The 5′ Untranslated Region of Protein Kinase Cδ Directs Translation by an Internal Ribosome Entry Segment That Is Most Active in Densely Growing Cells and during Apoptosis

Protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) is a member of the PKC family of phospholipid-dependent serine/threonine kinases and is involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Previous studies have suggested that different PKC isoforms might be translationally regulated. We report here that the 395-nt-long 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR) of PKCδ is predicted to form very stable secondary structures with free energies (ΔG values) of around −170 kcal/mol. The 5′ UTR of PKCδ can significantly repress luciferase translation in rabbit reticulocyte lysate but does not repress luciferase translation in a number of transiently transfected cell lines. By using a bicistronic luciferase reporter, we show that the 5′ UTR of PKCδ contains a functional internal ribosome entry segment (IRES). The activity of the PKCδ IRES is greatest in densely growing cells and during apoptosis, when total protein synthesis and levels of full-length eukaryotic initiation factor 4G are reduced. However, the IRES activity of the 5′ UTR of PKCδ is not enhanced during serum starvation, another condition shown to inhibit cap-dependent translation, suggesting that its potency is dependent on specific cellular conditions. Accumulating data suggest that PKCδ has a function as proliferating cells reach high density and in early and later events of apoptosis. Our studies suggest a mechanism whereby PKCδ synthesis can be maintained under these conditions when cap-dependent translation is inhibited.