Angiotensin II (ANGII) inhibits renin gene expression in vivo, a mechanism considered to be a physiologically important negative feedback of the renin-angiotensin-system. How this particular effect of ANGII is achieved at the cellular level is unknown. Our study therefore aimed to determine whether ANGII exerts a direct effect on renin gene expression and, if so, to characterise the molecular mechanisms involved. In the mouse renal juxtaglomerular cell line As4.1, ANGII decreased steady-state renin mRNA levels and prorenin secretion time and concentration (EC(50) 100 nmol/l) dependently. The effects of ANGII were blunted by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I and mimicked by the PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) (EC(50) 10 nmol/l). ANGII also inhibited renin promoter activity PKC-dependently. The inhibitory sequences triggered by ANGII appear to reside within the first 2.9 kb in the 5'-flanking region of the mouse ren1c gene but are not related to the two canonical activator protein-1 (AP-1) binding sites at positions -16 to -22 and -141 to -147. In summary, our data suggest that ANGII acts directly on renal juxtaglomerular cells to inhibit renin gene transcription through the PKC pathway. Since the PKC pathway can be activated by a variety of hormones it represents a powerful and probably rather important downstream pathway in the control of renin gene expression.