Possible involvement of phospholipase C and protein kinase C in stimulatory actions of L-leucine and its keto acid, alpha-ketoisocaproic acid, on protein synthesis in RLC-16 hepatocytes.

Effects of leucine and related compounds on protein synthesis were studied in RLC-16 hepatocytes. The incorporation of [(3)H] tyrosine into cellular protein was measured as an indexof protein synthesis. In leucine-depleted RLC-16 cells, L-leucineand its keto acid, alpha-ketoisocaproic acid (KIC), stimulated protein synthesis, while D-leucine did not.