Exposure of the bag cell neurons of Aplysia to activators of protein kinase C, such as phorbol esters, enhances electrically evoked action potentials by increasing the voltage-dependent calcium current. We have hypothesized that this effect is mediated by the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). An important prediction of this hypothesis is that inhibitors of PKC should inhibit these phorbol e...

Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) increases microtubule (MT) growth lifetimes, resulting in extension of a nocodazole-sensitive population of MTs in Aplysia growth cones. We examined whether the two phorbol ester-activated PKCs in Aplysia, the Ca(2+)-activated PKC Apl I and the Ca(2+)-independent PKC Apl II, are associated with these MTs. Phorbol esters translocated PKC to the Triton X-100-i...

Ca(2+)-Calmodulin binding to the variable N-terminal region of the diacylglycerol/phorbol ester-binding UNC13/Munc13 family of proteins modulates the short-term synaptic plasticity characteristics in neurons. Here, we report the sequential backbone and side chain resonance assignment of the Ca(2+)-Calmodulin/Munc13-1(458-492) peptide complex at pH 6.8 and 35 degrees C (BMRB No. 15470).

12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and 4 beta-phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBU) are potent tumor promoters and share several biological activities of epidermal growth factor (EGF). We have shown previously that EGF stimulates DNA synthesis and proliferation and inhibits TSH-induced markers of differentiation in dog thyroid follicle-derived primary cultures. Using this system, we have exa...

As changes in synaptic strength are thought to be critical for learning and memory, it would be useful to monitor the activity of individual identified synapses on mammalian central neurons. Calcium imaging of cortical neurons grown in primary culture was used to visualize the activation of individual postsynaptic elements by miniature excitatory synaptic currents elicited by spontaneous quanta...

The asialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptor on Hep G2 cells undergoes constitutive recycling and ligand endocytosis in the presence of phorbol dibutyrate, at a 50% reduced rate relative to control cells (Fallon, R. J., and Schwartz, A. L. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 15081-15089). The relevance of receptor phosphorylation to these events was investigated by selective immunoprecipitation of surface rec...

Although protein kinase D (PKD), like protein kinase C (PKC), possesses a C1 domain that binds phorbol esters and diacylglycerol, the structural differences from PKC within this and other domains of PKD imply differential regulation by lipids and ligands. We characterized the phorbol ester and phospholipid binding properties of a glutathione S-transferase-tagged full-length PKD and compared the...

Tumor-promoting phorbol esters have been shown previously to either induce or repress the expression of numerous cellular genes, and this property is likely to be important for the in vitro and in vivo biological effects of these compounds. In this report, we demonstrate that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induces the accumulation of basic fibroblast growth factor mRNA and protein in human der...

Tumor-promoting phorbol esters have been shown previously to either induce or repress the expression of numerous cellular genes, and this property is likely to be important for the in vitro and in vivo biological effects of these compounds. In this report, we demonstrate that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induces the accumulation of basic fibroblast growth factor mRNA and protein in human der...