Diacylglycerol-protein kinase C pathway

The diacylglycerol-protein kinase C (DAG-PKC) pathway is a fundamental intracellular signaling cascade that translates extracellular signals into diverse cellular responses. This pathway centers on the generation of diacylglycerol (DAG), a lipid-derived second messenger, which activates protein kinase C (PKC), a family of serine/threonine kinases. This pathway regulates gene transcription, cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, secretion processes, cytoskeletal dynamics, immune responses, learning/memory mechanisms in neurons. In metabolic tissues, it modulates insulin signaling and excessive activation can contribute to insulin resistance as seen in type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Overactivation or misregulation contributes to pathologies such as diabetic microvascular complications by promoting abnormal vascular permeability/proliferation under hyperglycemic conditions through persistent PKC activity driven by elevated cellular levels of glucose-derived diacylglycerols. Mutations or altered expression patterns within this pathway are linked with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease due to disrupted synaptic function mediated via aberrant DGK/PKCa interactions affecting neuronal plasticity/cognition.

N/A