Activation of PKC-alpha is required for migration of C6 glioma cells.

The PKC signaling pathway has been implicated in diverse cellular functions. Here, we sought to investigate the role of PKC-alpha÷beta in C6 glioma cell migration. We found that both PKC-alpha and PKC-beta were expressed by C6 glioma cells, but only PKC-alpha was markedly activated in serum-treated C6 cells. Go6976, a PKC-alpha÷beta specific inhibitor, was found to cause a dose-dependent reduction of PKC-alpha activation and cell migration induced by serum in C6 cells. These results collectively indicated that the PKC-alpha signaling pathway is necessary for glioma cell migration. Our findings may provide an insight into a better understanding to the malignant progression of gliomas.