Mechanisms of nuclear translocation of beta i PKC

Abstract

Studies from our laboratory have shown that ²™PKC presents a nuclear localization in undifferentiated murine embryonic stem cells. During the process ofdifferentiation occurs a change of subcellular localization of this protein, which shall beexpressed in the cytoplasm of embryonic stem cells (ESC), suggesting that ²™PKC canbe an important factor that regulates the differentiation of these cells (COSTA-JUNIORet al., 2010). In addition, other studies also indicate that ²™PKC may be a promisingtherapeutic target due to its involvement in epigenetic modifications in MCF-7 andLNCaP cells that are used as a study model for breast and prostate cancer, respectively(GUSTAFSSON SHEPPARD et al., 2012; METZGER et al., 2010). Taken together,these studies indicate that the ²™PKC compartmentalization is related to importantcellular signaling processes, as embryonic stem cell self-renewal and pathologicalprocess in cancer. The mechanisms that regulate ²™PKC's nuclear translocation are notyet known. Thus, this project aims to understand the molecular basis involved in²™PKC's nuclear translocation in ESC and cancer cells. The knowledge of thesesignaling pathways could be very important to identify new therapeutic targets forpathological processes such as cancer and improvement of cell therapy protocols. (AU)