Role of PKC isozyme III (γ) in water transport in amphibian urinary bladder
Vasopressin stimulated water flow across renal epithelia is thought to occur through a V2 receptor coupled to adenylcyclase. The increase in water flow occurs as a result of a fusion of water channels with the apical membrane and is indicative of an increase in membrane capacitance following hormone addition.What controls the cycling of water channels and their insertion into the membrane is uncertain. Our laboratory has demonstrated that renal epithelia as well as amphibian urinary bladder membranes, contain a vasopressin V1 receptor which upon activation results in the breakdown of phosphoinositide and the formation of inositol triphosphate and diacylglycerol, the latter an activator of protein kinase C (PKC). The initiation of transepithelial water flow also appears to involve V1 receptors and possibly activation of PKC. To test this hypothesis, we have been using activators of PKC, such as phorbol esters and mezerein, as pharmacological tools to determine if PKC activation results in similar physiological responses as the hormone. Several PKC isozymes, upon activation, are known to be translocated to the apical membrane as visualized by FITC immunofluorescence. Previously, we reported co-localization of PKC subtypes I (γ) and II (β) in toad urinary bladders using monoclonal antibodies and protein A-gold probes. This report includes the localization of PKC subtype III (α) and its distribution pattern using immunogold labeling.