Human glioma PKC-iota and PKC-betaII phosphorylate cyclin-dependent kinase activating kinase during the cell cycle.

Cell cycle phase transition is regulated in part by the trimeric enzyme, cyclin-dependent kinase activating kinase (CAK) which phosphorylates and activates cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks). Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors prevent cell cycle phase transition, suggesting a fundamental role for PKCs in cell cycle regulation. We report that in glioma cells, CAK (cdk7) is constitutively associated with PKC-iota. In vitro phosphorylation, co-immunoprecipitation, and analysis of phosphorylated proteins by autoradiography indicate that CAK (cdk7) is a substrate for PKC-iota and PKC-betaII hyperphosphorylation. These results establish a role for PKC-iota and PKC-betaII in the activation of CAK during the glioma cell cycle.