PKCζ interacts with STAT3 and promotes its activation in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.
This study was aimed to investigate the crosstalk between protein kinase C ζ (PKCζ) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. In neonatal rat cardiomyocyte hypertrophic model induced by phenylephrine (PE), the levels of phosphorylated PKCζ and phosphorylated STAT3 were significantly increased, suggesting the activation of both PKCζ and STAT3 in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Overexpression of PKCζ by adenovirus infection elevated the expressions of hypertrophic markers atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and brains natriuretic polypeptide (BNP), as well as the cell surface area; while genetic silencing of PKCζ inhibited PE-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. An interaction between PKCζ and STAT3 in cardiomyocytes was shown by co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Overexpression of PKCζ increased the phosphorylated level of STAT3 at both Ser727 and Tyr705, promoted the nuclear translocation of STAT3, and enhanced the expression of STAT3 downstream target genes c-fos and angiotensinogen (aGT); whereas PKCζ knockdown prevented PE-induced STAT3 activation, nuclear shuttling and transcriptional activation. In conclusion, PKCζ interacts with STAT3 and promotes its activation in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Strategies targeting inhibition of PKCζ-STAT3 signaling pathway suggest a therapeutic potential for cardiac hypertrophy.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
Jingyan
J
Li
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Jishou University, Jishou 416000, PR China.
Hui
H
Gao
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
Junying
J
Huang
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
Panxia
P
Wang
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
Yi
Y
Huang
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
Wenwei
W
Luo
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
Xiaoying
X
Zhang
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
Peiye
P
Shen
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
Jia
J
You
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.
Sidong
S
Cai
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China. Electronic address: lizhm5@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Zhuoming
Z
Li
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National and Local United Engineering Lab of Druggability and New Drugs Evaluation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, PR China. Electronic address: liupq@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Peiqing
P
Liu
D000818:Animals; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism*; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010957:Plasmids; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099221:Protein Kinase C zeta
D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D010656:Phenylephrine; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D000099221:Protein Kinase C zeta; C494088:Stat3 protein, rat
Cardiac hypertrophy; PKCζ; Phenylephrine; Phosphorylation; STAT3