Protein kinase C negatively modulated by phorbol ester.

Pretreatment of protein kinase C with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and phospholipid resulted in complete inhibition of ATP/phosphotransferase activity, irreversibly. The inactivation by TPA required the phospholipid, and TPA alone did not cause inactivation. Ca2+ and diacylglycerol mimicked TPA. This action of TPA was not general for all protein kinases as it did not accelerate the inactivation of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase by phospholipid. The addition of MgATP to the reaction mixture completely protected protein kinase C from being inactivated by TPA, in the presence of phospholipid. The nucleotide-binding site of the enzyme was probably influenced by the binding of TPA and phospholipid.