title: PKC activation by melatonin modulates vimentin intermediate filament organization in N1E-115 cells.
abstract: Melatonin enters cells and causes cytoskeletal rearrangements in unicellular organisms, plants and vertebrates. This pineal secretory product causes microtubule enlargement and neurite outgrowth by a calmodulin antagonism in N1E-115 cells. Recently, direct in vitro activation of protein kinase C by melatonin was described. Vimentin intermediate filaments are attached to microtubules and their organization depends on both microtubule distribution and phosphorylation of specific proteins. Protein kinase C is a serine threonine kinase which phosphorylates vimentin and through this mechanism causes intermediate filament disassembly. In this work the effects of melatonin on protein kinase C activation, content, and subcellular distribution were studied in N1E-115 cells. Also, melatonin effects on vimentin phosphorylation and subcellular distribution were explored. The results show that melatonin both activates and increases protein kinase C content in the membrane cytoskeletal fraction. Melatonin protein kinase C activation was followed by an increase in both vimentin phosphorylation and by vimentin subcellular redistribution. Moreover, staurosporine, a serine threonine kinase inhibitor, prevented increased vimentin phosphorylation elicited by melatonin. Similar effects to those caused by melatonin were obtained with the protein kinase C activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Data support the idea that melatonin modulates vimentin organization through protein kinase C activation.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Mexicano de Psiquiatría, Departamento de Neurofarmacología, DIC, Lorenzo Huipulco, México, DF. bekin@imp.edu.mx
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benítez-King
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism*; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000201:enzymology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014746:Vimentin; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D019311:Staurosporine; D008550:Melatonin; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate