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Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 1996;16:678-686

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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 1996;16:678-686.)
© 1996 American Heart Association, Inc.


Articles

Endothelial Cell Tyrosine Kinase Receptor and G Protein–Coupled Receptor Activation Involves Distinct Protein Kinase C Isoforms

Hermann Haller; Wolfgang Ziegler; Carsten Lindschau; Friedrich C. Luft

From the Franz Volhard Clinic, Virchow Klinikum at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Correspondence to Hermann Haller, MD, Franz-Volhard-Klinik, Wiltberg Strasse 50, 13122 Berlin, Germany.


*    Abstract
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*Abstract
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down arrowResults
down arrowDiscussion
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Abstract Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of serine/threonine protein kinase isoforms that is important to intracellular enzymes for both tyrosine kinase receptors and G protein–coupled receptors. However, which isoforms are linked to which class of receptors in endothelial cell signaling is not known. Moreover, the PKC isoforms in endothelial cells have not been thoroughly characterized. We tested the hypothesis that specific PKC isoforms are involved in different signaling pathways. PKC isoform expression was assessed by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. The spatial distribution of PKC after stimulation of the cells with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and thrombin was examined by using confocal microscopy. Expression of PKC {alpha}, {delta}, {varepsilon}, {theta}, and {zeta} was detectable on both the mRNA and protein levels. In resting cells, PKC {delta} and {zeta} were mostly distributed in the cytosol, while PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon} were also present in the nucleus. Nuclear immunoreactivity of PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon} increased significantly between passages 1 and 3. The phorbol ester TPA induced a rearrangement of PKC {delta} and a translocation of PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon} to the nucleus. Treatment of endothelial cells with TPA for 24 hours caused PKC {alpha}, {delta}, and {varepsilon} to disappear, while PKC {zeta} was not influenced by TPA. bFGF induced a rapid assembly of PKC {alpha} along cytosolic structures, followed by a translocation of the isoform toward the perinuclear region and into the nucleus. bFGF had a similar effect on PKC {varepsilon}. In contrast, thrombin had a smaller effect on nuclear translocation of PKC {alpha}, did not influence PKC {varepsilon}, and induced a rapid nuclear translocation of PKC {zeta}. Thus, tyrosine kinase receptor activation via bFGF induced a rapid association of PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon} with nuclear structures, while activation of the G protein–coupled thrombin receptor increased mostly nuclear PKC {zeta}. The translocation of PKC isoforms into the nucleus by growth-promoting factors may be important for the induction of endothelial cell growth.


Key Words: tyrosine kinase receptors • protein kinase C isoforms • endothelial cells • thrombin • basic fibroblast growth factor


*    Introduction
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*Introduction
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The calcium- and phospholipid-dependent, serine/threonine protein kinase PKC is an important second messenger in ECs. Endothelial PKC has been implicated in the expression and regulation of adhesion molecules,1 in the expression of endothelin-1,2 and in the proliferative response of ECs to hormones and growth factors.3 4 Furthermore, endothelial PKC appears to mediate the intracellular effects of shear stress5 and may also be important to angiogenesis.6 Investigating PKC is difficult because PKC is not a single entity but instead consists of several distinct isoforms with different regulatory and biochemical properties.7 8 These isoforms are expressed on separate genes and may play different roles in cell signaling and cell function.8 An analysis of isoform expression and distribution is necessary to investigate the role of PKC in signaling. The early notion that resting PKC is located in the cytosol and is translocated to the cell membrane on stimulation has been expanded by the finding that PKC is associated with cytoskeletal proteins, nuclear proteins, and intracellular membranes.9 10 We studied the expression and distribution of PKC isoforms in cultured human umbilical ECs by using RT-PCR, Western blotting, and confocal microscopy. We specifically tested the hypothesis that thrombin and bFGF, which exert their effects via separate intracellular pathways, have different effects on PKC isoform distribution.


*    Methods
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up arrowIntroduction
*Methods
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Materials and Culture Procedures
All materials, if not stated otherwise, were purchased from Sigma and Merck. M-MLV reverse transcriptase and Taq polymerase were obtained from Perkin Elmer. Human umbilical vein ECs were isolated from umbilical cords by chymotrypsin treatment and prepared.11 Subcultures 1 through 3 were used for the experiments.

RT-PCR Analysis
RNA Isolation
Total RNA was extracted from unstimulated, confluent primary cultures between passages 1 and 2 by using a guanidinium salt method derived from MacDonald et al.12 Cells were lysed in 5 mL guanidinium thiocyanate buffer (buffer 1) containing 4 mol/L guanidinium thiocyanate, 25 mmol/L sodium citrate (pH 6.5), 0.5% (wt/vol) N-lauroylsarcosine, 0.1 mol/L ß-mercaptoethanol, and 0.1% (wt/vol) antifoam A. The RNA was precipitated by the addition of 0.5 vol ethanol, collected by centrifugation (5 minutes at 10 000g) and redissolved in buffer 1. The insoluble debris was removed by a brief centrifugation. After the addition of 0.15 vol/percent acetic acid and 65 vol/percent ethanol, the RNA was precipitated overnight at -20°C. The precipitate was collected by centrifugation for 10 minutes at 10 000g and dissolved in 4 mL guanidinium hydrochloride buffer (buffer 2) with 7.5 mol/L guanidinium hydrochloride, 25 mmol/L EDTA, and 11 mmol/L ß-mercaptoethanol. After the addition of 0.3 vol/percent acetic acid and 50 vol/percent ethanol, the RNA was precipitated for 20 minutes at -20°C. The last step was repeated twice with gradual reduction of buffer volumes. The final precipitation was prolonged to 1 hour, and the pellet was dissolved in 0.5 mL buffer 3 with 0.3 mol/L NaCl, 10 mmol/L Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), 1 mmol/L EDTA, and 0.1% (wt/vol) sodium dodecyl sulfate. The RNA was precipitated overnight at -20°C by the addition of 2 vol ethanol. The precipitate was collected by centrifugation for 30 minutes at 10 000g, washed with 70% ethanol, and dissolved in 200 µL TE. The A 260/A 280 ratio was 1.8.

RT-PCR
The RNA was analyzed by using an RT-PCR assay based on the RNA PCR kit protocol supplied by Perkin Elmer. The RT was done in a 20-µL volume, applying 1 µg total RNA and 10 or 20 pmol specific downstream primers, at 52°C for 20 minutes. The subsequent PCR step was performed in a volume of 100 µL under optimized MgCl2 concentrations and temperature conditions with 10 or 20 pmol specific primer for 35 cycles. The typical cycle profile used on the Trio (Biometra) was 20 seconds at 96°C, 60 seconds TA (50°C to 62°C), and 90 seconds at 73°C. The experiments were accompanied by water and RNA controls in which the RNA or reverse transcriptase, respectively, was omitted. Functional control of the primers was achieved by additions of human fetal brain cDNA (Clonetech) to the PCR step.

Primer Development
The PKC isoform-specific primer pairs (TIBMolbiol) were derived from EMBL Data Library sequence information based on the sequence entries for PKC {alpha} (HSPKCA113 ), PKC ß (HSPKB14 ), PKC {gamma} (HSPKG14 and HSPKCG15 ), PKC {delta} (HSPKCD13Y16 ), PKC {varepsilon} (HSPKCE17 ), PKC {zeta} (HSPKCZ15 ), and PKC {theta} (HSPKC18 ). The genetic analysis was done by using PC/GENE (IntelliGenetics). The primers hybridize to the regulatory domain of the PKC isoforms, producing PCR products, which include the V3 region of the corresponding isoform. The primers, which were designed by using Oligo 4.0 (Med Probe), were used for specific RT-PCRs (TableDown). The specificity of the primers was tested on a human fetal brain cDNA bank (Clonetech) and verified by restriction analysis and partial sequencing of the products.


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Table 1. Upstream and Downstream Primers Used for Specific RT-PCR

Immunoblotting and Immunocytochemistry
Immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy were performed by using a Bio-Rad MRC 500 confocal imaging system (Bio-Rad Laboratories) with an argon laser.19 We used highly specific, affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies directed against peptide sequences of PKC that reacted specifically with the ß, {gamma}, {delta}, {varepsilon}, and {zeta} subspecies of PKC (antibodies were from GIBCO; the antibody against PKC {alpha} was a monoclonal from UBI). Specificity was demonstrated by using specific oligopeptides that prevent binding of the antibodies to the isoforms.20 The secondary fluorescein isothiocyanate–conjugated anti-mouse IgG antibody was obtained from Pierce Chemicals. At least 10 to 18 cells from each of at least five experiments were examined under each experimental condition. The results were reproduced by two separate investigators and multiple experiments were performed. Quantification of the signal intensity in the nuclear region was done by using AREA functions in the MRC software. The nuclear region was outlined manually, and the calculated mean fluorescent intensity was obtained.

Statistical analysis was performed on a Macintosh II computer (Apple Inc) by using a commercial program (StatView, Cricket Software Inc); results are expressed as mean±SEM. The Wilcoxon test was used, and a probability of less than.05 was considered significant.


*    Results
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*Results
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We first investigated PKC expression in resting cells at passages 1 and 2. Four independent total RNA preparations were made that led to the semiquantitative representation of PKC isoform expression shown in Fig 1Down. A strong signal for PKC {alpha} was present (Fig 1ADown). No signals for PKC ß and {gamma} were observed. Signals for PKC {delta}, {varepsilon}, and {theta} were identified (Fig 1BDown), and a positive signal was present for PKC {zeta} (Fig 1CDown). Thus, we found expression of PKC {alpha}, {delta}, {varepsilon}, {theta}, and {zeta} in all preparations (n=13). A strong signal for PKC {alpha}, {delta}, and {theta} was observed in each preparation, while PKC {varepsilon} and {zeta} mRNA were more difficult to detect. This finding could indicate that these two PKC isoforms are more weakly expressed in ECs. No mRNA for PKC {gamma} and ß was observed in any of the preparations investigated.



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Figure 1. RT-PCRs of PKC isoforms in cultured ECs from human umbilical veins that are representative of four independent total RNA preparations. A, RT-PCR for PKC {alpha}, ß, and {gamma}. Lane M, molecular weight marker (300, 350, 400, 500, and 1000 kD); lane 1, RT-PCR of total RNA; lane 2, RT control (ie, without RT); lane 3, PCR positive control for primers. B, PKC isoforms {delta}, {varepsilon}, and {theta}. Lane M for PKC {delta} shows a size marker for every 100 kD. Lane M for PKC {varepsilon} and {theta} are the standard size markers as shown in A. C, PKC {zeta}; the size marker is identical to that used in A.

We next investigated whether these PKC isoforms were demonstrable at the protein level. Fig 2Down shows the Western blot analysis of PKC isoforms. PKC {alpha} and {delta} showed a strong expression, with single bands at 84 and 87 kD, respectively. No immunoreactivity for PKC ß was observed. PKC {varepsilon} displayed two protein bands, a strong, upper band with a molecular weight of 82 kD and a lower band at 81 kD. PKC {zeta} showed a single protein band at 84 kD. No bands were observed with antibodies against PKC {gamma} (not shown).



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Figure 2. Western blot analyses of PKC isoforms {alpha}, ß, {delta}, {varepsilon}, and {zeta} that are representative of five independent preparations.

We then addressed the question of the intracellular isoform distribution. Fig 3Down shows the immunocytochemistry of PKC isoforms {alpha}, {delta}, {varepsilon}, and {zeta} by fluorescence confocal microscopy. PKC {alpha} showed a dense, punctuated pattern and was distributed in the cytoplasmic, perinuclear, and nuclear areas. PKC {delta} showed a coarse fibrillar pattern and was exclusively located in the cytosol. PKC {varepsilon} showed a strong, patchy pattern and was localized throughout the cytosol and in the nucleus. PKC {zeta} was present in the cytosol, with a faint uniform staining of the nuclear area. Lane 2 shows the effect of a 10-minute treatment with the phorbol ester TPA (100 nmol/L) on the cellular distribution of the PKC isoforms. TPA induced an increase in the immunoreactivity of PKC {alpha}, {delta}, and {varepsilon}, while PKC {zeta} was mostly unaffected. TPA led to an increase in fluorescence intensity in the nuclear area for PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon}. PKC {delta} showed an increased density in the cytosol and a fibrillar pattern. Lane 3 shows the effect of a 24-hour treatment with TPA (100 nmol/L) on PKC isoforms. TPA induced a marked decrease in the immunoreactivity of PKC {alpha}, {delta}, and {varepsilon}, while PKC {zeta} was not affected. Lane 4 gives the negative control for the immunocytochemistry experiments. Shown are staining without the specific antibody (PKC {alpha}) or staining in the presence of immunogenic peptide (other PKC isoforms). For experiments with TPA we performed controls by using corresponding concentrations of the vehicle dimethyl sulfoxide (data not shown). In these control experiments we did not observe any differences in the untreated cells.



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Figure 3. Representative photomicrographs from six independent experiments show immunocytochemistry of PKC isoforms {alpha}, {delta}, {varepsilon}, and {zeta} as obtained by fluorescence confocal microscopy. Lane 1 (control), quiescent, confluent cells in medium 199 at passage 3; lane 2, effect of a 10-minute treatment with the phorbol ester TPA (100 nmol/L) on the cellular distribution of the PKC isoforms; lane 3, effect of a 24-hour treatment with TPA (100 nmol/L) on PKC isoforms; and lane 4, negative control (staining without the specific antibody (PKC {alpha}) or in the presence of immunogenic peptide (other PKC isoforms).

During the course of these experiments we noted that the cellular distribution of some of the PKC isoforms was affected by the number of passages. Fig 4Down shows the differences in cellular distribution of PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon} between passages 1 and 3. PKC {alpha} in cells from passage 1 was mostly located in the cytosolic area, with only sparse patches in the cell nucleus. By passage 3 more nuclear staining was present, and immunoreactivity had decreased in the cytosol. PKC {varepsilon} at passage 1 showed only punctated areas of immunoreactivity in the perinuclear region and no nuclear staining, but by passage 3 a dramatic increase in PKC {varepsilon} immunoreactivity in the cytosol was observed, and nuclear immunoreactivity was present. For the other PKC isoforms, {delta} and {zeta}, no difference in cellular distribution was observed in the different passages.



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Figure 4. Representative photomicrographs from six independent experiments show differences in cellular distribution of PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon} between passages 1 and 3. Cells were similar in terms of confluence and von Willebrand factor expression.

We next investigated the effects of bFGF (100 nmol/L) and thrombin (1 U/mL) on the cellular distribution of the PKC isoforms in ECs from passage 3.

bFGF and thrombin induced an increase in nuclear immunoreactivity of PKC {alpha} (Fig 5Down). However, there was a marked difference between the different agonists. bFGF had a strong effect, with an increase of PKC {alpha} in the perinuclear and nuclear regions that was already present at 5 minutes and did not decrease after 10 minutes. In contrast, thrombin induced a slower and smaller response. bFGF and thrombin had similar effects on the spatial distribution of PKC {delta} (Fig 6Down). Both agonists induced an increase in the cytosolic and perinuclear immunoreactivity of PKC {delta}. The cytosolic staining of PKC {delta} changed to a more fibrillar pattern. This effect on PKC {delta} was similar to that observed after treatment with TPA. However, the effect of thrombin and bFGF on PKC {delta} was transient, and immunoreactivity was decreased by 10 minutes. bFGF greatly increased the nuclear immunoreactivity of PKC {varepsilon}, but thrombin led to a slight decrease in cytosolic and nuclear PKC {varepsilon} immunoreactivity at 5 and 10 minutes (Fig 7Down). The effect of bFGF on nuclear PKC {varepsilon} was persistent and unaltered by 10 minutes. bFGF led to a small effect on nuclear PKC {zeta} at 5 minutes, followed by an increase in cytosolic immunofluorescence at 10 minutes (Fig 8Down). The fine meshed PKC {zeta} pattern under resting conditions was changed to a more coarse, granular pattern. In contrast, thrombin induced a rapid and marked nuclear translocation of PKC {zeta} at 5 minutes that decreased markedly at 10 minutes.



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Figure 5. Representative photomicrographs from five independent experiments show effects of bFGF (100 nmol/L) and thrombin (1 U/mL) on the cellular distribution of PKC isoform {alpha}. For each isoform the cellular distribution under resting conditions is shown in a single photomicrograph on the left; the effects of the different agonists are presented on the right, connected by lines indicating the specific agonist.



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Figure 6. Representative photomicrographs from five independent experiments show effects of bFGF (100 nmol/L) and thrombin (1 U/mL) on the cellular distribution of PKC isoform {delta}. For each isoform the cellular distribution under resting conditions is shown in a single photomicrograph on the left; the effects of the different agonists are presented on the right, connected by lines indicating the specific agonist.



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Figure 7. Representative photomicrographs from five independent experiments show effects of bFGF (100 nmol/L) and thrombin (1 U/mL) on cellular distribution of PKC isoform {varepsilon}. For each isoform the cellular distribution under resting conditions is shown in a single photomicrograph on the left; the effects of the different agonists are presented on the right, connected by lines indicating the specific agonist.



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Figure 8. Representative photomicrographs from five independent experiments show effects of bFGF (100 nmol/L) and thrombin (1 U/mL) on cellular distribution of PKC isoform {zeta}. For each isoform the cellular distribution under resting conditions is shown in a single photomicrograph on the left; the effects of the different agonists are presented on the right, connected by lines indicating the specific agonist.

Fig 9Down shows the time course of the relative changes in PKC isoform immunoreactivity after stimulation with bFGF (100 nmol/L) and thrombin (1 U/mL). Significant differences (P<.05) between bFGF and thrombin were observed for PKC {varepsilon} and {zeta}.



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Figure 9. Line graphs show time courses of the relative changes of nuclear PKC isoform immunoreactivity after stimulation with bFGF (100 nmol/L) and thrombin (1 U/mL) (n=5). Mean values and fiducial limits are from six experiments.


*    Discussion
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up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMethods
up arrowResults
*Discussion
down arrowReferences
 
The important findings in this study are that bFGF induced nuclear translocation of the PKC isoforms {alpha} and {varepsilon} and led to a cytosolic rearrangement of PKC {delta}; in contrast, thrombin had no effect on PKC {varepsilon} but instead induced a rapid nuclear translocation of PKC {zeta}. These findings could in part serve to explain how different classes of agonists result in contrasting effects in ECs. To our knowledge, PKC isoforms have not previously been thoroughly characterized in ECs. We showed that cultured human ECs express PKC isoforms {alpha}, {delta}, {varepsilon}, {theta}, and {zeta}. We then analyzed the different intracellular locations of the PKC isoforms. We showed that under resting conditions only PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon} were present in the nucleus, while PKC {delta} and {zeta} showed mostly cytosolic staining. The expression level and intracellular distribution of PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon} were associated with phenotypic alterations. Both changed between passages 1 and 3, with a marked increase in PKC {varepsilon} immunoreactivity that was associated with enhanced nuclear staining. PKC {alpha} showed a similar but somewhat less prominent pattern. TPA increased PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon} nuclear staining and altered the cytosolic pattern of PKC {delta}.

We detected the expression of PKC {alpha}, {delta}, {varepsilon}, {theta}, and {zeta} in our cells with RT-PCR but could not find expression of PKC ß and {gamma}. Differences in tissue expression and distribution of PKC have been reported.7 21 PKC {alpha}, {delta}, and {zeta} are present in almost all tissues, while PKC {gamma}, ß, and {varepsilon} are expressed only in certain cell types. Moreover, discrepancies exist in the literature regarding the expression of PKC ß in ECs.22 23 24 25 26 27 A possible explanation of this discrepancy is the state of differentiation of the ECs investigated. We used primary EC cultures only at passages 1 through 3. Expression of von Willebrand factor was still present at higher passages. However, as shown in our study, expression levels of some PKC isoforms changed at higher passages and were already altered by passage 3. This finding is supported by the findings of Mattila et al,27 who observed significant expression of PKC ß only in a human umbilical vein–derived EC line. A second possible explanation is that PKC ß expression is species dependent and differs in the cells investigated.23 24 Marked differences may also exist between ECs from different vascular beds. For instance, PKC ß may be expressed in ECs from arteries but not in ECs from umbilical veins.28

We observed an increase of PKC {varepsilon} immunoreactivity from passages 1 through 3 even though the ECs of passage 3 displayed unaltered expression of von Willebrand factor and showed a typical cobblestone pattern. PKC {varepsilon} may play a role in the dedifferentiation process of ECs in culture; others have observed increased expression of PKC {varepsilon} in dedifferentiating vascular smooth muscle cells.29 The increased PKC {varepsilon} expression may be of functional relevance, as overexpression of this isoform leads to increased proliferation in NIH 3T3 cells.30

The spatial distribution of PKC in resting ECs showed distinctive patterns for the specific isoforms. We mostly observed a translocation of PKC from the cytosol to the nucleus; a significant translocation to the plasma membrane was not visible in our experiments. We and others have demonstrated that the translocation of PKC from the cytosolic to the plasma membrane is quite variable and depends on the cell type used.21 In ECs a significant translocation to the plasma membrane was not visible in our experiments using confocal microscopy. The rather thin optical sections obtained by confocal microscopy do not allow the detection of small amounts of PKC attached to the EC plasma membrane. The variable intracellular distribution suggests that PKC exerts specific functions and acts on different substrates. Several groups have identified intracellular PKC receptors, which contribute to the subcellular distribution of PKC isoforms. These binding proteins include receptors for activated C kinase (so-called RACKs), which are localized in the cytoskeleton and nucleus.31 32 PKC is associated with nuclear membranes,9 10 32 33 34 and nuclear substrates of PKC have been identified.35 36 These substrates include proteins implicated in maintaining chromatin structure and in the replication or repair of DNA, such as topoisomerase II.37 These observations support the notion that PKC may perform important tasks within the cell nucleus.38

The isoform distribution pattern varied depending on the state of activation of the cell or the agonists used. The phorbol ester TPA induced an increase in the nuclear immunoreactivity of PKC {alpha} and {varepsilon}. This shift of PKC isoforms to the nucleus was also observed after exposure to bFGF or thrombin. Which signal directs PKC isoforms to the nucleus is presently unclear. The presence of a nuclear localization sequence in the regulatory domain of the enzyme has been suggested.39 However, this motif is absent in PKC {alpha} as well as in the nonconventional PKC isoforms. In addition, a nuclear localization sequence should be localized in the hinge region or the catalytic domain of the molecule.40 Alternatively, PKC itself may be directed to the nucleus by the action of PKC binding proteins and may not necessarily rely on a nuclear localization sequence.

Thrombin and bFGF exerted different effects on the subcellular translocation of PKC isoforms. bFGF induced a marked increase in nuclear immunoreactivity of PKC {varepsilon}, while thrombin showed no effect. Agonists that activate receptors with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity have different effects on PKC isoform distribution in vascular smooth muscle cells than in G protein–coupled receptors.41 Others have also demonstrated differential translocation of PKC isoforms by thrombin and platelet-derived growth factor.42 The lack of nuclear PKC {varepsilon} translocation by thrombin in our experiments suggests that bFGF uses specific intracellular signals. bFGF leads to EC PKC translocation in the absence of inositol-lipid hydrolysis,43 suggesting that the effect of bFGF on PKC is mediated by tyrosine phosphorylation and is calcium dependent. However, the exact mechanisms of the bFGF-induced effect on PKC localization remain unclear. Our results suggest that the bFGF signaling pathway has a direct effect on PKC {varepsilon}. Our findings could in part explain how different classes of agonists result in contrasting effects in ECs. They underscore an important role for PKC isoforms in nuclear signaling and transcriptional control.


*    Selected Abbreviations and Acronyms
 
bFGF = basic fibroblast growth factor
EC = endothelial cell
PKC = protein kinase C
RT-PCR = reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
TPA = phorbol ester


*    Acknowledgments
 
This work was supported by a grant-in-aid from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to Hermann Haller.

Received September 14, 1995; accepted January 5, 1996.


*    References
up arrowTop
up arrowAbstract
up arrowIntroduction
up arrowMethods
up arrowResults
up arrowDiscussion
*References
 
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