Protein kinase C was identified as a major protein kinase enzyme activity in rabbit ciliary processes. Phorbol myristate acetate (4 beta-PMA) in the presence of Ca2+ activated protein kinase C but did not directly affect the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase enzyme isolated from ciliary processes. To elucidate possible roles of protein kinase C, PMA was injected intravitreally into rabbit eyes. Fifty pmoles of PMA produced approximately a 40% decrease of the intraocular pressure relative to the control eye lasting for more than 72 hr. A reduction of intraocular pressure was still elicited by this dose of PMA in animals pretreated with systemic indomethacin given to suppress a possible inflammatory response. The biologically inactive analogue, 4 alpha-phorbol didecanoate (100 pmoles/eye) had no significant effect on intraocular pressure. In vivo and in vitro treatment with PMA had no significant effect on adenylate cyclase in ciliary process membranes assayed in vitro. However, protein kinase C isolated from rat brain, when added together with cofactors to membranes in vitro, augmented adenylate cyclase activation by isoproterenol, vasoactive intestinal peptide and aluminum fluoride. A slight increase in the basal activity and in the forskolin response was not statistically significant. The effect of protein kinase C to increase responsiveness of ciliary process adenylate cyclase was totally dependent on the presence of Ca2+ and was augmented by addition of PMA. These findings indicate modulation of adenylate cyclase activity by protein kinase C acting at the level of the G-proteins and suggest a possible role for this enzyme in water and electrolyte transport in the ciliary processes.