Three Distinct Mechanisms for Translocation and Activation of the δ Subspecies of Protein Kinase C

ABSTRACT We expressed δ subspecies of protein kinase C (δ-PKC) fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) in CHO-K1 cells and observed the movement of this fusion protein in living cells after three different stimulations. The δ-PKC–GFP fusion protein had enzymological characteristics very similar to those of the native δ-PKC and was present throughout the cytoplasm in CHO-K1 cells. ATP at 1 mM caused a transient translocation of δ-PKC–GFP to the plasma membrane approximately 30 s after the stimulation and a sequent retranslocation to the cytoplasm within 3 min. A tumor-promoting phorbol ester, 12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA; 1 μM), induced a slower translocation of δ-PKC–GFP, and the translocation was unidirectional. Concomitantly, the kinase activity of δ-PKC–GFP was increased by these two stimulations, when the kinase activity of the immunoprecipitated δ-PKC–GFP was measured in vitro in the absence of PKC activators such as phosphatidylserine and diacylglycerol. Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ; 5 mM) failed to translocate δ-PKC–GFP but increased its kinase activity more than threefold. δ-PKC–GFP was strongly tyrosine phosphorylated when treated with H 2 O 2 but was tyrosine phosphorylated not at all by ATP stimulation and only slightly by TPA treatment. Both TPA and ATP induced the translocation of δ-PKC–GFP even after treatment with H 2 O 2 . Simultaneous treatment with TPA and H 2 O 2 further activated δ-PKC–GFP up to more than fivefold. TPA treatment of cells overexpressing δ-PKC–GFP led to an increase in the number of cells in G 2 /M phase and of dikaryons, while stimulation with H 2 O 2 increased the number of cells in S phase and induced no significant change in cell morphology. These results indicate that at least three different mechanisms are involved in the translocation and activation of δ-PKC.