Unique protein kinase C profile in mouse oocytes: lack of calcium-dependent conventional isoforms suggested by rtPCR and Western blotting.

rtPCR and Western blotting were used to determine which members of the PKC family are present in both immature and mature mouse oocytes. Using isoform-specific PCR primers and antibodies PKC-delta and -lambda were detected while such techniques failed to observe the conventional isoforms of PKC-alpha, -beta, -gamma. This isoform profile was confirmed using an alternative PCR strategy, which allowed discrimination of PCR products derived from conventional and novel PKC isoforms. In addition PKC-epsilon, -eta, -theta and -zeta were not detected by rtPCR. These results suggest that the predominant isoforms in oocytes are PKC-delta and -lambda.