Alternative Splicing Increases the Diversity of the Human Protein Kinase C Family

Abstract

Isolation of two protein kinase C (PKC) cDNA clones containing divergent carboxy-terminal sequences suggested a common genetic origin for these cDNAs. Partial characterization of the hPKCβ chromosomal gene provided direct evidence for the existence of two adjacent carboxy-terminal exons (β_, and β₂) that are alternatively spliced to generate two types of hPKCβ sequences. PKCβ_, and β₂ mRNAs are expressed in a selective manner in both human hematopoietic cells and bovine brain tissues.