H. Mahalingam et al., REGULATION OF MELANOGENESIS IN B16 MOUSE MELANOMA-CELLS BY PROTEIN-KINASE-C, Journal of cellular physiology, 168(3), 1996, pp. 549-558
Melanogenesis is regulated by a variety of environmental and hormonal
factors. In this study, we showed that protein kinase C (PKC) plays a
major role in regulating melanogenesis in B16 mouse melanoma cells. Ch
ronic treatment of B16 cells with phorbol dibutyrate resulted in a con
centration-dependent loss of density-dependent induction of tyrosinase
activity, which correlated positively with a concentration-dependent
loss of PKC enzyme activity. In contrast, B16 clones overexpressing PK
C alpha had increased tyrosinase activity. Different phorbol derivativ
es inhibited tyrosinase activity and depleted cellular PKC alpha in a
manner that reflected their reported tumor-promoting activity. Western
blotting analysis showed that phorbol dibutyrate decreased the amount
of the brown locus gene product (TRP-1) by 50% and lowered the amount
of the albino locus gene product (tyrosinase) to undetectable levels.
None of the phorbol derivatives affected the level of the slaty locus
protein (TRP-2). The decrease in tyrosinase and TRP-1 protein levels
was found to be due to a decrease in the mRNA encoded by these genes.
In addition to inhibiting the density-dependent increase in tyrosinase
activity, phorbol dibutyrate inhibited some, but not all, of the 8-br
omocyclic AMP-induced increase in tyrosinase activity. This was accomp
anied by a decrease in the amount of tyrosinase protein induced by 8-b
romocyclic AMP. Although 8-bromocyclic AMP did not change the level of
TRP-1, it did reverse the decrease in the amount of this protein indu
ced by phorbol dibutyrate. The amount of TRP-2 was not altered by any
of these agents. These data suggest that PKC regulates melanogenesis p
rimarily by controlling the constitutive expression of tyrosinase and,
to a lesser extent, TRP-1. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.