Role of protein kinase C in diacylglycerol-mediated induction of ornithine decarboxylase and reduction of epidermal growth factor binding.

Tumor-promoting phorbol esters induce ornithine decarboxylase (ODCase) activity and reduce epidermal growth factor (EGF) binding in rat tracheal epithelial 2C5 cells. Phorbol esters activate protein kinase C by interacting at the same site as sn-1,2-diacylglycerols, the presumed physiological regulators. The effects of added sn-1,2-diacylglycerols and those generated by phospholipase C treatment of 2C5 cells on ODCase induction and EGF binding were investigated to establish a role for protein kinase C in these cellular responses. Treatment of 2C5 cells with phospholipase C induced ODCase activity and reduced EGF binding, whereas phospholipases A2 and D were inactive. When sn-1,2-diacylglycerols containing fatty acids 3-10 carbons in length were added to 2C5 cells, those diacylglycerols containing fatty acids 5-10 carbons in length caused ODCase induction and reduction in EGF binding. sn-1,2-Dioctanoylglycerol was one of the most active compounds tested. It induced ODCase in a dose- (50-500 microM) and time-dependent manner. The reduction of binding of 125I-labeled EGF by sn-1,2-dioctanoylglycerol was also time and dose dependent and appeared to result from a change in EGF affinity and not the number of receptor sites. This series of sn-1,2-diacylglycerols showed similar structure-function relationships in their ability to induce ODCase activity, to decrease EGF binding, to stimulate protein kinase C, and to inhibit 3Hphorbol dibutyrate binding to the phorbol ester receptor. These data demonstrate biological activities for a number of diacylglycerols and indicate that protein kinase C activation is implicated in ODCase induction and decreased EGF binding.