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The story of PKC: A discovery marked by unexpected twists and turns
Author(s) -
Kikkawa Ushio
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
iubmb life
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.132
H-Index - 113
eISSN - 1521-6551
pISSN - 1521-6543
DOI - 10.1002/iub.1963
Subject(s) - diacylglycerol kinase , protein kinase c , second messenger system , context (archaeology) , gene isoform , phorbol ester , enzyme , phosphorylation , inositol , chemistry , phorbol , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , receptor , gene , paleontology
Protein kinase C (PKC) is activated by 1,2‐diacylglycerol as a second messenger in the signaling mechanism coupled with the hydrolysis of membrane inositol phospholipids, although it was not found by screening for a 1,2‐diacylglycerol‐dependent enzyme. PKC is also a receptor for the tumor‐promoting phorbol esters, but it was not identified by its property of binding phorbol esters, either. Instead, the discovery and characterization of PKC, now known to comprise a family with multiple isoforms, was through a circuitous voyage filled with unexpected twists and turns. This review summarizes the discovery and the initial experiments of PKC as a historical perspective of the enzyme family in the context of the progress in the studies on protein phosphorylation. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(6):697–705, 2019