ABSTRACT
Protein kinase C (PKC) family plays a critical role in many developmental events, including oocyte activation, completion of the second meiosis and initiation of the first mitosis, compaction, and blastocysts formation as well. But little is known of its many isozymes. Studies have shown that 10 isozymes of PKC and its anchor protein, RACK, are expressed in the course from 2 cell stage through blastocyst stage in mouse. We reviewed here the recent studies on the location pattern and expression levels of different PKC isozymes. Those studies indicated that the isozymes were very important for every stage of preimplantation embryonic development, especially at the early 4-cell stage. Some are increased temporarily in nucleus, which indicated that they might control and regulate the remolding of embryonic nucleus. We also analyzed the possible functions of PKCs in the somatic nuclear transferred embryos.