Induction and Phosphorylation of Protein Kinase C-α and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase by Hypoxia and by Radiation in Chinese Hamster V79 Cells

Protein kinase C (PKC) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase are protein-serine/threonine kinases which are important regulators of diverse cellular processes including metabolism, proliferation and differentiation. This study shows that both hypoxia and X irradiation of serum-deprived Chinese hamster V79 cells cause the induction and phosphorylation of the PKC-α isoform. The increased induction and phosphorylation of PKC occur mainly in the nuclear fraction. Unlike the PKC activator TPA, neither hypoxic nor radiation stress causes translocation of PKC-α from the cytosol to the membrane. The induction of PKC-α by hypoxia is accompanied by an increased expression of MAP kinase but, in contrast, this does not occur when PKC-α is induced by radiation. Radiation, like TPA, causes a complete redistribution of MAP kinase from the cytosol to the nucleus.