THE ROLE OF MEMBRANE BIOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES IN THE REGULATION OF PROTEIN-KINASE-C ACTIVITY

Under physiological conditions, protein kinase C is active when bound to membranes. Like most membrane-bound enzymes, its activity is dependent on the nature of its lipid environment. In this article, Richard Epand and David Lester describe the relationship between the ability of specific membraneactive agents to alter the biophysical properties of the lipid environment and their potential to modulate protein kinase C activity. They argue that this can lead to a greater understanding of the mechanism of inhibition and activation of protein kinase C through modulation of the bulk biophysical properties of the membrane, and may provide a new approach to the development of a more specific set of inhibitors. © 1990.