Dissociation of TPA-induced down-regulation of T cell antigens from protein kinase C activation.

The tumor promotor 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) has diverse effects on lymphoid cell function. Two of the early effects were the induction of early activation antigen EA1 and the down-regulation of certain T cell differentiation antigens (CD3, CD4, CD7). The mechanisms of these TPA effects were investigated. It was confirmed that EA1 expression was dependent on protein kinase C (PKC) activation. Synthetic diacylglycerols were capable of inducing EA1 expression. In addition, inhibition of PKC by the kinase inhibitor, H7, led to the inhibition of EA1 expression induced by TPA and synthetic diacylglycerols. In contrast, down-regulation of T cell differentiation antigens by TPA was not dependent on PKC activation. Synthetic diacylglycerols did not induce down-regulation of T cell antigens and H7 had no effect on the down-regulation of T cell antigens induced by TPA. These data would suggest that TPA exerted its effects on T cell function by mechanisms in addition to the activation of PKC alone. One possible mechanism would be the activation of the calmodulin-dependent pathway(s) since its inhibition resulted in the reversal of TPA-induced down-regulation of the T cell differentiation antigens.