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Protein kinase Cβ expression in melanoma cells and melanocytes: differential expression correlates with biological responses to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate

  • Original Papers
  • Experimental Oncology
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Abstract

Normal human melanocytes require 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) for prolonged growth in vitro. In contrast, the growth of human malignant melanoma cells is often inhibited by TPA. In this study, we have confirmed and extended these observations. Since protein kinase C (PKC) is an important mediator of the effects of TPA, we have investigated the nature of this differential growth response by examining PKC expression and activity in primary cultures of human neonatal melanocytes and metastatic melanoma cell strains. PKC, when measured by immunore-activity or a functional assay, was found to be more abundant in melanoma cells than in melanocytes. When specific isotypes were examined by Northern analysis, PKC-α and-ε were expressed in both melanocytes and melanoma. PKC-β was expressed in melanocytes, but was undetectable by Northern analysis in 10 out of 11 melanoma cell strains. Southern analysis revealed that no gross deletions or rearrangements of the PKC-β gene had occurred. These data suggest that down-regulation of the PKC-β gene occurs frequently during the process of transformation of melanocytes. Furthermore, differential expression of PKC isotypes may explain the different effects of TPA on melanocyte and melanoma cell growth.

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Abbreviations

TPA:

12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate

PKC:

protein kinase C

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Author notes

  1. Mary L. Birch

    Present address: Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, England

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona, 1515 N. Campbell Ave., 85724, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Marianne Broome Powell & Richard K. Rosenberg

  2. Clinical Cancer Center, University of California-Irvine, Orange, California, USA

    Mark J. Graham, Douglas T. Yamanishi, Julie A. Buckmeier & Frank L. Meyskens Jr.

Authors
  1. Marianne Broome Powell
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  2. Richard K. Rosenberg
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  3. Mark J. Graham
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  4. Mary L. Birch
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  5. Douglas T. Yamanishi
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  6. Julie A. Buckmeier
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  7. Frank L. Meyskens Jr.
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Powell, M.B., Rosenberg, R.K., Graham, M.J. et al. Protein kinase Cβ expression in melanoma cells and melanocytes: differential expression correlates with biological responses to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 119, 199–206 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01624431

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01624431

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