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Review
. 2025 Jun 9:72:14488.
doi: 10.3389/abp.2025.14488. eCollection 2025.

PKC in the perspective of dopamine receptor signaling

Haixiang Ma  1
Affiliations
Review

PKC in the perspective of dopamine receptor signaling

Haixiang Ma. Acta Biochim Pol. .

Abstract

Protein kinase C (PKC) is widely distributed in various tissues, organs, and cells. By catalyzing the phosphorylation of Ser/Thr residues on various proteins, PKC regulates the metabolism, growth, proliferation, and differentiation of multiple cells and plays a crucial role in transmembrane signal transmission. In dopamine receptor signal transduction, PKC regulates numerous physiological functions, such as dopamine release, internalization of the dopamine transporter, downregulation of dopamine receptors, etc. In disease conditions, hyperactivation of PKC can lead to disorders such as schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, while reduced PKC signaling may be associated with Alzheimer's disease. In the past few decades, researchers have paid increasing attention to the transduction role of PKC in dopamine receptor signaling, aiming to identify and discover potential targets for dopaminergic diseases. This review, from the perspective of signal transduction between dopamine receptors and PKC, reveals the pivotal hub position of PKC in the intracellular signal transduction network and its regulation of various physiological functions, providing ideas for future research on PKC and therapeutic interventions for dopaminergic diseases.

Keywords: dopamine receptor; dopaminergic disorders; physiological function; protein kinase C; signal transduction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Dopamine receptors activate PKC. DA, Dopamine; PLC, phospholipase C; PIP2, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate; DAG, diacylglycerol; IP3, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate; IP3R, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor; PKC, Protein kinase C. The figure was created with MedPeer (medpeer.cn).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Dopamine receptors inhibit PKC activity. DA, Dopamine; PLC, phospholipase C; PIP2, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate; DAG, diacylglycerol; DGK, diacylglycerol kinase; PA, Phosphatidic acid; PKC, Protein kinase C; GRK2, G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2; PDK1, Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1. The figure was created with MedPeer (medpeer.cn).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Dopamine reuptake. DAT, dopamine transporter; PKC, Protein kinase C; Ack1, activated Cdc42 (cell division cycle 42)-associated tyrosine kinase 1. The figure was created with MedPeer (medpeer.cn).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
The relationship between PKC and downregulation of dopamine receptor. IR, insulin receptor; MDM2, Mouse doubleminute 2 homolog; ub, ubiquitin. The figure was created with MedPeer (medpeer.cn).
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