Inhibition of protein kinase C is associated with a decrease in c-myc expression in human myeloid leukemia cells

Treatment of human myeloid leukemic cells with phorbol esters such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) is associated with activation and then partial down-regulation of protein kinase C activity. Previous work has suggested that the activation of protein kinase C by TPA contributes to the decrease in c-myc expression during differentiation of these cells. The present studies demonstrate that the decline in c-myc mRNA levels following exposure of HL-60 cells to TPA is preceded by an increase in expression of this gene. In contrast, exposure of HL-60 cells to inhibitors of protein kinase C activity is associated with down-modulation of c-myc expression. Similar findings have been obtained in U-937 myeloid leukemia cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that phorbol esters have a biphasic effect on c-myc expression. Whereas the activation of protein kinase C by phorbol esters may be associated with an increase in c-myc gene expression, the subsequent partial down-regulation of kinase activity may initiate a cascade of events resulting in the down-modulation of c-myc expression.