The regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression in glioma cells is one of the key processes in tumor invasion through the brain extracellular matrix. Although some studies have demonstrated the implication of classic protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in the regulation of MMP-9 production by phorbol esters or lipopolysaccharide, the involvement of specific PKC isoforms in the signaling pathways leading to MMP-9 expression by inflammatory cytokines remains unclear. Here we report that the atypical PKC-zeta isoform participates in the induction of MMP-9 expression by interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in rat C6 glioma cells. Indeed, zymography and semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR analysis showed that pretreatment of C6 cells with PKC-zeta pseudosubstrate abolished MMP-9 activity and gene expression induced by IL-1 or TNF-alpha. Accordingly, IL-1 and TNF-alpha were able to induce PKC-zeta activity, as demonstrated by in vitro kinase assay using immunoprecipitated PKC-zeta. Furthermore, stable C6 clones overexpressing PKC-zeta, but not PKC-epsilon, displayed an up-regulation of MMP-9 constitutive expression as well as an increase of mmp-9 promoter activity. These processes were inhibited by an NF-kappaB-blocking peptide and completely prevented by NF-kappaB-binding site mutation in the mmp-9 promoter. Taken together, these results indicate that PKC-zeta plays a key role in the regulation of MMP-9 expression in C6 glioma cells through NF-kappaB.