Protein kinase D (PKD) is a subfamily of serine/threonine specific family of kinases, comprised of PKD1, PKD2 and PKD3 (PKCμ, PKD2 and PKCv in humans). It is known that PKCs activate PKD, but the relative expression of isoforms of PKD or the specific PKC isoform/s responsible for its activation in platelets is not known. This study is aimed at investigating the pathway involved in activation of PKD in platelets. We show that PKD2 is the major isoform of PKD that is expressed in human as well as murine platelets but not PKD1 or PKD3. PKD2 activation induced by AYPGKF was abolished with a G(q) inhibitor YM-254890, but was not affected by Y-27632, a RhoA/p160ROCK inhibitor, indicating that PKD2 activation is G(q)-, but not G₁₂/₁₃-mediated Rho-kinase dependent. Calcium-mediated signals are also required for activation of PKD2 as dimethyl BAPTA inhibited its phosphorylation. GF109203X, a pan PKC inhibitor abolished PKD2 phosphorylation but Go6976, a classical PKC inhibitor had no effect suggesting that novel PKC isoforms are involved in PKD2 activation. Importantly, Rottlerin, a non-selective PKCδ inhibitor, inhibited AYPGKF-induced PKD2 activation in human platelets. Similarly, AYPGKF- and Convulxin-induced PKD2 phosphorylation was dramatically inhibited in PKCδ-deficient platelets, but not in PKCθ- or PKCɛ-deficient murine platelets compared to that of wild type platelets. Hence, we conclude that PKD2 is a common signaling target downstream of various agonist receptors in platelets and G(q)-mediated signals along with calcium and novel PKC isoforms, in particular, PKCδ activate PKD2 in platelets.
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