Role for protein kinase C activation in IgA B cell terminal differentiation

In the present study, we demonstrate that the PKC-activating phorbol ester PMA selectively induced IgA synthesis by PP B cells. PKC activation triggered neither B cell proliferation nor the switching rate of IgA- to IgA+ cells. Together with the fact that the rate of IgA secretion by the myeloma cell line MOPC 315 was not altered by PMA, the data demonstrate that activation of PKC enhances IgA secretion by promoting terminal differentiation of IgA-committed B cells into IgA-secreting plasma cells.