Protein Kinase D Phosphorylation Research Articles

Amino Acid-stimulated Ca2+ Oscillations Produced by the Ca2+-sensing Receptor Are Mediated by a Phospholipase C/Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate-independent Pathway That Requires G12, Rho, Filamin-A, and the Actin Cytoskeleton

The G protein-coupled Ca(2+)-sensing receptor (CaR) is an allosteric protein that responds to two different agonists, Ca(2+) and aromatic amino acids, with the production of sinusoidal or transient oscillations in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)). Here, we examined whether these differing patterns of [Ca(2+)](i) oscillations produced by the CaR are mediated by separate signal transduction pathways. Using real time imaging of changes in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate hydrolysis and generation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in single cells, we found that stimulation of CaR by an increase in the extracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](o)) leads to periodic synthesis of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, whereas l-phenylalanine stimulation of the CaR does not induce any detectable change in the level this second messenger. Furthermore, we identified a novel pathway that mediates transient [Ca(2+)](i) oscillations produced by the CaR in response to l-phenylalanine, which requires the organization of the actin cytoskeleton and involves the small GTPase Rho, heterotrimeric proteins of the G(12) subfamily, the C-terminal region of the CaR, and the scaffolding protein filamin-A. Our model envisages that Ca(2+) or amino acids stabilize unique CaR conformations that favor coupling to different G proteins and subsequent activation of distinct downstream signaling pathways.

Protein Kinase D Specifically Mediates Apoptosis Signal-regulating Kinase 1-JNK Signaling Induced by H2O2 but Not Tumor Necrosis Factor

Although both tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and H2O2 induce activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) kinase cascades, it is not known whether they utilize distinct intracellular signaling pathways. In this study, we first examined a variety of pharmacological inhibitors on TNF and H2O2-induced JNK activation. Go6983 or staurosporine, which inhibits protein kinase C isoforms had no effects on TNF or H2O2-induced JNK activation. However, Go6976 and calphostin, which can inhibit protein kinase C as well as protein kinase D (PKD), blocked H2O2- but not TNF-induced JNK activation, suggesting that PKD may be specifically involved in H2O2-induced JNK activation. Consistently, H2O2, but not TNF, induced phosphorylation of PKD and translocation of PKD from endothelial cell membrane to cytoplasm where it associates with the JNK upstream activator, apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1). The association is mediated through the pleckstrin homology domain of PKD and the C-terminal domain of ASK1. Inhibition of PKD by Go6976 or by small interfering RNA of PKD blocked H2O2-induced ASK1-JNK activation and endothelial cell apoptosis. Interestingly, H2O2 induced 14-3-3 binding to PKD via the phospho-Ser-205/208 and phospho-Ser-219/223 and H2O2-induced 14-3-3 binding of PKD was specifically blocked by Go6976 but not by Go6983. More significantly, the 14-3-3-binding defective forms of PKD failed to associate with ASK1 and to activate JNK signaling, highlighting the importance of 14-3-3 binding of PKD in H2O2-induced activation of ASK1-JNK cascade. Thus, our data have identified PKD as a critical mediator in H2O2- but not TNF-induced ASK1-JNK signaling.

A Phosphorylation State-specific Antibody Recognizes Hsp27, a Novel Substrate of Protein Kinase D

The use of phosphorylation state-specific antibodies has revolutionized the field of cellular signaling by Ser/Thr protein kinases. A more recent application of this technology is the development of phospho-specific antibodies that specifically recognize the consensus substrate phosphorylated motif of a given protein kinase. Here, we describe the development and use of such an antibody which is directed against the optimal phosphorylation motif of protein kinase D (PKD). A degenerate phosphopeptide library with fixed residues corresponding to the consensus LXR(Q/K/E/M)(M/L/K/E/Q/A)S*XXXX was used as an antigen to generate an antibody that recognizes this motif. We characterized the antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and with immobilized peptide arrays and also detected immunoreactive phosphoproteins in HeLa cells stimulated with agonists known to activate PKD. Silencing PKD expression using RNA interference validated the specificity of this antibody immunoreactive against putative substrates. The antibody also detected the PKD substrates RIN1 and HDAC5. Knowledge of the PKD consensus motif also enabled us to identify Ser(82) in the human heat shock protein Hsp27 as a novel substrate for PKD. We term this antibody anti-PKD pMOTIF and predict that it will enable the discovery of novel PKD substrate proteins in cells.

Dual Phospholipase C/Diacylglycerol Requirement for Protein Kinase D1 Activation in Lymphocytes

The serine/threonine kinase protein kinase D1 (PKD1) is a protein kinase C (PKC) substrate that mediates antigen receptor signal transduction in lymphocytes. PKC phosphorylates serines 744/748 within the PKD1 catalytic domain, and this is proposed to be necessary and sufficient for enzyme activation. Hence, a PKD1 mutant with alanine substituted at positions 744 and 748 (PKD-S744A/S748A) is catalytically inactive. Conversely, a PKD1 mutant with glutamic residues substituted at positions 744 and 748 as phospho-mimics (PKD-S744E/S748E) is constitutively active when expressed in Cos7 or HeLa cells. The present study reveals that Ser-744/Ser-748 phosphorylation is required for PKD1 activation in lymphocytes. However, PKD-S744E/S748E is not constitutively active but, like the wild type enzyme, requires antigen receptor triggering or phorbol ester stimulation. Antigen receptor activation of wild type PKD is dependent on phospholipase C (PLC)/diacylglycerol (DAG) and PKC, whereas PKD-S744E/S748E is only dependent on PLC/DAG but no longer requires PKC. Hence, substitution of serines 744 and 748 with glutamic residues as phospho-mimics bypasses the PKC requirement for PKD1 activation but does not bypass the need for antigen receptors, PLC, or DAG. In lymphocytes, PKD1 is, thus, not regulated by PLC and PKC in a linear pathway; rather, PKD1 activation has more stringent requirements for integration of dual PLC signals, one mediated by PKCs and one that is PKC-independent.

G Protein-coupled Receptor-mediated Phosphorylation of the Activation Loop of Protein Kinase D: DEPENDENCE ON PLASMA MEMBRANE TRANSLOCATION AND PROTEIN KINASE Cϵ

Protein kinase D (PKD) is a serine/threonine protein kinase activated by G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists through an incompletely characterized mechanism that includes its reversible plasma membrane translocation and activation loop phosphorylation via a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent pathway. To gain a better understanding of the mechanism regulating the activation of PKD in response to GPCR stimulation, we investigated the role of its rapid plasma membrane translocation on its activation loop phosphorylation and identified the endogenous PKC isozyme that mediates that event in vivo. We had found that the activation loop of a PKD mutant, with reduced affinity for diacylglycerol and phorbol esters, was only phosphorylated upon its plasma membrane association. We also found that the activation loop phosphorylation and rapid plasma membrane dissociation of PKD were inhibited either by preventing the plasma membrane translocation of PKCepsilon, through abolition of its interaction with receptor for activated C kinase, or by suppressing the expression of PKCepsilon via specific small interfering RNAs. Thus, this study demonstrates that the plasma membrane translocation of PKD, in response to GPCR stimulation, is necessary for the PKCepsilon-mediated phosphorylation of the activation loop of PKD and that this event requires the translocation of both kinases to the plasma membrane. Based on these and previous results, we propose a model of GPCR-mediated PKD regulation that integrates its changes in distribution, catalytic activity, and multisite phosphorylation.

Hepatocyte Resistance to Oxidative Stress Is Dependent on Protein Kinase C-mediated Down-regulation of c-Jun/AP-1

The prevention of injury from reactive oxygen species is critical for cellular resistance to many death stimuli. Resistance to death from the superoxide generator menadione in the hepatocyte cell line RALA255-10G is dependent on down-regulation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/AP-1 signaling pathway by extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). Because protein kinase C (PKC) regulates both oxidant stress and JNK signaling, the ability of PKC to modulate hepatocyte death from menadione through effects on AP-1 was examined. PKC inhibition with Ro-31-8425 or bisindolylmaleimide I sensitized this cell line to death from menadione. Menadione treatment led to activation of PKCmicro, or protein kinase D (PKD), but not PKCalpha/beta, PKCzeta/lambda, or PKCdelta/. Menadione induced phosphorylation of PKD at Ser-744/748, but not Ser-916, and translocation of PKD to the nucleus. PKC inhibition blocked menadione-induced phosphorylation of PKD, and expression of a constitutively active PKD prevented death from Ro-31-8425/menadione. PKC inhibition led to a sustained overactivation of JNK and c-Jun in response to menadione as determined by in vitro kinase assay and immunoblotting for the phosphorylated forms of both proteins. Cell death from PKC inhibition and menadione treatment resulted from c-Jun activation, since death was blocked by adenoviral expression of the c-Jun dominant negative TAM67. PKC and ERK1/2 independently down-regulated JNK/c-Jun, since inhibition of either kinase failed to affect activation of the other kinase, and simultaneous inhibition of both pathways caused additive JNK/c-Jun activation and cell death. Resistance to death from superoxide therefore requires both PKC/PKD and ERK1/2 activation in order to down-regulate proapoptotic JNK/c-Jun signaling.

Activation loop phosphorylation controls protein kinase D-dependent activation of nuclear factor kappaB.

Activation of the inducible transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) occurs in cells exposed to oxidative stress, and the serine/threonine kinase protein kinase D (PKD) is critical for signal relay to NF-kappaB. We have recently delineated two coordinated events that control PKD activation in response to oxidative stress: phosphorylation at Tyr463 by the tyrosine kinase Abl, and phosphorylation at the activation loop Ser738/Ser742 by the protein kinase C (PKC) isoform PKCdelta. The result is fully active PKD that controls NF-kappaB activation through the IkappaB kinase (IKK) complex. Here, we investigate the mechanism by which PKD controls IKK/NF-kappaB activation. Resveratrol, a potent antioxidant, blocks both PKD activation and NF-kappaB induction. In particular, resveratrol blocked PKD activation loop phosphorylation and activity, and this was caused by a specific inhibition of the Ser738/Ser742 kinase PKCdelta. On the other hand, resveratrol did not affect Abl kinase activity and had no effect on Tyr463 phosphorylation. Moreover, we show that the mechanism by which resveratrol inhibits NF-kappaB is by blocking the translocation of PKD to the IKK complex, specifically by inhibiting Ser738/Ser742 phosphorylation. We therefore propose that rather than acting as an antioxidant, resveratrol specifically blocks oxidative stress-dependent NF-kappaB activation by interfering with PKD phosphorylation and association with the IKK complex.

Protein kinase D mediates a stress-induced NF-kappaB activation and survival pathway.

The activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB is critical for a number of physiological responses. Here, we provide evidence for a signaling pathway that mediates NF-kappaB activation in response to oxidative stress. We show that tyrosine phosphorylation of protein kinase D (PKD) at Y463 in the Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domain is mediated by the Src and Abl tyrosine kinase signaling pathway, and that this is both necessary and sufficient to activate NF-kappaB in response to oxidative stress. PKD activates NF-kappaB through the IKK complex and more specifically, IKKbeta, leading to I(kappa)B(alpha) degradation. We also present evidence that this pathway is required for increased cellular survival in response to oxidative stress. We propose a model in which protection from oxidative stress-induced cell death requires the tyrosine phosphorylation of PKD leading to the activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB.

Thrombin Rapidly Induces Protein Kinase D Phosphorylation, and Protein Kinase C δ Mediates the Activation

Thrombin plays a critical role in hemostasis, thrombosis, and inflammation. However, the responsible intracellular signaling pathways triggered by thrombin are still not well defined. We report here that thrombin rapidly and transiently induces activation of protein kinase D (PKD) in aortic smooth muscle cells. Our data demonstrate that protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors completely block thrombin-induced PKD activation, suggesting that thrombin induces PKD activation via a PKC-dependent pathway. Furthermore, our results show that thrombin rapidly induces PKC delta phosphorylation and that the PKC delta-specific inhibitor rottlerin blocks thrombin-induced PKD activation, suggesting that PKC delta mediates the thrombin-induced PKD activation. Using dominant negative approaches, we demonstrated that expression of a dominant negative PKC delta inhibits the phosphorylation and activation of PKD induced by thrombin, whereas neither PKC epsilon nor PKC zeta affects thrombin-induced PKD activation. In addition, our results of co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that PKD forms a complex with PKC delta in smooth muscle cells. Taken together, the findings of the present study demonstrate that thrombin induces activation of PKD and reveal a novel role of PKC delta in mediating thrombin-induced PKD activation in vascular smooth muscle cells.

P2X7 receptors activate protein kinase D and p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) downstream of protein kinase C.

Protein kinase D (PKD), also called protein kinase Cmu (PKCmu), is a serine/threonine kinase that has unique enzymic and structural properties distinct from members of the PKC family of proteins. In freshly isolated rat parotid acinar salivary cells, extracellular ATP rapidly increased the activity and phosphorylation of PKD. The stimulation by ATP required high concentrations, was mimicked by the P2X(7) receptor ligand BzATP [2'- and 3'-O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)ATP], and was blocked by Mg(2+) and 4,4'-di-isothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene disulphonate (DIDS), suggesting that activation of PKD was mediated by P2X(7) receptors, which are ligand-gated non-selective cation channels. Phorbol ester (PMA) and the activation of muscarinic and substance P receptors also increased PKD activity. PKC inhibitors blocked ligand-dependent PKD activation and phosphorylation, determined by in vitro phosphorylation studies and by phospho-specific antibodies to two activation loop sites (Ser(744) and Ser(748)) and an autophosphorylation site (Ser(916)). ATP and BzATP also increased the tyrosine phosphorylation and activity of PKCdelta, and these stimuli also increased extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2 activity in a PKC-dependent manner. PKD activation was not promoted by pervanadate (an inhibitor of tyrosine phosphatases) and was not blocked by PP1 (an inhibitor of Src family kinases) or genistein (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor), suggesting that tyrosine kinases and phosphatases did not play a major role in PKD activation. P2X(7) receptor-mediated signalling events were not dependent on Ca(2+) entry. These studies indicate that PKC is involved in cellular signalling initiated by P2X(7) receptors as well as by G-protein-coupled receptors, and demonstrate that PKD and ERK1/2 are activated in similar PKC-dependent signalling pathways initiated by these diverse receptor types.

Protein Kinase D Potentiates DNA Synthesis and Cell Proliferation Induced by Bombesin, Vasopressin, or Phorbol Esters in Swiss 3T3 Cells

We examined whether protein kinase D (PKD) overexpression in Swiss 3T3 cells potentiates the proliferative response to either the G protein-coupled receptor agonists bombesin and vasopressin or the biologically active phorbol ester phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu). In order to generate Swiss 3T3 cells stably overexpressing PKD, cultures of these cells were infected with retrovirus encoding murine PKD and green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressed as two separate proteins translated from the same mRNA. GFP was used as a marker for selection of PKD-positive cells. PKD overexpressed in Swiss 3T3 cells was dramatically activated by cell treatment with bombesin or PDBu as judged by in vitro kinase autophosphorylation assays and exogenous substrate phosphorylation. Concomitantly, these stimuli induced PKD phosphorylation at Ser(744), Ser(748), and Ser(916). PKD activation and phosphorylation were prevented by exposure of the cells to protein kinase C-specific inhibitors. Addition of bombesin, vasopressin, or PDBu to cultures of Swiss 3T3 cells overexpressing PKD induced a striking increase in DNA synthesis and cell number compared with cultures of Swiss 3T3-GFP cells. In contrast, stimulation of DNA synthesis in response to epidermal growth factor, which acts via protein kinase C/PKD-independent pathways, was not enhanced. Our results demonstrate that overexpression of PKD selectively potentiates mitogenesis induced by bombesin, vasopressin, or PDBu in Swiss 3T3 cells.

Effects of resveratrol on the autophosphorylation of phorbol ester-responsive protein kinases: Inhibition of protein kinase d but not protein kinase c isozyme autophosphorylation

The natural product resveratrol is a potent antagonist of phorbol ester-mediated tumor promotion and in vitro cellular responses to phorbol-ester tumor promoters, but it is only weakly inhibitory against the phosphorylation of conventional exogenous substrates by phorbol ester-responsive protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes. In this report, we compare the effects of resveratrol against the autophosphorylation reactions of PKC isozymes versus the novel phorbol ester-responsive kinase, protein kinase D (PKD). We found that resveratrol inhibits PKD autophosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner, but has only negligible effects against the autophosphorylation reactions of representative members of each PKC isozyme subfamily (cPKC-α, -β 1, and -γ, nPKC-δ and -ϵ, and aPKC-ζ). Resveratrol was comparably effective against PKD autophosphorylation ( ic 50 = 52 μM) and PKD phosphorylation of the exogenous substrate syntide-2 ( ic 50 = 36 μM). The inhibitory potency of resveratrol against PKD is in line with the potency of resveratrol observed in cellular systems and with its potency against other purified enzymes and binding proteins that are implicated in the cancer chemopreventive activity of the polyphenol. Thus, PKD inhibition may contribute to the cancer chemopreventive action of resveratrol.

Platelet-derived Growth Factor Stimulates Protein Kinase D through the Activation of Phospholipase Cγ and Protein Kinase C

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulates protein kinase D (PKD) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. We have used a series of PDGF receptor mutants that display a selective impairment of the binding of SH2-containing proteins (GTPase-activating protein, SHP-2, phospholipase Cgamma (PLCgamma), or phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K)) to show that Tyr-1021, the PLCgamma-binding site, is essential for PKD stimulation by PDGF in A431 cells. We next investigated whether any one of these four binding sites could mediate PKD activation in the absence of the other three sites. F5, a receptor mutant that lacks all four binding sites for GTPase-activating protein, PLCgamma, PI3K, and SHP-2, fails to activate PKD. A panel of single add-back mutants was used to investigate if any one of these four sites could restore signaling to PKD. Of the four sites, only the PLCgamma+ single add-back receptor restored PDGF-mediated activation of PKD, and only this add-back receptor produced diacylglycerol (DAG) in a PDGF-dependent manner. 1,2-Dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol, a membrane-permeant DAG analog, was found to be sufficient for activation of PKD. Taken together, these data indicate that PLCgamma activation is not only necessary, but also sufficient to mediate PDGF-induced PKD activation. Although the presence of a pleckstrin homology domain makes PKD a potential PI3K target, PKD was not stimulated by selective PI3K activation, and wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI3K, did not inhibit PDGF signaling to PKD. The activation of PKD by DAG or by the wild-type and PLCgamma+ add-back PDGF receptors was inhibited by GF109203X, suggesting a role for protein kinase C in the stimulation of PKD by PDGF. PDGF induced a time-dependent phosphorylation of PKD that closely correlated with activation. The PDGF-induced activation and phosphorylation of PKD were reversed by in vitro incubation of PKD with protein phosphatase 1 or 2A, indicating that PDGF signaling to PKD involves the Ser/Thr phosphorylation of PKD. Taken together, these results conclusively show that PDGF activates PKD through a pathway that involves activation of PLCgamma and, subsequently, protein kinase C.