Objective To study the implication of phosphoinositidespecific phospholipase Cγ2(PLC-γ2) in gastric cancer MGC80-3 cells treated by TPA. Methods The effect of 12Otetradecanoylphorbol1, 3acetate(TPA) on gastric cancer MGC80-3 cells was detected and analyzed by DAPI staining under fluorescence microscope. The effect of TPA on the expression level of PLC-γ2 protein was detected by Western blotting, when nuclear and cytoplasmic protein fractions were prepared through lysis of cell and centrifugation. Localization and translocation of PLC-γ2 were observed under laser scanning confocal microscope with immunefluorescence technique. After MGC80-3 cells were pretreated by U73122(PLC-γ2 inhibitor), the effect of TPA on PLC-γ2 was detected by Western blotting and laser scanning confocal microscope with immunefluorescence technique, and the effect of U73122 on MGC80-3 cells followed by TPA was observed and analyzed by DAPI staining under fluorescence microscope. Results TPA induced the apoptosis of gastric cancer MGC80-3 cells. Meanwhile, TPA increased the expression level of PLC-γ2 protein and induced its translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus. U73122 inhibited the effect of TPA on the expression level of PLC-γ2 protein, but it did not affect on the cell apoptosis induced by TPA. However, the translocation of PLC-γ2 protein induced by TPA was not inhibited by its inhib