Protein Kinase C As Atherapeutictarget Beverlya
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Review Protein Kinase C as aTherapeuticTarget BeverlyA. Teicher The recognition of protein kinase C (PKC) as the long sought- from intracellular stimuli to biological responses. Many after receptor for the tumor-promoting phorbol esters estab- proteins have been identified as PKC substrates both in vitro lished the potential role of PKC in carcinogenesis and as a and in vivo.Interestingly,however,knowledgeofPKC potentially important target for cancer therapeutics (1, 2). PKC substrates is not currently matched by the detailed understand- is a family of serine/threonine kinases that regulate a variety of ing of PKC regulation (2–4, 6). PKC isoforms are widely cell functions including proliferation, gene expression, cell distributed in tissues, although some isoforms are selectively cycle, differentiation, cytoskeletal organization cell migration, expressed. PKCg is selectively expressed in the central nervous and apoptosis (3). The PKC family was the first recognized system and spinal cord, PKCu is expressed by skeletal muscle receptor of diacylglycerol. Aberrant PKC activation can lead to and hematopoietic cells, and PKCh is expressed in pancreatic diseases of cellular dysregulation such as cancer and diabetes. islet cells, monocytes, brain, and retinal tissue (2). The existence of multiple isozymes of PKC raised the question Many kinases display overlapping substrate specificities of whether each PKC isozyme has a specific function. The PKC in vitro and can functionally compensate for each other in family includes isozymes [a, hI, hII, g, y, q, u, D, E/L (mouse/ single-gene knockout experiments. Early investigations regard- human), and ~] which are involved in signal transduction from ing the role of PKC isoforms in various intracellular signaling membrane receptors to the nucleus (Fig. 1; ref. 4). Differences events were based on a linear paradigm (6). Recent studies in PKC isozyme protein structure and substrate preferences show that signaling molecules aggregate to form multiprotein have allowed the family to be divided into three groups (2). complexes, a phenomenon that seems to hold a number of First, the conventional PKC isozymes (a, hI, hII, and g) are various types of molecules in close proximity. The formation of calcium-dependent and are phospholipid- and diacylglycerol- these complexes may facilitate signal transduction and allow activated kinases. Second, the novel isozymes (y, q, A, and u) are the modulation of biological functions within the cell. PKC calcium-insensitive, phospholipid-dependent, and diacylgly- isozymes do not function in isolation but exist in complexes cerol-dependent. Third, the atypical PKC isozymes (D and E/L) with other signaling molecules. are both calcium- and diacylglycerol-insensitive enzymes. The PKChI, PKCq, and PKCg are targets in phorbol ester– activation mechanism of the PKC isozyme family is clearly mediated tumor promotion/progression, whereas PKCy is different among the three subgroups: conventional, novel, and tumor-suppressive (Fig. 1). Disulfide forms of thiols have atypical PKC, but whether or not each isozyme in a subgroup oxidative regulatory effects on PKC isozymes and PKC S- has a specific function or activation mechanism has not been thiolation by disulfiram induces differential regulatory effects clarified. The activation and degradation of the PKC isozymes is on PKC isozymes that correlate with the cancer-preventive y controlled spatially and temporally (5). PKC is a single activity of disulfiram (7, 8). Overexpression of PKC stimulates polypeptide with four conserved regions and four variable apoptosis in a wide variety of cell types through a mechanism that is incompletely understood (9). PKCy-deficient cells are regions having a COOH-terminal catalytic domain and a NH2- terminal regulatory domain (2). The multiple functions of PKC impaired in their response to DNA damage–induced apoptosis, y in signal transduction are regulated by targeting PKC to specific suggesting that PKC is required for an apoptotic response to intracellular compartments. Several PKC isozymes may be stress. Using adenoviral vectors, Santiago-Walker et al. (9) y q capable of phosphorylating the same substrate. The constitu- found a modest increase in PKC activity but PKCa or PKC tive, lipid-dependent protein kinase activity of purified PKC activity was not able to selectively stimulate quiescent cells to y delayed the realization that PKC phosphorylation plays a initiate G(1) phase cell cycle progression. The PKC -infected fundamental role in their catalytic activities. PKC phosphory- cells arrest in S phase and proceed to caspase-dependent lation in vivo is well documented and is important in the apoptotic cell death. Further delineating the PKC isozymes, L maturation of the enzyme to a fully functional form localized Gustafson et al. (10) showed that atypical PKC is required for correctly in the cell. Bcr-Abl-mediated resistance of human K562 chronic myeloge- The identification of physiologically relevant substrates of the nous leukemia cells to paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. When Bcr- 11 known PKC isozymes is of obvious importance for a Abl was expressed in Bcr-Abl-negative HL-60 promyelocytic h h L complete understanding of the mechanisms by which this leukemia cells, the expression of PKC I, PKC II, and PKC y family of serine/threonine protein kinases relays information was induced whereas expression of PKC was decreased. Thus, Bcr-Abl-mediated transformation involves transcriptional acti- vation of the PKCL gene leading to Bcr-Abl-mediated chemo- resistance. Author’s Affiliation: Genzyme Corporation, Framingham, Massachusetts Understanding the mechanisms by which PKC contribute to Received 4/18/06; revised 6/29/06; accepted 7/7/06. malignancy remains a challenge (11). One model critically Requests for reprints: Beverly A. Teicher, Genzyme Corporation, 5 Mountain implicates conventional PKChII (diacylglycerol-responsive) Road, Framingham, MA 01701-9322. Phone: 508-271-2843; Fax: 508-620- and atypical PKCE/L (diacylglycerol-unresponsive) in cancer 1203; E-mail: [email protected]. F 2006 American Association for Cancer Research. cell transformation and invasion. PKCE/L is markedly up- doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-06-0945 regulated in human colon and lung tumors, in an in vivo model Clin Cancer Res 2006;12(18) September 15, 2006 5336 www.aacrjournals.org Downloaded from clincancerres.aacrjournals.org on September 30, 2021. © 2006 American Association for Cancer Research. Targeting PKC in CancerTherapy Fig. 1. Schematic of placement of PKC isoforms in intracellular signaling pathways. of chemically induced colon carcinogenesis, and in the survival of keratinocytes exposed to UV radiation (14). expression of activated PKCE/L-promoted hypersensitivity of Recently, Aziz et al. (15) showed that PKCy overexpression in mice to a carcinogen. transgenic mice failed to suppress the induction of squamous cell carcinoma developed by repeated exposure to UV radiation. Skin Cancer Transgenic mice that overexpress PKCq protein in basal epidermal cells and cells of the hair follicle develop papilloma- The PKC family is important in normal keratinocyte biology independent metastatic squamous cell carcinoma elicited by and in skin diseases, especially skin cancer (12). Keratinocyte 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-initiation and 12-O-tetra- apoptosis induced by UV radiation is a major protective decanoylphorbol-13-acetate promotion. Chronic exposure of mechanism from photocarcinogenesis. The constitutively active PKCq transgenic mice to UV radiation indicates that PKCq catalytic domain of PKCy is an apoptotic effector generated by signals tumor necrosis factor-a release, which is linked to caspase-3 cleavage of full-length PKCy in response to a wide photosensitivity in these mice (16). The overexpression of variety of apoptotic stimuli including UV radiation (13). The PKCq in the epidermis of mice may lead to the induction of activated PKCy catalytic domain triggers the redistribution and specific cytokines that perturb normal hematopoiesis in activation of Bax that can directly induce cytochrome c release. bone marrow, resulting in a granulocytic skew toward neu- PKCy also activates upstream components of the death effector trophils and eosinophils (17, 18). Both the transgenic pathway to insure apoptosis. The cleavage and activation of overexpression of PKCq in mouse epidermis and human PKCy are critical components of UV-induced apoptosis in squamous cell carcinoma indicate that high expression of human keratinocytes. Inactivation of PKCy can promote the PKCq in the epidermis may lead to a microenvironment www.aacrjournals.org 5337 Clin Cancer Res 2006;12(18) September 15, 2006 Downloaded from clincancerres.aacrjournals.org on September 30, 2021. © 2006 American Association for Cancer Research. Review suitable for the development of squamous cell carcinoma by a carcinogenesis. Transgenic expression of PKChII in mouse colon paracrine mechanism. led to hyperproliferation and increased susceptibility to colon carcinogenesis that correlated with decreased expression of Colon and Gastric Cancer transforming growth factor-h type II receptor. Yu et al. (20) showed that transfection with PKChII induced the expression of PKC activity is higher in actively proliferating colonic cyclooxygenase-2 in rat intestinal epithelial cells in culture and epithelial cells than in their quiescent counterparts, suggesting in transgenic PKChII mice. Transgenic mice expressing PKChII a role for PKC in proliferation. Colonic