Differential expression of protein kinase C and cAMP-dependent protein kinase in normal human melanocytes and malignant melanomas.

Normal human melanocytes, unlike malignant melanomas, require the presence of phorbol ester for growth in culture. Because protein kinase C (PKC) represents the intracellular receptor for phorbol esters, we investigated a possible correlation between expression of PKC and tumor progression in the melanocytic system. The results failed to show expression of PKC-alpha, -beta or -gamma in normal human melanocytes. However, PKC-alpha was expressed in primary and metastatic melanomas; even though antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeted against different mRNA regions of human PKC-alpha, and H7, an inhibitor of PKC, did not display significant growth-inhibitory effects. A similar pattern of expression was detected with respect to the expression of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Normal human melanocytes did not reveal expression of either of the known catalytic or regulatory subunits of human PKA, whereas primary and metastatic melanomas demonstrated expression of the PKA-specific subunits C alpha and RI alpha.