Ligand Structure-Activity Requirements and Phospholipid Dependence for the Binding of Phorbol Esters to Protein Kinase D

Tubular ER Associates With Diacylglycerol-Rich Structures During Lipid Droplet Consumption

Growth resumption from stationary phase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is characterized by lipid droplet (LD) consumption and channeling of lipid precursors toward synthesis of membranes. We have previously determined that triacylglycerol lipolysis contributes to a pool of diacylglycerol (DAG) associated with the yeast vacuole that is enriched in structures that are in close proximity to LDs. In this study we have monitored these structures using a DAG sensor fused to GFP during isolation of LDs. A unique fraction containing the DAG sensor, with low presence of LDs, was identified. Membranes enriched in the DAG probe were obtained by immunoaffinity purification using a GFP nanobody, and the associated proteome was investigated by mass spectrometry. It was determined this LD-associated fraction was enriched in proteins known to shape the tubular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) like Yop1, Sey1, Rtn1, and Rtn2. Consistently, cells lacking three of these proteins (rtn1Δ rtn2Δ yop1Δ) exhibited delayed LD consumption, larger LDs and abnormal LD distribution. In addition, the triple mutant displayed aberrant localization of the DAG sensor after 5 h of growth resumption from stationary phase. Manipulation of DAG levels by overexpression of the DAG kinase Dgk1, impacted localization of the DAG probe and affected fitness of the triple mutant. Altogether these results link LD consumption to tubular ER expansion as a gateway of lipid precursors that otherwise accumulate in vacuolar associated membranes or other internal compartments. Furthermore, conversion of DAG to phosphatidic acid (PA) in the absence of a functional tubular ER was toxic to cells, suggesting the ratio of PA to DAG is critical to allow growth progression.

Metabolic control of cytosolic-facing pools of diacylglycerol in budding yeast

Diacylglycerol (DAG) is a key signaling lipid and intermediate in lipid metabolism. Our knowledge of DAG distribution and dynamics in cell membranes is limited. Using live-cell fluorescence microscopy we investigated the localization of yeast cytosolic-facing pools of DAG in response to conditions where lipid homeostasis and DAG levels were known to be altered. Two main pools were monitored over time using DAG sensors. One pool was associated with vacuolar membranes and the other localized to sites of polarized growth. Dynamic changes in DAG distribution were observed during resumption of growth from stationary phase, when DAG is used to support phospholipid synthesis for membrane proliferation. Vacuolar membranes experienced constant morphological changes displaying DAG enriched microdomains coexisting with liquid-disordered areas demarcated by Vph1. Formation of these domains was dependent on triacylglycerol (TAG) lipolysis. DAG domains and puncta were closely connected to lipid droplets. Lack of conversion of DAG to phosphatidate in growth conditions dependent on TAG mobilization, led to the accumulation of DAG in a vacuolar-associated compartment, impacting the polarized distribution of DAG at budding sites. DAG polarization was also regulated by phosphatidylserine synthesis/traffic and sphingolipid synthesis in the Golgi.

Protein kinase D signaling in cancer: A friend or foe?

Protein kinase D is a family of evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine kinases that belongs to the Ca⁺⁺/Calmodulin-dependent kinase superfamily. Signal transduction pathways mediated by PKD can be triggered by a variety of stimuli including G protein-coupled receptor agonists, growth factors, hormones, and cellular stresses. The regulatory mechanisms and physiological roles of PKD have been well documented including cell proliferation, survival, migration, angiogenesis, regulation of gene expression, and protein/membrane trafficking. However, its precise roles in disease progression, especially in cancer, remain elusive. A plethora of studies documented the cell- and tissue-specific expressions and functions of PKD in various cancer-associated biological processes, while the causes of the differential effects of PKD have not been thoroughly investigated. In this review, we have discussed the structural-functional properties, activation mechanisms, signaling pathways and physiological functions of PKD in the context of human cancer. Additionally, we have provided a comprehensive review of the reported tumor promoting or tumor suppressive functions of PKD in several major cancer types and discussed the discrepancies that have been raised on PKD as a major regulator of malignant transformation.

Emergency Spatiotemporal Shift: The Response of Protein Kinase D to Stress Signals in the Cardiovascular System

Protein Kinase D isoforms (PKD 1-3) are key mediators of neurohormonal, oxidative, and metabolic stress signals. PKDs impact a wide variety of signaling pathways and cellular functions including actin dynamics, vesicle trafficking, cell motility, survival, contractility, energy substrate utilization, and gene transcription. PKD activity is also increasingly linked to cancer, immune regulation, pain modulation, memory, angiogenesis, and cardiovascular disease. This increasing complexity and diversity of PKD function, highlights the importance of tight spatiotemporal control of the kinase via protein–protein interactions, post-translational modifications or targeting via scaffolding proteins. In this review, we focus on the spatiotemporal regulation and effects of PKD signaling in response to neurohormonal, oxidant and metabolic signals that have implications for myocardial disease. Precise targeting of these mechanisms will be crucial in the design of PKD-based therapeutic strategies.

Development of a sensitive in vitro assay to quantify the biological activity of pro-inflammatory phorbol esters in Jatropha oil

New health safety concerns may arise from the increasing production and use of Jatropha oil, a biodiesel feedstock that also contains toxic, pro-inflammatory, and co-carcinogenic phorbol esters. Based on the exceptional sensitivity of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells to the model phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a robust bioassay was developed to quantify the biological activity of Jatropha phorbol esters directly in oil, without sample extraction. We first verified that the characteristic response of MDCK cells to TPA was also observed following direct exposure to phorbol esters in Jatropha oil. We further confirmed that similarly to TPA, Jatropha oil's phorbol esters can activate protein kinase C (PKC). We then assessed the transcriptional response of MDCK cells to Jatropha oil exposure by measuring the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a gene involved in inflammatory processes which is strongly upregulated following PKC activation. Based on the parameterization of a TPA dose-response curve, the transcriptional response of MDCK cells to Jatropha oil exposure was expressed in term of TPA toxic equivalent (TEQ), a convenient metric to report the inflammatory potential of complex mixtures. The sensitive bioassay described in this manuscript may prove useful for risk assessment, as it provides a quantitative method and a convenient metric to report the inflammatory potential of phorbol esters in Jatropha oil. This bioassay may also be adapted for the detection of bioactive phorbol esters in other matrices.

The plant non-specific phospholipase C gene family. Novel competitors in lipid signalling

Non-specific phospholipases C (NPCs) were discovered as a novel type of plant phospholipid-cleaving enzyme homologous to bacterial phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipases C and responsible for lipid conversion during phosphate-limiting conditions. The six-gene family was established in Arabidopsis, and growing evidence suggests the involvement of two articles NPCs in biotic and abiotic stress responses as well as phytohormone actions. In addition, the diacylglycerol produced via NPCs is postulated to participate in membrane remodelling, general lipid metabolism and cross-talk with other phospholipid signalling systems in plants. This review summarises information concerning this new plant protein family and focusses on its sequence analysis, biochemical properties, cellular and tissue distribution and physiological functions. Possible modes of action are also discussed.

Ceramide signaling in cancer and stem cells

Most of the previous work on the sphingolipid ceramide has been devoted to its function as an apoptosis inducer. Recent studies, however, have shown that in stem cells, ceramide has additional nonapoptotic functions. In this article, ceramide signaling will be reviewed in light of 'systems interface biology': as an interconnection of sphingolipid metabolism, membrane biophysics and cell signaling. The focus will be on the metabolic interconversion of ceramide and sphingomyelin or sphingosine-1-phosphate. Lipid rafts and sphingolipid-induced protein scaffolds will be discussed as a membrane interface for lipid-controlled cell signaling. Ceramide/sphingomyelin and ceramide/sphingosine-1-phosphate-interdependent cell-signaling pathways are significant for the regulation of cell polarity, apoptosis and/or proliferation, and as novel pharmacologic targets in cancer and stem cells.

Selective binding of phorbol esters and diacylglycerol by individual C1 domains of the PKD family

The PKD (protein kinase D) family are novel DAG (diacylglycerol) receptors. The twin C1 domains of PKD, designated C1a and C1b, have been shown to bind DAG or phorbol esters. However, their ligand-binding activities and selectivities have not been fully characterized. Here, binding activities of isolated C1a, C1b and intact C1a-C1b domains to DAG and phorbol esters were analysed. The isolated C1b domains of PKD isoforms bind [(3)H]PDBu ([20-(3)H]phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate) with similar high affinities, while they exhibit weaker affinities towards a synthetic DAG analogue, DOG (1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol), as compared to the control. Mutating a conserved lysine residue at position 22 to tryptophan in C1b of PKD3 fully restores its affinity to DOG, indicating that this residue accounts for its weaker affinity to DOG. In contrast, the non-consensus residues in the isolated C1a domain of PKD mainly contribute to maintaining the protein's structural fold, since converting these residues in C1a of PKD3 to those in PKD1 or PKD2 drastically reduces the maximal number of active receptors, while only minimally impacting ligand-binding activities. Moreover, ligand-binding activities of C1a and C1b are sensitive to the structural context in an intact C1a-C1b domain and exhibit unique patterns of ligand selectivity. C1a and C1b in the intact C1a-C1b of PKD1 are opposite in selectivity for PDBu and DOG. In contrast, C1a of PKD3 exhibits 48-fold higher affinity to DOG as compared to C1b, although both domains bind PDBu with equivalent affinities. Accordingly, mutating C1a of a full-length PKD3-GFP greatly reduces DOG-induced plasma membrane translocation, but does not affect that induced by PMA. In summary, individual C1 domains of PKD isoforms differ in ligand-binding activity and selectivity, implying isoform-selective regulation of PKD by phorbol esters and DAG.

Sequential protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent and PKC-independent protein kinase D catalytic activation via Gq-coupled receptors: differential regulation of activation loop Ser(744) and Ser(748) phosphorylation

Protein kinase D (PKD) is a serine/threonine protein kinase rapidly activated by G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists via a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent pathway. Recently, PKD has been implicated in the regulation of long term cellular activities, but little is known about the mechanism(s) of sustained PKD activation. Here, we show that cell treatment with the preferential PKC inhibitors GF 109203X or Gö 6983 blocked rapid (1-5-min) PKD activation induced by bombesin stimulation, but this inhibition was greatly diminished at later times of bombesin stimulation (e.g. 45 min). These results imply that GPCR-induced PKD activation is mediated by early PKC-dependent and late PKC-independent mechanisms. Western blot analysis with site-specific antibodies that detect the phosphorylated state of the activation loop residues Ser(744) and Ser(748) revealed striking PKC-independent phosphorylation of Ser(748) as well as Ser(744) phosphorylation that remained predominantly but not completely PKC-dependent at later times of bombesin or vasopressin stimulation (20-90 min). To determine the mechanisms involved, we examined activation loop phosphorylation in a set of PKD mutants, including kinase-deficient, constitutively activated, and PKD forms in which the activation loop residues were substituted for alanine. Our results show that PKC-dependent phosphorylation of the activation loop Ser(744) and Ser(748) is the primary mechanism involved in early phase PKD activation, whereas PKD autophosphorylation on Ser(748) is a major mechanism contributing to the late phase of PKD activation occurring in cells stimulated by GPCR agonists. The present studies identify a novel mechanism induced by GPCR activation that leads to late, PKC-independent PKD activation.

Smart drugs for smarter stem cells: making SENSe (sphingolipid-enhanced neural stem cells) of ceramide

Ceramide and its derivative sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) are important signaling sphingolipids for neural stem cell apoptosis and differentiation. Most recently, our group has shown that novel ceramide analogs can be used to eliminate teratoma (stem cell tumor)-forming cells from a neural stem cell graft. In new studies, we found that S1P promotes survival of specific neural precursor cells that undergo differentiation to cells expressing oligodendroglial markers. Our studies suggest that a combination of novel ceramide and S1P analogs eliminates tumor-forming stem cells and at the same time, triggers oligodendroglial differentiation. This review discusses recent studies on the function of ceramide and S1P for the regulation of apoptosis, differentiation, and polarity in stem cells. We will also discuss results from ongoing studies in our laboratory on the use of sphingolipids in stem cell therapy.

Protein kinase C family: on the crossroads of cell signaling in skin and tumor epithelium

The protein kinase C (PKC) family represents a large group of phospholipid dependent enzymes catalyzing the covalent transfer of phosphate from ATP to serine and threonine residues of proteins. Phosphorylation of the substrate proteins induces a conformational change resulting in modification of their functional properties. The PKC family consists of at least ten members, divided into three subgroups: classical PKCs (alpha, betaI, betaII, gamma), novel PKCs (delta, epsilon, eta, theta), and atypical PKCs (zeta, iota/lambda). The specific cofactor requirements, tissue distribution, and cellular compartmentalization suggest differential functions and fine tuning of specific signaling cascades for each isoform. Thus, specific stimuli can lead to differential responses via isoform specific PKC signaling regulated by their expression, localization, and phosphorylation status in particular biological settings. PKC isoforms are activated by a variety of extracellular signals and, in turn, modify the activities of cellular proteins including receptors, enzymes, cytoskeletal proteins, and transcription factors. Accordingly, the PKC family plays a central role in cellular signal processing. Accumulating data suggest that various PKC isoforms participate in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, survival and death. These findings have enabled identification of abnormalities in PKC isoform function, as they occur in several cancers. Specifically, the initiation of squamous cell carcinoma formation and progression to the malignant phenotype was found to be associated with distinct changes in PKC expression, activation, distribution, and phosphorylation. These studies were recently further extended to transgenic and knockout animals, which allowed a more direct analysis of individual PKC functions. Accordingly, this review is focused on the involvement of PKC in physiology and pathology of the skin.

Diacylglycerols, multivalent membrane modulators

Diacylglycerols are second messengers confined to biomembranes and, although relatively simple molecules from the structural point of view, they are able of triggering a surprisingly wide range of biological responses. Diacylglycerols are recognized by a well conserved protein motif, such as the C1 domain. This domain was observed for the first time in protein kinases C but is now known to be present in many other proteins. The effect of diacylglycerols is not limited to binding to C1 domains and they are able to alter the biophysical properties of biomembranes and hence modulate the activity of membrane associated proteins and also facilitate some processes like membrane fusion.

Individual C1 domains of PKD3 in phorbol ester-induced plasma membrane translocation of PKD3 in intact cells

Protein kinase D3 is a novel member of the serine/threonine kinase family PKD. The regulatory region of PKD contains a tandem repeat of C1 domains designated C1a and C1b that bind diacylglycerol and phorbol esters, and are important membrane targeting modules. Here, we investigate the activities of individual C1 domains of PKD3 and their roles in phorbol ester-induced plasma membrane translocation of PKD3. Truncated C1a of PKD3 binds [(3)H]phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate with high affinity, but no binding activity is detected for C1b. Meanwhile, mutations in C1a of truncated C1ab of PKD3 lead to the loss of binding affinity, while these mutations in C1b have little impact, indicating that C1a is responsible for most of the phorbol ester-binding activities of PKD3. C1a and C1b of the GFP-tagged full length PKD3 are then mutated to assess their roles in phorbol ester-induced plasma membrane translocation in intact cells. At low concentration of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), the plasma membrane translocations of the C1a and C1ab mutants are significantly impaired, reflecting an important role of C1a in this process. However, at higher PMA concentrations, all C1 mutants exhibit increased rates of translocation as compared to that of wild-type PKD3, which parallel their enhanced activation by PMA, implying that PKD3 kinase activity affects membrane targeting. In line with this, a constitutive active PKD3-GFP translocates similarly as wild-type PKD3, while a kinase-inactive PKD3 shows little translocation up to 2 muM PMA. In addition, RO 31-8220, a potent PKC inhibitor that blocks PMA-induced PKD3 activation in vivo, significantly attenuates the plasma membrane translocation of wild-type PKD3 at different doses of PMA. Taken together, our results indicate that both C1a and the kinase activity of PKD3 are necessary for the phorbol ester-induced plasma membrane translocation of PKD3. PKC, by directly activating PKD3, regulates its plasma membrane localization in intact cells.

Role of the regulatory domain of protein kinase D2 in phorbol ester binding, catalytic activity, and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling

Protein kinase D2 (PKD2) belongs to the PKD family of serine/threonine kinases that is activated by phorbol esters and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Its C-terminal regulatory domain comprises two cysteine-rich domains (C1a/C1b) followed by a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. Here, we examined the role of the regulatory domain in PKD2 phorbol ester binding, catalytic activity, and subcellular localization: The PH domain is a negative regulator of kinase activity. C1a/C1b, in particular C1b, is required for phorbol ester binding and gastrin-stimulated PKD2 activation, but it has no inhibitory effect on the catalytic activity. Gastrin triggers nuclear accumulation of PKD2 in living AGS-B cancer cells. C1a/C1b, not the PH domain, plays a complex role in the regulation of nucleocytoplasmic shuttling: We identified a nuclear localization sequence in the linker region between C1a and C1b and a nuclear export signal in the C1a domain. In conclusion, our results define the critical components of the PKD2 regulatory domain controlling phorbol ester binding, catalytic activity, and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and reveal marked differences to the regulatory properties of this domain in PKD1. These findings could explain functional differences between PKD isoforms and point to a functional role of PKD2 in the nucleus upon activation by GPCRs.

Tumor promoter binding of the protein kinase C C1 homology domain peptides of RasGRPs, chimaerins, and Unc13s

Recent investigations discovered nonkinase-type phorbol ester receptors, RasGRPs, chimaerins, and Unc13s. Phorbol ester binding occurs at the cysteine-rich sequences of about 50 residues in the C1 domains of these receptors. Fifty-one-residue RasGRP C1 peptides except for RasGRP2 showed significant phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) binding, but the K(d) values of the RasGRP1 and RasGRP3 C1 peptides were about 10-fold larger than those for the corresponding whole enzymes. Addition of the C-terminal basic amino acid cluster decreased their K(d) values about 10-fold, suggesting that the positive charges of these C1 peptides play an important role in the PDBu binding in the presence of negatively-charged phosphatidylserine. The 51-mer chimaerin C1 peptides showed potent PDBu binding, while the Unc13 and Munc13-1 C1 peptides without sufficient positive charges hardly bound PDBu. By the rapid screening system using this C1 peptide library, 5-prenyl-indolactam-V was identified as a promising lead for the novel protein kinase C isozyme specific ligands.

Diacylglycerol-dependent binding recruits PKCtheta and RasGRP1 C1 domains to specific subcellular localizations in living T lymphocytes

Diacylglycerol (DAG) signaling relies on the presence of conserved domain 1 (C1) in its target proteins. Phospholipase C-dependent generation of DAG after T cell receptor (TCR) triggering is essential for the correct immune response onset. Accordingly, two C1-containing proteins expressed in T lymphocytes, Ras guanyl nucleotide-releasing protein1 (RasGRP1) and protein kinase C (PKC), were shown to be fundamental for T-cell activation and proliferation. Although containing the same regulatory domain, they are proposed to relocate to distinct subcellular locations in response to TCR triggering. Here we studied intracellular localization of RasGRP1 and PKC C1 domains in living Jurkat T cells. The results demonstrate that, in the absence of significant primary sequence differences, the C1 domains of these proteins show specific localization within the cell and distinct responses to pharmacological stimulation and TCR triggering. These differences help explain the divergent localization and distinct functional roles of the full-length proteins, which contains them. The properties of these DAG-binding modules allow their characterization as functional markers that discriminate between DAG pools. Finally, we show that by binding to different diacylglycerol forms, overexpression of distinct C1 modules can attenuate DAG-dependent signals originating from the plasma or internal membranes. This is shown by analyzing the contribution of these two lipid pools to PLC-dependent Ras activation in response to TCR triggering.