title: Protein kinase C-theta isoenzyme selective stimulation of the transcription factor complex AP-1 in T lymphocytes.
abstract: T-lymphocyte stimulation requires activation of several protein kinases, including the major phorbol ester receptor protein kinase C (PKC), ultimately leading to induction of lymphokines, such as interleukin-2 (IL-2). The revelant PKC isoforms which are involved in the activation cascades of nuclear transcription factors involved in IL-2 production have not yet been clearly defined. We have examined the potential role of two representative PKC isoforms in the induction of the IL-2 gene, i.e., PKC-alpha and PKC-theta, the latter being expressed predominantly in hematopoietic cell lines, particularly T cells. Similar to that of PKC-alpha, PKC-theta overexpression in murine EL4 thymoma cells caused a significant increase in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced transcriptional activation of full-length IL-2-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) and NF-AT-CAT but not of NF-IL2A-CAT or NF-kappaB promoter-CAT reporter gene constructs. Importantly, the critical AP-1 enhancer element was differentially modulated by these two distinct PKC isoenzymes, since only PKC-theta but not PKC-alpha overexpression resulted in an approximately 2.8-fold increase in AP-1-collagenase promoter CAT expression in comparison with the vector control. Deletion of the AP-1 enhancer site in the collagenase promoter rendered it unresponsive to PKC-theta. Expression of a constitutively active mutant PKC-theta A148E (but not PKC-alpha A25E) was sufficient to induce activation of AP-1 transcription factor complex in the absence of PMA stimulation. Conversely, a catalytically inactive PKC-theta K409R (but not PKC-alpha K368R) mutant abrogated endogenous PMA-mediated activation of AP-1 transcriptional complex. Dominant negative mutant Ha-RasS17N completely inhibited the PKC-O A148E-induced signal, PKC-O. Expression of a constitutively active mutant PKC-O A148E (but not PKC-alpha A25E) was sufficient to induce activation of AP-1 transcription factor complex in the absence of PMA stimulation. Conversely, a catalytically inactive PKC-O K409R (but not PKC-alpha K368R) mutant abrogated endogenous PMA-mediated activation of AP-1 transcriptional complex. Dominant negative mutant Ha-enRasS17N completely inhibited in the PKC-O A148E-induced signal, identifying PKC-theta as a specific constituent upstream of or parallel to Ras in the signaling cascade leading to AP transcriptional activation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baier-Bitterlich
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uberall
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fresser
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wachter
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Grunicke
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Utermann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altman
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D007527:Isoenzymes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate