PROTEIN-KINASE-C IN THE RAT RETINA - IMMUNOCHARACTERIZATION OF CALCIUM-INDEPENDENT DELTA, EPSILON AND ZETA ISOENZYMES

Using isoenzyme-specific antibodies, subtypes of protein kinase C were determined in isolated retinae of dark adapted and light-exposed rats by SDS-PAGE-Western blotting. In addition to the previously observed alpha- and beta-subspecies, the rat retina also expressed the delta-, epsilon- and zeta-isoenzymes of protein kinase C. Exposure of the animals to physiological or high levels of light does not elicit changes in the pattern or in the distribution of the different isoenzymes in the cytosolic or particulate fractions. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the presence of three calcium-independent protein kinase C isoenzymes in the rat retina.