PKMz

Protein Kinase M-zeta (PKMz)

This guide covers the putative role of protein kinase M-zeta (PKMz) in synaptic plasticity and long term memory maintenance. Evidence that PKMz is required for LTP and for the maintenance of several forms of memory has depended almost exclusively on the use of pharmacological approaches that use a zeta inhibitory peptide (ZIP). ZIP is a myristoylated PKCz-inhibiting peptide derived from the autoinhibitory pseudosubstrate peptide sequence within PKCz, chelerythrine, an apoptosis-inducing compound that is marketed, and extensively used, as a PKC inhibitor, and staurosporine, a general protein kinase inhibitor

• Zeta Inhibitory Peptide

- myristoylated form of chelerythrine

• Chelerythrine

- autoinhibitory substrate for PKCz

• Staurosporine

- general protein kinase inhibitor

- inhibits phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1)

• PDK1

- constitutively phosphorylates all PKC isoforms

- required for most downstream kinase activity