Activation of protein kinase C alpha inhibits insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were transfected with a cDNA encoding protein kinase C alpha (PKC) and a cell line (CHO-PKC alpha) expressing approximately 7-fold greater amounts of PKC as the parental cells were isolated. Activation of PKC by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in the CHO-PKC alpha cells inhibited by approximately 75% the: 1) insulin-stimulated increase in antiphosphotyrosine precipitable phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity in these cells; 2) insulin-stimulated increase in PI 3-kinase activity associated with insulin receptor substrate-1; and 3) tyrosine phosphorylation of the endogenous substrate, insulin receptor substrate-1. In contrast, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatment did not inhibit any of these responses in the parental CHO cells. These results indicate that excessive PKC activity can interfere in a very early step in insulin receptor signaling and are consistent with the hypothesis that excessive PKC activity may contribute to some states of insulin resistance.