Effects of selenium compounds on phospholipid/Ca2+-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) system from human leukemic cells.

Selenium compounds (selenium dioxide, selenious acid, and selenic acid) were found to inhibit phospholipid/Ca2+-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) and the phorbol ester-stimulated phosphorylation of endogenous substrate proteins from HL60 cells. Kinetic analysis indicated that selenium dioxide (SeO2) inhibited the enzyme noncompetitively with respect to phosphatidylserine (apparent Ki, 60 microM) and Ca2+ (apparent Ki, 68 microM). The inhibitory effect of SeO2 on protein kinase C was additive to that of another inhibitor of the enzyme (alkyl-lysophospholipid) when present together. SeO2 was also equally inhibitory to myosin light chain kinase, a calmodulin/Ca2+-dependent class of protein kinase. It, however, affected only very slightly cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase. It is suggested that inhibition of Ca2+-dependent reactions might be related to the anticarcinogenic property of selenium.