PKCs have been implicated in the regulation of cellular differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis and signal transduction. It was demonstrated in this study that PKCa was located both at mitochondria and in cytosol in gastric cancer cell line BGC-823. Treatment of cells with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) resulted in the translocation of PKCa from both mitochondria and cytosol to nucleus as clearly shown by laser-scanning-confocal microscopy, while the protein level of PKCa was not changed by TPA treatment as detected by Western blot. The results also revealed that TPA-induced translocation of PKCa was in close association with apoptosis induction, and such association was further affirmed by other experiments where various apoptotic stimuli and specific inhibitors of PKC were used. Taken together, these findings indicate that translocation of PKCa from both mitochondria and cytosol to nucleus in gastric cancer cell is accompanied by induction of apoptosis, and may imply a new mechanism of th PKCs have been implicated in the regulation of cellular differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis and signal transduction. It was demonstrated in this study that PKCa was located both in mitochondria and in cytosol in gastric cancer cell line BGC-823. Treatment of cells with 12-O -tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) resulted in the translocation of PKCa from both mitochondria and cytosol to nucleus as clearly shown by laser-scanning-confocal microscopy, while the protein level of PKCa was not changed by TPA treatment as detected by Western blot . The results also revealed that TPA-induced translocation of PKCa was in close association with apoptosis induction, and such association was further affirmed by other experiments where various apoptotic stimuli and specific inhibitors of PKC were used. Taken together, these findings indicate that translocation of PKCa from both mitochondria and cytosol to nucleus in gastric cancer cell is accompanied by induction of apoptosis, and may imply a new mechanism of th