Role Of Diacylglycerol Research Articles

Acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 inhibition in the small intestine increases plasma transaminase activity via the activation of protein kinase C pathway.

Acyl-CoAdiacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) is a key enzyme in the fat absorption step in enterocytes. We previously reported that the pharmacological inhibition of DGAT1 increased plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity in corn oil-loaded rats without any sign of hepatotoxicity. In this study, we investigated this mechanism. We found that this elevation occurred only during the pharmacologically active period of a DGAT1 inhibitor and the magnitude did not depend on the volume of corn oil. In addition, this elevation was not accompanied by increases in ALT or AST mRNA levels in the small intestine and liver. To clarify a lipid component responsible for this elevation, rats were treated with free fatty acids instead of corn oil and no plasma ALT elevation was observed. Next, rats were pretreated with inhibitors of monoacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 and intestinal microsomal triglyceride transfer protein instead of the DGAT1 inhibitor, but no plasma ALT elevation was observed after corn oil loading. Since the results suggested a possible role of diacylglycerol (DAG), which activates protein kinase C (PKC), we measured PKC activity in the small intestine and found that the activity was increased by treatment with the DGAT1 inhibitor and corn oil. Moreover, rats pretreated with a PKC inhibitor in combination with the DGAT1 inhibitor showed suppression of plasma ALT elevation. Taken together, the present results suggest that DAG accumulation induced by pharmacological DGAT1 inhibition and resultant PKC activation in enterocytes are involved in the increase in plasma ALT and AST activity in rats.

The late stage of COPI vesicle fission requires shorter forms of phosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol

Studies on vesicle formation by the Coat Protein I (COPI) complex have contributed to a basic understanding of how vesicular transport is initiated. Phosphatidic acid (PA) and diacylglycerol (DAG) have been found previously to be required for the fission stage of COPI vesicle formation. Here, we find that PA with varying lipid geometry can all promote early fission, but only PA with shortened acyl chains promotes late fission. Moreover, diacylglycerol (DAG) acts after PA in late fission, with this role of DAG also requiring shorter acyl chains. Further highlighting the importance of the short-chain lipid geometry for late fission, we find that shorter forms of PA and DAG promote the vesiculation ability of COPI fission factors. These findings advance a general understanding of how lipid geometry contributes to membrane deformation for vesicle fission, and also how proteins and lipids coordinate their actions in driving this process.

Deletion of diacylglycerol kinase ε confers susceptibility to obesity via reduced lipolytic activity in murine adipocytes.

Lipid metabolism is closely involved with signal transduction and energy homeostasis. Excess calorie intake causes abnormal lipid metabolism, promoting obesity and insulin resistance. Diacylglycerol (DG) represents not only a lipidic second messenger but also an intermediate metabolite for triglyceride metabolism in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, it remains undetermined how the roles of DG in signaling and energy homeostasis is regulated within the cell. Of DG kinases (DGKs), which are enzymes that phosphorylate DG, DGKε resides in the ER. This study examined how DGKε is implicated in signal transduction and lipid homeostasis. DGKε-deficient mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 40 d. We observed that DGKε deficiency promotes fat accumulation in adipocytes and subsequently promotes insulin resistance in mice fed an HFD. This abnormal fat metabolism is mediated by down-regulation of lipolytic activities, such as adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase. In addition, activation of DG-sensitive PKC leads to insulin resistance in adipose tissue, which may be caused by delayed metabolism of DG. Our data suggest that DGKε links the second messenger signaling system to energy homeostasis in adipocytes and that its deficiency results in abnormal lipid metabolism such as obesity and insulin resistance.-Nakano, T., Seino, K., Wakabayashi, I., Stafforini, D. M., Topham, M. K., Goto, K. Deletion of diacylglycerol kinase ε confers susceptibility to obesity via reduced lipolytic activity in murine adipocytes.

The Role of Diacylglycerol and Cysteine‐rich Domains in Spatiotemporal Regulation of Protein Kinase D1 in Cardiac Myocytes

Protein Kinase D (PKD) has emerged as a signaling nodal point in the heart affecting contractility, gene transcription, cell survival and energy substrate use. PKD contains two cysteine‐rich domains (C1A and C1B) that bind diacylglycerol (DAG) and phorbol esters. We previously found distinct spatiotemporal activation of PKD in response to Gαq/11‐protein coupled receptor agonists Phenylephrine (PE) and Endothelin‐1 (ET): transient and minimal PKD translocation and activation at the sarcolemma followed by rapid nuclear translocation for PE, and prominent and sustained PKD recruitment to the sarcolemma for ET. Here we test the hypotheses that the C1 translocation modules are the primary spatiotemporal regulator of PKD in cardiomyocytes, and that differences in DAG production elicited by PE and ET account for the disparities in PKD response. Given the unique pattern of ligand recognition for the individual domains, the contributions of the individual C1 domains to the spatial regulation of PKD were assessed using GFP‐tagged PKD C1 domain mutants.Translocation to the membrane and nucleus was assessed using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) and confocal microscopy respectively, while DAG production was monitored using a YFP‐tagged C1BPKCβII domain. Surprisingly, sarcolemmal recruitment of PKD1 was faster than that of C1B‐YFP in response to both ET and phorbol ester (PDBu) treatment. However, in the nucleus, C1B‐YFP accumulated faster than PKD1 in response to ET. The sustained membrane recruitment and nuclear export of C1B‐YFP in response to PDBu, was mirrored by PKD1. Both PE and ET treatment triggered nuclear import of PKD1 (+6.96±1.9% and +7.1 ±1.5% after 90 min), however only ET caused a significant increase in nuclear DAG accumulation (+20.8 ±2.3 %). These results indicate that local DAG signals are not the sole dictator of PKD translocation. We further speculate that PKD is basally anchored near the membrane and is poised to be recruited.PKD1 C1 mutants had membrane and nuclear translocation profiles in line with expectations based on their previously established properties, however, a few unexpected findings emerged. Chief among these were the first cases of nuclear export, rather than import, upon agonist stimulation; as well as evidence that access to the NLS motif is sterically regulated by interactions between the C1 domains. Unexpectedly, lack of the C1B domain did not lower nuclear targeting of PKD at baseline. However, two mutants that lacked the C1A domain (C1BC1B and ΔC1A) and one mutant with the order of the domains switched (C1BC1A) had greater nuclear levels (2.4, 1.8 and 1.8 times > WT), suggesting that the C1A domain inhibits or masks the NLS of the C1B domain through a direct interaction. Furthermore, these same mutants all showed nuclear export (−18.4 ±3.6, −14.5 ±1.3, and −11.2 ±2.3%) after PE treatment. ET‐1 treatment resulted in small nuclear export of C1BC1B and ΔC1A (−2.9 ±4.8 and −5.5 ±1.3%), but a large nuclear import of C1BC1A (peak of +24.8 ±9.8% at 60 min). These results indicate that PKD translocation, though influenced by DAG production, is a complex process which can be regulated by physical interaction between the C1 domains and influenced by kinase activation status.Support or Funding InformationRO1 HL103933 to JB and 14PRE19920005 to BW

Diacylglycerol mediates regulation of TASK potassium channels by Gq-coupled receptors.

The two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channels TASK-1 (KCNK3) and TASK-3 (KCNK9) are important determinants of background K(+) conductance and membrane potential. TASK-1/3 activity is regulated by hormones and transmitters that act through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) signalling via G proteins of the Gαq/11 subclass. How the receptors inhibit channel activity has remained unclear. Here, we show that TASK-1 and -3 channels are gated by diacylglycerol (DAG). Receptor-initiated inhibition of TASK required the activity of phospholipase C, but neither depletion of the PLC substrate PI(4,5)P2 nor release of the downstream messengers IP3 and Ca(2+). Attenuation of cellular DAG transients by DAG kinase or lipase suppressed receptor-dependent inhibition, showing that the increase in cellular DAG-but not in downstream lipid metabolites-mediates channel inhibition. The findings identify DAG as the signal regulating TASK channels downstream of GPCRs and define a novel role for DAG that directly links cellular DAG dynamics to excitability.

Abstract 16460: Enhanced Trpc Channel-Mediated Ca2+ Influx in the Cells With Phospholipase C-δ1 Overexpression

Background: We recently showed that ergometrine induces coronary spasm in the mice with enhanced phospholipase C (PLC)-δ1 activity, which was detected in patients with coronary spasm (Circulation 2012), and PLC-mediated Ca2+ entry is involved in the genesis of coronary spams. We examined the role of enhanced PLC-δ1 in extracellular Ca2+ entry and its underlying mechanisms in human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 cells and human coronary arteries smooth muscle cells (CASMC). Methods and Results: The cells were stimulated with acetylcholine (ACh) in a extracellular Ca2+-free condition, and the increase in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) after addition of extracellular Ca2+ was defined as Ca2+ influx. [Ca2+]i was measured by fura-2. In HEK-293 cells, ACh-induced Ca2+ influx (nM ) was 21±2 in the control and 52±6 in the cells with PLC-δ1 overexpression (p<0.05). ACh-induced Ca2+ influx in the cells with PLC-δ1 overexpression was suppressed by nifedipine in a dose-dependent manner but was partially by 36±13% at 10-5M (p<0.05), thereby even after treatment with nifedipine at 10-5M, ACh-induced Ca2+ influx was increased by 2.9±0.1 times by enhanced PLC-δ1 compared with the control (p<0.05). To clarify the role of diacylglycerol (DAG) in Ca2+ influx, the effect of blockers for DAG-activated transient receptor potential (TRPC) channel was examined. ACh-induced Ca2+ influx in the cells with PLC-δ1 overexpression was suppressed by 2-APB, an inhibitor of non-selective cation channel TRPC, in a dose-dependent manner, and was almost completely blocked by 89±12% at 10-4M (p<0.05). While TRPC3 siRNA did not affect ACh-induced Ca2+ influx (59±27 vs 75±23 nM, p=ns), TRPC6 siRNA suppressed Ca2+ influx to 37±28 nM (p<0.05). In human CASMC, ACh-induced Ca2+ influx was 41±11 in the control and 64±15 in the cells with PLC-δ1 overexpression (p<0.05). Like HEK-293 cells, pretreatment with nifedipine partially suppressed Ca2+ influx, whereas either 2-APB or TRPC6 siRNA almost completely blocked it. Conclusion: ACh-induced Ca2+ influx, mediated by both voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and non-selective cation channels TRPC6, is enhanced by PLC-δ1 overexpression. Inhibition of TRPC may be effective in enhanced PLC-δ1-mediated coronary spasm.

Revisiting the diacylglycerol‐induced insulin resistance hypothesis

Obesity is associated with skeletal muscle insulin resistance, which is a crucial step in the development of type 2 diabetes. Among the mechanisms by which obesity may lead to insulin resistance, lipotoxicity is one of the hypotheses being explored; others include inflammation or the oxidative stress hypotheses. This review focuses on the role of diacylglycerols (DAG), a family of lipid metabolites implicated in the pathogenesis of lipotoxicity and insulin resistance. While recent studies report contradictory results in humans with regard to the importance of DAG-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, other current literature highlight a potential role for DAG as signalling molecules. This review will discuss possible hypotheses explaining these contradictory results and the need to explore further the role of DAG in human metabolism.

Palmitate induces insulin resistance without significant intracellular triglyceride accumulation in HepG2 cells

Previous studies showed that increased release of free fatty acids from adipocytes leads to insulin resistance and triglyceride (TG) accumulation in the liver, which may progress into hepatic steatohepatitis. We and other investigators have previously reported that palmitate induces endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated toxicity in several tissues. This work investigated whether palmitate could induce insulin resistance and steatosis in HepG2 cells. We treated cells with either saturated fatty acid (palmitate) or unsaturated fatty acid (oleate), and observed that palmitate significantly activated c-jun N-terminal kinase and inactivated protein kinase B. Both 4-phenylbutyric acid and glycerol significantly activated protein kinase B, confirming the involvement of endoplasmic reticulum stress in palmitate-mediated insulin resistance. Oleate, but not palmitate, significantly induced intracellular TG deposition and activated sterol regulatory element binding protein–1. Instead, diacylglycerol level and protein kinase C ɛ activity were significantly increased by palmitate, suggesting the possible role of diacylglycerol in palmitate-mediated lipotoxicity. Therefore, the present study clearly showed that palmitate impairs insulin resistance, but does not induce significant TG accumulation in HepG2 cells.

TRP_2, a Lipid/Trafficking Domain That Mediates Diacylglycerol-induced Vesicle Fusion

We recently modeled transient receptor potential (TRP) channels using the Gestalt Domain Detection Algorithm-Basic Local Alignment Tool (GDDA-BLAST), which derives structural, functional, and evolutionary information from primary amino acid sequences using phylogenetic profiles ( Ko, K. D., Hong, Y., Chang, G. S., Bhardwaj, G., van Rossum, D. B., and Patterson, R. L. (2008) Physics Arch. Quant. Methods arXiv: 0806.2394v1 ). Herein we test our functional predictions for the TRP_2 domain of TRPC3; a domain of unknown function that is conserved in all TRPC channels. Our functional models of this domain identify both lipid binding and trafficking activities. In this study, we reveal: (i) a novel structural determinant of ion channel sensitivity to lipids, (ii) a molecular mechanism for the difference between diacylglycerol (DAG)-sensitive and DAG-insensitive TRPC subfamilies, and (iii) evidence that TRPC3 can comprise part of the vesicle fusion machinery. Indeed, the TRPC3 TRP_2 domain mediates channel trafficking to the plasma membrane and binds to plasma membrane lipids. Further, mutations in TRP_2, which alter lipid binding, also disrupt the DAG-mediated fusion of TRPC3-containing vesicles with the plasma membrane without disrupting SNARE interactions. Importantly, these data agree with the known role of DAG in membrane destabilization, which facilitates SNARE-dependent synaptic vesicle fusion ( Villar, A. V., Goni, F. M., and Alonso, A. (2001) FEBS Lett. 494, 117-120 and Goni, F. M., and Alonso, A. (1999) Prog. Lipid Res. 38, 1-48 ). Taken together, functional models generated by GDDA-BLAST provide a computational platform for deriving domain functionality, which can have in vivo and mechanistic relevance.

A role for diacylglycerol in annexin A7-mediated fusion of lung lamellar bodies

Lung surfactant secretion in alveolar type II cells occurs following lamellar body fusion with plasma membrane. Annexin A7 is a Ca 2+-dependent membrane-binding protein that is postulated to promote membrane fusion during exocytosis in some cell types including type II cells. Since annexin A7 preferably binds to lamellar body membranes, we postulated that specific lipids could modify the mode of annexin A7 interaction with membranes and its membrane fusion activity. Initial studies with phospholipid vesicles containing phosphatidylserine and other lipids showed that certain lipids affected protein interaction with vesicle membranes as determined by change in protein tryptophan fluorescence, protein interaction with trans membranes, and by protein sensitivity to limited proteolysis. The presence of signaling lipids, diacylglycerol or phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate, as minor components also modified the lipid vesicle effect on these characteristics and membrane fusion activity of annexin A7. In vitro incubation of lamellar bodies with diacylglycerol or phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate caused their enrichment with either lipid, and increased the annexin A7 and Ca 2+-mediated fusion of lamellar bodies. Treatment of isolated lung lamellar bodies with phosphatidylinositol- or phosphatidylcholine phospholipase C to increase diacylglycerol, without or with preincubation with phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate, augmented the fusion activity of annexin A7. Thus, increased diacylglycerol in lamellar bodies following cell stimulation with secretagogues may enhance membrane fusion activity of annexin A7.

Have Lipid, Will Travel

The serine-threonine kinase protein kinase D (PKD) binds to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) in mammalian cells and is involved in the release of transport vesicles destined for the plasma membrane. Baron and Malhotra (see the Perspective by Bankaitis) now show that in order for PKD to bind to the TGN, it must specifically bind to the lipid diacylglycerol. When concentrations of this lipid were reduced in cells, both PKD recruitment to the TGN and transport out of the TGN were inhibited. C. L. Baron, V. Malhotra, Role of diacylglycerol in PKD recruitment to the TGN and protein transport to the plasma membrane. Science 295 , 325-328 (2002). [Abstract] [Full Text] V. A. Bankaitis, Slick recruitment to the Golgi. Science 295 , 290-291 (2002). [Full Text]

Role of Diacyl Glycerol (DAG) in Caprine Sperm Acrosomal Exocytosis Induced by Progesterone

Capacitated goat spermatozoa generated diacyl glycerol (DAG) when suspended in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium and induced by progesterone or Ca 2+ ionophore A23187. We have added Sn-1-oleoyl-2-acetyl glycerol externally, to study the effect of DAG in goat sperm acrosomal exocytosis. Addition of neomycin abolished the DAG generating capacity of progesterone in a dose dependent manner, suggesting the involvement of a phosphoinositidase C activated phospholipase C system in the process. The level of increase in phosphatidic acid was considerably low and was produced well after the DAG generation thereby suggesting the involvement of a DAG kinase which phosphorylates DAG to produce PA. The inhibition of progesterone mediated effect by inhibitors of GABAA/Cl - channel and Ca 2+ channels further supports the evidence that the events of binding of agonist to the receptor(s), opening of Ca 2+ channels and the activation of phospholipase C are reconciled to perform the function of acrosome reaction in capacitated goat spermatozoa. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2002. Vol 15, No. 8 : 1091-1097)

Role of diacylglycerol in PKD recruitment to the TGN and protein transport to the plasma membrane.

Protein kinase D (PKD) is a cytosolic serine-threonine kinase that binds to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and regulates the fission of transport carriers specifically destined to the cell surface. PKD was found to bind diacylglycerol (DAG), and this binding was necessary for its recruitment to the TGN. Reducing cellular levels of DAG inhibited PKD recruitment and blocked protein transport from the TGN to the cell surface. Thus, a DAG-dependent, PKD-mediated signaling regulates the formation of transport carriers from the TGN in mammalian cells.

Diacylglycerol mediates the T-cell receptor-driven Ca2+ influx in T cells by a novel mechanism independent of protein kinase C activation

The mechanism of Ca(2+) influx in nonexcitable cells is not known yet. According to the capacitative hypothesis, Ca(2+) influx is triggered by IP(3)-mediated Ca(2+) release from the intracellular Ca(2+) stores. Conversely, many workers have reported a lack of association between release and influx. In this work, the role of diacylglycerol (DAG) as the mediator of T-cell receptor (TCR)-driven Ca(2+) influx in T cells was investigated. Stimulation of mouse splenic T cells with naturally occurring DAG caused Ca(2+) entry in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Such stimulation was blocked by Ni(2+), a divalent cation known to block Ca(2+) channels. Inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) by calphostin C did not inhibit, but slightly enhanced, the DAG-stimulated Ca(2+) entry. However, inhibition of DAG metabolism by DAG kinase and lipase inhibitors enhanced the DAG-stimulated Ca(2+) entry. DAG lipase and kinase inhibitors also enhanced the Ca(2+) entry in T cells stimulated through TCR/CD3 complex with anti-CD3 antibody. Calphostin C did not affect the anti-CD3-stimulated Ca(2+) entry. These results showed that TCR-driven Ca(2+) influx in T cells is mediated by DAG through a novel mechanism(s) independent of PKC activation.

Diacylglycerol mediates the T‐cell receptor‐driven Ca2 influx in T cells by a novel mechanism independent of protein kinase C activation

The mechanism of Ca2+ influx in nonexcitable cells is not known yet. According to the capacitative hypothesis, Ca2+ influx is triggered by IP3-mediated Ca2+ release from the intracellular Ca2+ stores. Conversely, many workers have reported a lack of association between release and influx. In this work, the role of diacylglycerol (DAG) as the mediator of T-cell receptor (TCR)-driven Ca2+ influx in T cells was investigated. Stimulation of mouse splenic T cells with naturally occurring DAG caused Ca2+ entry in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Such stimulation was blocked by Ni2+, a divalent cation known to block Ca2+ channels. Inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) by calphostin C did not inhibit, but slightly enhanced, the DAG-stimulated Ca2+ entry. However, inhibition of DAG metabolism by DAG kinase and lipase inhibitors enhanced the DAG-stimulated Ca2+ entry. DAG lipase and kinase inhibitors also enhanced the Ca2+ entry in T cells stimulated through TCR/CD3 complex with anti-CD3 antibody. Calphostin C did not affect the anti-CD3-stimulated Ca2+ entry. These results showed that TCR-driven Ca2+ influx in T cells is mediated by DAG through a novel mechanism(s) independent of PKC activation. J. Cell. Biochem. 78:222–230, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The role of diacylglycerol as a modulator of oxytocin-stimulated phasic contractions in myometrium from pregnant and nonpregnant rats

Objective: The role of diacylglycerol in the phosphatidylinositol-signaling pathway is to activate protein kinase C. In the myometrium, protein kinase C activation leads to inhibition of phasic contractions. These studies are designed to determine why stimulation of the phosphatidylinositol-signaling pathway caused by oxytocin does not cause a paradoxical suppression of contractions through diacylglycerol production and protein kinase C activation. Specifically, these studies were performed to test the hypothesis that diacylglycerol catabolism is significant in myometrial tissue, thereby precluding its availability for the activation of protein kinase C. Study Design: For these studies, uterine tissue was obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats both nonpregnant and with timed gestations. In vitro contraction studies were performed with cumulative additions of oxytocin (8-64 nmol/L) with and without R59022 (a diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor) or RHC80267 (a diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor). The contraction data were computer-digitalized, analyzed for total contractile activity, normalized for tissue cross-sectional area, and reported as the percentage of spontaneous activity. Results: In myometrium from nonpregnant animals, inhibition of diacylglycerol lipase with RHC80267 had little effect on oxytocin-stimulated contractile activity, whereas inhibition of diacylglycerol kinase with R59022, although producing an increase in contractile frequency, markedly suppressed total oxytocin-stimulated contractile activity. In contrast, in myometrium from near-term pregnant animals both RHC80267 and R59022 produced marked suppression of oxytocin-stimulated contractile activity. Conclusions: These studies have demonstrated that prevention of diacylglycerol degradation, especially in response to inhibition of myometrial diacylglycerol kinase, results in the paradoxic oxytocin-mediated suppression of total myometrial contractile activity. These observations support the hypothesis that, when its catabolism is prevented, diacylglycerol produced in response to stimulation of the phosphatidylinositol-signaling pathway by oxytocin becomes available for protein kinase C activation, resulting in inhibition of myometrial contractile activity. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:943-9.)

Role of diacylglycerol (DAG) in hormonal induction of S phase in hepatocytes: The DAG-dependent protein kinase C pathway is not activated by epidermal growth factor (EGF), but is involved in mediating the enhancement of responsiveness to EGF by vasopressin, angiotensin II, and norepinephrine

Role of diacylglycerol (DAG) in hormonal induction of S phase in hepatocytes: The DAG-dependent protein kinase C pathway is not activated by epidermal growth factor (EGF), but is involved in mediating the enhancement of responsiveness to EGF by vasopressin, angiotensin II, and norepinephrine

Role of diacylglycerol (DAG) in hormonal induction of S phase in hepatocytes: the DAG-dependent protein kinase C pathway is not activated by epidermal growth factor (EGF), but is involved in mediating the enhancement of responsiveness to EGF by vasopressin, angiotensin II, and norepinephrine.

The role of diacylglycerol (DAG) in hormonal induction of S phase was investigated in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. In this model, several agonists that bind to G protein-coupled receptors act as comitogens when added to the cells soon after plating (i.e., in Go/early Gl phase), while the cells are most responsive to the mitogenic effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) at 24-48 h of culturing (i.e., mid/late Gl). It was found that the cellular concentration of DAG rose markedly and progressively during the first 24 h of culturing. Exposure of the hepatocytes at 3 h to alpha1-adrenergic stimulation (norepinephrine with timolol), vasopressin, or angiotensin II further increased this rise, producing a sustained increase in the DAG level. Norepinephrine, which was the most efficient comitogen, produced the most prolonged DAG elevation. In contrast, no significant increase of DAG was found in response to EGF, neither at 3 nor at 24 h, using concentrations that markedly stimulated the ERK subgroup of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and DNA synthesis. Addition of Bacillus cereus phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) strongly elevated DAG, while Streptomyces phospholipase D (PLD) increased phosphatidic acid (PA) but not DAG. B. cereus PC-PLC and the protein kinase C (PKC) activator tetradecanoyl phorbol-acetate (TPA), like norepinephrine, vasopressin, and angiotensin II, stimulated MAPK and enhanced the stimulatory effect of EGF on DNA synthesis. The PKC inhibitor GF109203X did not diminish the effect of EGF on MAPK or DNA synthesis, but strongly inhibited the effects of norepinephrine, vasopressin, angiotensin II, TPA and B. cereus PC-PLC on MAPK and almost abolished the enhancement by these agents of EGF-stimulated DNA synthesis. These results suggest that although generation of DAG is not a direct downstream response mediating the effects of the EGF receptor in hepatocytes, a sustained elevation of DAG with activation of PKC markedly increases the responsiveness to EGF. Mechanisms involving DAG and PKC seem to play a role in the comitogenic effects of various agents that bind to G protein-coupled receptors and activate the cells early in Gl, such as norepinephrine, angiotensin II, and vasopressin.

A protein kinase C-like activity involved in the chemotactic response of Dictyostelium discoideum

During the developmental life cycle of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum cells aggregate in response to pulses of extracellular cAMP. This chemotactic agent stimulates a number of signalling pathways in the cell including the activation of a phospholipase C activity leading to the transient generation of inositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate and diacylglycerol. The role of diacylglycerol in chemotactic response and development of Dictyostelium is not known. We have evidence to suggest that two protein kinase C-like enzymes exist in Dictyostelium due to the different cellular responses to two inhibitors specific for protein kinase C. One enzyme is preferentially sensitive to d- erythro-sphingosine, a diacylglycerol analogue, and is required for growth. A second is preferentially inhibited by bisindolylmaleimide GF109203X and is required for chemotaxis. We have identified protein kinase C-like kinase activity in Dictyostelium cell extracts which appears as the cells aggregate. This activity is stimulated by diacylglycerol, especially biologically relevant diacylglycerol species, and phosphorylates a peptide substrate which is an efficient substrate for mammalian protein kinase Cs. This activity is a candidate for the effector of diacylglycerol generated during the aggregative phase of Dictyostelium development and defines a role for diacylglycerol in the chemotactic response.

Diacylglycerol generated by exogenous phospholipase C activates the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway independent of Ras- and phorbol ester-sensitive protein kinase C: dependence on protein kinase C-zeta.

The role of diacylglycerol (DG) formation from phosphatidylcholine in mitogenic signal transduction is poorly understood. We have generated this lipid at the plasma membrane by treating Rat-1 fibroblasts with bacterial phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC). This treatment leads to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). However, unlike platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) or epidermal growth factor (EGF), PC-PLC fails to activate Ras and to induce DNA synthesis, and activates MAPK only transiently (<45 min). Down-regulation of protein kinase C (PKC) -alpha, -delta and -epsilon isotypes has little or no effect on MAPK activation by either PC-PLC or growth factors. However, Ro 31-8220, a highly selective inhibitor of all PKC isotypes, including atypical PKC-zeta but not Raf-1, blocks MAPK activation by PDGF and PC-PLC, but not that by EGF, suggesting that atypical PKC mediates the PDGF and PC-PLC signal. In line with this, PKC-zeta is activated by PC-PLC and PDGF, but not by EGF, as shown by a kinase assay in vitro, using biotinylated epsilon-peptide as a substrate. Furthermore, dominant-negative PKC-zeta inhibits, while (wild-type) PKC-zeta overexpression enhances MAPK activation by PDGF and PC-PLC. The results suggest that DG generated by PC-PLC can activate the MAPK pathway independent of Ras and phorbol-ester-sensitive PKC but, instead, via PKC-zeta.