Abstract:
Already in the seventies, PKC was a subject of large researches. In this thesis, the co-existence of more then one PKC isoform (PKC alpha, beta1, epsilon and zeta) in the retina of the goldfish could be shown. Furthermore, these isoforms were tested for differences of dark and clear in the immunoreactivity. In addition we made in-vitro experiments with PDBu and PMA, which are activators for the PKC.
We made frozen sections from the retinae and treated them with anti-PKC-antibodies against different PKC isoforms (alpha, beta1, epsilon, zeta). For the presentation of the Mb bipolar cells, we took Alexa Fluor 488 goat-anti-rabbit secondary antibody. On the basis of different controlling experiments (omit of the primary antibody, preabsorption) the specifity of the used antibodies could be pointed up. Via western blot tests, it was possible to make a statement of the presence of PKC isoform immunoreactivity in goldfish retinae on the base of biochemistry.
For testing the influence of dark and clear on the immunoreactivity of the isoforms, frozen sections of dark and clear adapted retinae were incubated with Isoform specific antibodies. It is remarkable that there are differences between the allocation of the immunoreactivity of dark and clear adapted retinae. On this account, we acquired the intensity of the marking of fluorescence from the cell body and the terminal via image processing and computer-assisted evaluation. They were seted in relation to each other. With this technique, it is possible to show that there are high significant differences for the classic isoforms (PKC alpha and beta1)and significant differences for the atypical isoform. For the new Isoform (epsilon), a big difference of the allocation of the immunoreactivity in the Mb bipolar cells could not be shown.
For the in vitro experiments, the isolated retinae were incubated in vitro in darkness for 30 minutes or rather, they were treated only with fishringer-solution (115 mM NaCl, 2,5 mM KCl, 2,5 mM CaCl2 , 1 mM MgCl2, 10 mM Glucose, 10 mM Hepes), with fishringer-solution and 10 nM PDBu or with fishringer-solution and 10nM MA.
10 nM PDBu effected an increase of membrane associated PKC alpha immunoreactivity in the terminals of the Mb cells. The incubation of the clear adapted retinae in fishringer-solution had no effect on the allocation of the PKC immunoreactivity, the signal was allocated diffuse in the Mb terminals. The incubation with 10 nM MA effected an increase of membrane associated PKC alpha immunoreactivity in the terminals of the Mb cells, the marking of the PKC in the interior of the terminals had much lower intensity of pixels.
Comparing the retinae treated with MA and PDBu, we could see that the membrane associated immunoreactivity in the retinae treated with MA showed a signal of fluorescence that was much more intensive than in the retinae treated with PDBu.
For analysing if the in vitro incubation of the isolated retinae with inactive Phorbolester had an effect on the PCK alpha immunoreactivity, we incubated retinae with fishringer-solution (or rather with PDBu in fishringer-solution or with the inactive Phorbolester 4-alpha-PDBu). The PKC alpha immunoreactivity of the incubated clear and dark adapted retinae in fishringer-solution was allocated diffuse in the terminal of the cells. The incubation with the active phorbol ester showed that the PKC alpha immunoreactvity in the teminal of the Mb cells was membrane associated.
The incubation with 4-alpha PDBu hat a different effect on the immunoreactivity of PKC alpha: there was no clearly gradient in the intensity of pixels a it was seen in the retinae treated with PDBu. Consequently, 4-alpha PDBu doesn’t appear to have an effect on the PKC immunoreactivity in the terminals of Mb cells.
On the basis of the literature and the results of this study, it is possible to hypothesise that the tested isoforms of PKC could be found in the Mb cells. Furthermore, there are clearly differences of the immunoreactivity in clear and in dark: it seems that there is an influence on the allocation from the PKC protein in the cytoplasma of the terminal and the cell body. In addition, Phorbolester as PKC activators have an influence on the changed immunoreactivity as .