Differential expression of MARCKS and other calmodulin-binding protein kinase C substrates in cultured neuroblastoma and glioma cells.

Expression of the protein kinase C substrate MARCKS and other heat-stable myristoylated proteins have been studied in four cultured neural cell lines. Amounts of MARCKS protein, measured by [3H]myristate labeling and western blotting, were severalfold higher in rat C6 glioma and human HTB-11 (SK-N-SH) neuroblastoma cells than in HTB-10 (SK-N-MC) or mouse N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. Higher levels of MARCKS mRNA were also detected in the former cell lines by S1 nuclease protection assay. At least two additional 3H-myristoylated proteins of 50 and 40-45 kDa were observed in cell extracts heated to > 80 degrees C or treated with perchloric acid. The 50-kDa protein, which bound to calmodulin in the presence of Ca2+, was more prominent in cells (N1E-115 and HTB-10) with less MARCKS, whereas neuromodulin (GAP-43) was detected in N1E-115 and HTB-11 cells only. Heating resulted in a fourfold increase in the detection of MARCKS by western blotting; this was not paralleled by a similar increase in [3H]myristate-labeled MARCKS and may be due to a conformational change affecting the C-terminal epitope or enhanced rechange of the protein on nitrocellulose. Addition of beta-12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate resulted in three- to fourfold increased phosphorylation of MARCKS in HTB-11 cells, with little increase noted in HTB-10 cells. These results indicate that MARCKS, neuromodulin, and other calmodulin-binding protein kinase C substrates exhibit distinct levels of expression in cultured neurotumor cell lines. Of these proteins, only MARCKS appears to be correlated with phorbol ester stimulation of phosphatidylcholine turnover in these cells.