Protein kinase C and T cell activation

Understanding the intracellular mechanisms by which binding of ligands, such as hormones and growth factors, to their specific receptors elicits the appropriate cellular response has long been a topic of great interest. Considerable excitement was generated when it was recognised that several receptor-ligand interactions operate via the hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids. This yields, at least, two 'second messengers', namely, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3], which causes the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores, and 1,2-diacylglycerol (ac2Gro), which activates the serine/threonine-specific enzyme, protein kinase C(PKC), reviewed in [1] and [2]. The pertinent question that follows is, how do PKC activation and elevation of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration evoke cell responses? In this review, attention has been focused on PKC, and the consequences of its activation in resting human T cells. Evidence that PKC activity is, at least partially, responsible for activation of resting human T cells will be examined, and some of the more recent research investigating how PKC activation elicits this cell response will be described.