Intracellular delivery of protein kinase C-alpha or -epsilon isoform-specific antibodies promotes acquisition of a morphologically differentiated phenotype in neuroblastoma cells.

The protein kinase C (PKC) family participates in a ubiquitous cell signalling system utilizing increased turnover of phosphoinositides. Because down-regulation of total PKC activity has been implicated in the acquisition of a morphologically differentiated phenotype in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, we aimed to identify the specific PKC isoforms in this process. Here we report that intracellular delivery of PKC-alpha and -epsilon, but not -beta, -gamma or -delta isoform-specific antibodies is sufficient to induce acquisition of a morphologically differentiated phenotype in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.