Insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of protein kinase C alpha: evidence for direct interaction of the insulin receptor and protein kinase C in cells.

Insulin, in the presence of phorbol esters, was observed to stimulate the tyrosine phosphorylation of a major 80 kDa protein by immunoblotting with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies in Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing the insulin receptor and protein kinase C alpha. The protein was specifically immunoprecipitated by antibodies to protein kinase C and anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies were capable of immunoprecipitating protein kinase C enzymatic activity from these cells. When this tyrosine phosphorylated protein kinase C was treated with a tyrosine-specific phosphatase, a 35% decrease in its enzymatic activity was observed and this inhibition was blocked by inclusion of a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, vanadate, in the reaction mixture. These results indicate that under certain conditions insulin can stimulate the tyrosine phosphorylation of protein kinase C and this phosphorylation can affect its enzymatic activity.