Magnesium sulfate (1.5 and 3.0 mM) also concentration-dependently inhibited phosphoinositide breakdown and intracellular Ca+2 mobilization in human platelets stimulated by thrombin. Rapid phosphorylation of a platelet protein of M(r) 47,000 (P47), a marker of protein kinase C activation, was triggered by phorbol-12-13-dibutyrate (PDBu, 50 nM). This phosphorylation was markedly inhibited by magnesium sulfate (3.0 mM). Magnesium sulfate (1.5 and 3.0 mM) further inhibited PDBu-stimulated platelet aggregation in human platelets. The thrombin-evoked increase in pHi was markedly inhibited in the presence of magnesium sulfate (3.0 mM). In conclusion, these results indicate that the antiplatelet activity of magnesium sulfate may be involved in the following two pathways: (1) Magnesium sulfate may inhibit the activation of protein kinase C, followed by inhibition of phosphoinositide breakdown and intracellular Ca+2 mobilization, thereby leading to inhibition of the phosphorylation of P47. (2) On the other hand, magnesium sulfate inhibits the Na+/H+ exchanger, leading to reduced intracellular Ca+2 mobilization, and ultimately to inhibition of platelet aggregation and the ATP-release reaction.

Ligand structure-activity requirements and phospholipid dependence for the binding of phorbol esters to protein kinase D.

Although protein kinase D (PKD), like protein kinase C (PKC), possesses a C1 domain that binds phorbol esters and diacylglycerol, the structural differences from PKC within this and other domains of PKD imply differential regulation by lipids and ligands. We characterized the phorbol ester and phospholipid binding properties of a glutathione S-transferase-tagged full-length PKD and compared them with those of PKC-alpha and -delta. We found that PKD is a high-affinity phorbol ester receptor for a range of structurally and functionally divergent phorbol esters and analogs and showed both similarities and differences in structure-activity relations compared with the PKCs examined. In particular, PKD had lower affinity than PKC for certain diacylglycerol analogs, which might be caused by a lysine residue at the 22 position of the PKD-C1b domain in place of the tryptophan residue at this position conserved in the PKCs. The membrane-targeting domains in PKD are largely different from those in PKC; among these differences, PKD contains a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain that is absent in PKC. However, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate PIP2, a lipid ligand for some PH domains, reconstitutes phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) binding to PKD similarly as it does to PKC-alpha and -delta, implying that the PH domain in PKD may not preferentially interact with PIP2. Overall, the requirement of anionic phospholipids for the reconstitution of [3H]PDBu binding to PKD was intermediate between those of PKC-alpha and -delta. We conclude that PKD is a high-affinity phorbol ester receptor; its lipid requirements for ligand binding are approximately comparable with those of PKC but may be differentially regulated in cells through the binding of diacylglycerol to the C1 domain.

Analysis of the non-covalent interaction between metal ions and the cysteine-rich domain of protein kinase C eta by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Effect of zinc and other metal ions on the folding of the protein kinase C (PKC) surrogate peptide (PKCeta-C1B) was analyzed intact under neutral conditions by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). ESI-MS spectrum of 64ZnCl(2)-folded PKCeta-C1B clearly showed that PKCeta-C1B coordinates specifically two atoms of zinc, and that the two thiol protons are lost in each zinc ion coordinate center. 113CdCl(2)-folded PKCeta-C1B also showed stoichiometry of two cadmium atoms that was proved by addition of EDTA. The dissociation constants of zinc- and cadmium-folded PKCeta-C1B in the phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding (PDBu) were similar (0.66 and 0.81 nM) with different B(max) values (46.4 and 71.4%). The difference would reflect higher coordination potency of cadmium ion that was demonstrated by ESI-MS when PKCeta-C1B was folded by 1:1 mixture of zinc and cadmium ions. In contrast, 63CuCl(2)-treated PKCeta-C1B did not show any copper-coordinated peak, instead a molecular mass less than 6 mass units smaller than that of apo-PKCeta-C1B was observed. The multiple charge mass envelope of copper-treated PKCeta-C1B shifted to that of the lower mass charge state like zinc-treated PKCeta-C1B. These data suggest that the copper treatment formed three intramolecular S-S bonds to abolish the PDBu binding of PKCeta-C1B.

Evidence for protein kinase C-mediated activation of Rho-kinase in a porcine model of coronary artery spasm.

OBJECTIVE: We have recently demonstrated that protein kinase C (PKC) and Rho-kinase play important roles in coronary vasospasm in a porcine model. However, it remains to be examined whether there is an interaction between the two molecules to cause the spasm. METHODS AND RESULTS: A segment of left porcine coronary artery was chronically treated with IL-1beta-bound microbeads in vivo. Two weeks after the operation, phorbol ester caused coronary spasm in vivo and coronary hypercontractions in vitro at the IL-1beta-treated segment; both were significantly inhibited by hydroxyfasudil, a specific Rho-kinase inhibitor. Guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTPgammaS), which activates Rho with a resultant activation of Rho-kinase, enhanced Ca2+ sensitization of permeabilized vascular smooth muscle cells, which were resistant to the blockade of PKC by calphostin C. The GTPgammaS-induced Ca2+ sensitization was greater in the spastic segment than in the control segment. Western blot analysis revealed that only PKCdelta isoform was activated during the hypercontraction. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that PKC and Rho-kinase coexist on the same intracellular signaling pathway, with PKC located upstream on Rho-kinase, and that among the PKC isoforms, only PKCdelta may be involved. Thus, the strategy to inhibit Rho-kinase rather than PKC may be a more specific and useful treatment for coronary spasm.

Prolactin signalling in porcine theca cells: the involvement of protein kinases and phosphatases.

The hypothesis that protein kinase C (PKC) and tyrosine kinases, as well as serine-threonine and tyrosine phosphatases, are involved in prolactin (PRL) signalling in theca cells harvested from porcine follicles was tested. Theca cells were incubated with PRL for 24 h to stimulate progesterone (P4) production. In addition, treatments included inhibitors of PKC and tyrosine kinases, as well as serine-threonine phosphatase inhibitor and tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor. Prolactin significantly stimulated P4 production by theca cells and all inhibitors suppressed the PRL-stimulated P4 production. After incubation with PRL for 2, 5, 10 or 20 min, theca cells were homogenized and cytosolic and membrane fractions were obtained. This was followed by determination of PKC activity in partially purified subcellular fractions by measuring the transfer of 32P from [gamma-32P] adenosine triphosphatase (ATP) to histone III-S. In unstimulated porcine theca cells the major proportion of PKC activity was present in the cytosol. Incubation of cells with PRL resulted in a rapid, time-dependent increase in the amount of PKC activity in the membrane fraction. Protein kinase C activity in the membrane fraction was maximal after 10 min of cells' exposure to PRL. Protein kinase C activation was assessed also by measuring the specific association of 3H-phorbol dibutyrate (3H-PDBu) with theca cells after treatment with PRL. Prolactin significantly increased 3H-PDBu-specific binding in theca cells. In contrast to PKC, total inositol phosphate accumulation was not affected by PRL in the current study. In summary, PRL stimulated P4 production by porcine theca cells derived from large follicles. The results of the study were consistent with the hypothesis that PKC is one of the intracellular mediators of PRL action in porcine theca cells. Protein kinase C activation does not appear to occur through the action of phosphatidylinositol-dependent phospholipase C. Moreover, the involvement of tyrosine kinases, as well as tyrosine and serine-threonine phosphatases, in PRL signalling in the examined cells is suggested.

Intracellular redistribution of protein kinase D2 in response to G-protein-coupled receptor agonists.

The protein kinase D (PKD) family consists of three serine/threonine protein kinases: PKC mu/PKD, PKD2, and PKC nu/PKD3. While PKD has been the focus of most studies to date, no information is available on the intracellular distribution of PKD2. Consequently, we examined the mechanism that regulates its intracellular distribution in human pancreatic carcinoma Panc-1 cells. Analysis of the intracellular steady-state distribution of fluorescent-tagged PKD2 in unstimulated cells indicated that this kinase is predominantly cytoplasmic. Cell stimulation with the G protein-coupled receptor agonist neurotensin induced a rapid and reversible plasma membrane translocation of PKD2 by a mechanism that requires PKC activity. In contrast to the other PKD isoenzymes, PKD2 activation did not induce its redistribution from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Thus, this study demonstrates that the regulation of the distribution of PKD2 is distinct from other PKD isoenzymes, and suggests that the differential spatio-temporal localization of these signaling molecules regulates their specific signaling properties.

Increased [3H]phorbol ester binding in rat cerebellar granule cells and inhibition of 45Ca(2+) buffering in rat cerebellum by hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls.

Our previous structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies indicated that the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on neuronal Ca(2+) homeostasis and protein kinase C (PKC) translocation were associated with the extent of coplanarity. Chlorine substitutions at ortho position on the biphenyl, which increase the non-coplanarity, are characteristic of the most active congeners in vitro. In the present study, we investigated the effects of selected hydroxylated PCBs, which are major PCB metabolites identified in mammals, on the same measures where PCBs had differential effects based on structural configuration. These measures include PKC translocation as determined by [3H]phorbol ester ([3H]PDBu) binding in cerebellar granule cells, and Ca(2+) sequestration as determined by 45Ca(2+) uptake by microsomes isolated from adult rat cerebellum. All the selected hydroxy-PCBs with ortho-chlorine substitutions increased [3H]PDBu binding in a concentration-dependent manner and the order of potency as determined by E(50) (concentration that increases control activity by 50%) is 2',4',6'-trichloro-4-biphenylol (32 +/- 4 microM), 2',5'-dichloro-4-biphenylol (70 +/- 9 microM), 2,2',4',5,5'-pentachloro-4-biphenylol (80 +/- 7 microM) and 2,2',5'-trichloro-4-biphenylol (93 +/- 14 microM). All the selected hydroxy-PCBs inhibited microsomal 45Ca(2+) uptake to a different extent. Among the hydroxy-PCBs selected, 2',4',6'-trichloro-4-biphenylol is the most active in increasing [3H]PDBu binding as well as inhibiting microsomal 45Ca(2+) uptake. 3,5-Dichloro-4-biphenylol and 3,4',5-trichloro-4-biphenylol did not increase [3H]PDBu binding, but inhibited microsomal 45Ca(2+) uptake. This effect was not related to ionization of these two hydroxy-PCBs. Hydroxylated PCBs seemed to be as active as parent PCBs in vitro. These studies indicate that PCB metabolites such as hydroxy-PCBs might contribute significantly to the neurotoxic responses of PCBs.

Establishment of a binding assay for protein kinase C isozymes using synthetic C1 peptides and development of new medicinal leads with protein kinase C isozyme and C1 domain selectivity.

Conventional and novel protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes contain two cysteine-rich C1 domains (C1A and C1B), both of which are candidate phorbol-12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBu)-binding sites. We synthesized C1 peptides of 50-70 residues corresponding to all PKC isozyme C1 domains using an Fmoc solid-phase strategy. These C1 peptides were successfully folded by zinc treatment, as monitored by electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We measured the K(d)'s of [3H]PDBu for all PKC C1 peptides. Most of the C1 peptides, except for delta-C1A and theta-C1A, showed strong PDBu binding affinities with K(d)'s in the nanomolar range (0.45-7.4 nM) comparable with the respective whole PKC isozymes. The resultant C1 peptide library can be used to screen for new ligands with PKC isozyme and C1 domain selectivity. Non-tumor-promoting 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol and bryostatin 1 showed relatively strong binding to all CIA peptides of novel PKCs (delta, epsilon, and eta). In contrast, the tumor promoters (-)-indolactam-V, ingenol-3-benzoate, and PDBu bound selectively to all C1B peptides of novel PKCs. The preference of tumor promoters for the domain might be related to tumorigenesis since recent investigations proposed the involvement of novel PKCs in tumor promotion in vivo using transgenic or knockout mice. Moreover, we recently have found that a new lactone analogue of benzolactams (6) shows significant selectivity in PKCeta-C1B binding.

Decreased phorbol ester binding in the parahippocampal gyrus from subjects with schizophrenia is not associated with changes in protein kinase C.

Combining in situ radioligand binding with autoradiography, we previously identified a reduction of [(3)H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding in the parahippocampal gyrus from schizophrenic subjects. To determine whether these changes were due to decreases in the level of protein kinase C, we measured [(3)H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding, levels of the protein kinase C isoforms alpha, beta, delta, epsilon, gamma, eta and theta, as well as protein kinase C activity in crude particulate membranes from parahippocampal gyri of 15 schizophrenic and 15 control subjects. There was a significant decrease in the density (mean +/- SEM: 6.56 +/- 0.73 pmol mg(-1) vs 9.68 +/- 1.22 pmol mg(-1); P < 0.05) and affinity (mean K(D) +/- SEM: 4.64 +/- 0.34 nM vs 2.95 +/- 0.35 nM; P < 0.005) of [(3)H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding in homogenates from schizophrenic subjects. There were no significant changes in levels of the protein kinase C isoforms which are known to bind phorbol esters or in the activity of protein kinase C in membranes from schizophrenic subjects. These results suggest that there are changes in molecules capable of binding [(3)H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, other than protein kinase C, in the parahippocampal gyrus from subjects with schizophrenia.