Overexpression of Protein Kinase C in HT29 Colon Cancer Cells Causes Growth Inhibition and Tumor Suppression

By using a retrovirus-derived vector system, we generated derivatives of the human colon cancer cell line HT29 that stably overexpress a full-length cDNA encoding the beta 1 isoform of rat protein kinase C (PKC). Two of these cell lines, PKC6 and PKC7, displayed an 11- to 15-fold increase in PKC activity when compared with the C1 control cell line that carries the vector lacking the PKC cDNA insert. Both of the overexpresser cell lines exhibited striking alterations in morphology when exposed to the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Following exposure to TPA, PKC6 and PKC7 cells displayed increased doubling time, decreased saturation density, and loss of anchorage-independent growth in soft agar; but these effects were not seen with the C1 cells. Also, in contrast to the control cells, the PKC-overproducing cells failed to display evidence of differentiation, as measured by alkaline phosphatase activity, when exposed to sodium butyrate. In addition, the PKC-overexpresser cells displayed decreased tumorigenicity in nude mice, even in the absence of treatment with TPA. These results provide the first direct evidence that PKC can inhibit tumor cell growth. Thus, in some tumors, PKC might act as a growth-suppressor gene.