Immunohistochemical localization of protein kinase C-alpha in the retina of pigs during postnatal development

The cellular localization and protein expression level of protein kinase C (PKC)-alpha was examined in pig retina at different ages. Western blot analysis detected PKC-alpha in the retinas of 3-day-old piglets and indicated significantly increased expression in 6-month-old young adult and 2-year-old adult pigs. Immunohistochemistry of 3-day-old retinas revealed intense PKC-alpha reactivity in the inner plexiform and inner nuclear cell layers, weak reactivity in the ganglion cell layer, and few positive cells in the outer nuclear cell layer. The cellular localization of PKC-alpha in the adult retina was similar, with staining more intense than that in neonates. PKC-alpha was co-localized in some glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells and glutamine synthetase-positive cells in the retina. This study demonstrates that the protein level of retinal PKC-alpha is increased with maturation and suggests that PKC-alpha plays a role in signal transduction pathways for postnatal development in porcine retina.