The tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate and regulatory diacylglycerols are substrates for the same carboxylesterase.

Rat liver homogenate or cell fractions deacylate 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) in vitro mainly by conversion to phorbol 13-acetate. The highest specific activity is located in the microsomal fraction. The deacylation is inhibited by bis-(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate, a selective inhibitor of nonspecific carboxylesterases. Only two of five purified esterases from rat liver endoplasmic reticulum deacylate TPA. These two esterases have formerly been characterized as acylcarnitine hydrolases and the more active one is also a potent diacylglycerol lipase. Its TPA-hydrolyzing activity is inhibited by other substrates like 1-naphthylacetate, lauroylcarnitine, or dioleoyl glycerol. The results support the view that phorbol esters act like structural analogs of diacylglycerols, not only with respect to their activating effect on protein kinase C, but also as substrates for the same lipases.