Direct evidence that the kinase activity of protein kinase C is involved in transcriptional activation through a TPA‐responsive element

Abstract
In order to examine the involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in the transcriptional activation of genes by TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate) we have constructed a series of PKC expression plasmids. Transient expression of an active fragment of PKC in rat fibroblasts resulted in the transcriptional activation of a TRE (TPA-responsive element)-CAT chimeric gene which contains various repetitions of collagenase TREs. These provide the first direct evidence that kinase activity of PKC is involved in TPA-induced transcriptional activation through TRE.