Protein Kinase C Delta Mediates the Activation of Protein Kinase D In Platelets

Abstract 2021

Protein kinase D (PKD) is a subfamily of serine/threonine specific family of kinases, comprised of PKD1, PKD2 and PKD3 (PKCm, PKD2 and PKCn in humans). They are part of alternate DAG receptors along with RasGRPs, Munc 13s, chimerins and DAG kinases. Members of the novel class of PKC isoforms such as PKCd, PKCh, and PKCe associate with PKD in smooth muscle cells and COS-7 cells. The mechanism of activation of PKD and the specific PKC isoforms required for its activation are not known to date. This study is aimed at investigating the pathways involved in the activation of PKD in platelets. We show that human as well as murine platelets express PKD. PKD could be activated with PAR4 agonist AYPGKF, PAR1 agonist SFLLRN and GPVI agonist convulxin. AYPGKF and SFLLRN induced PKD phosphorylation as early as 30 sec and convulxin induced PKD phosphorylation at 1 minute. PKD phosphorylation induced by AYPGKF and convulxin were sustained for 5 minutes but phosphorylation induced by SFLLRN was attenuated after 2 minutes of stimulation. AYPGKF-induced PKD phosphorylation was reduced with a calcium chelator, dimethyl BAPTA, indicating that calcium-mediated signals might play a role in activation of PKD. PKD phosphorylation in response to AYPGKF was abolished with a G_q inhibitor, YM-254890, but was not affected by G_i-coupled P2Y12 receptor antagonist ARC-69931MX, indicating that PKD phosphorylation is G_q-, but not G_i- or G _12/13-dependent. PKD phosphorylation was abolished with pan-PKC inhibitors, GF109203X and Ro31-8220, indicating that PKCs are required for PKD activation in platelets. PKD phosphorylation was significantly inhibited with a PKC delta inhibitor, rottlerin, but was not affected by the classical PKC inhibitor, Go6976, suggesting that novel PKC isoforms are important for PKD activation. In addition, 2MeSADP that fails to activate PKCd did not induce phosphorylation of PKD in platelets. Furthermore, phosphorylation of PKD induced by AYPGKF was significantly reduced in PKCd-deficient platelets compared to that of wild type platelets. Hence, we conclude that PKD is a common signaling target downstream of various agonist receptors in platelets, and G_q-mediated signals and novel PKC isoforms, in particular PKCd is required for activation of PKD.