Delayed phosphorylation of classical protein kinase C (PKC) substrates requires PKC internalization and formation of the pericentrion in a phospholipase D (PLD)-dependent manner.

It was previously demonstrated that sustained activation (30-60 min) of protein kinase C (PKC) results in translocation of PKC α and βII to the pericentrion, a dynamic subset of the recycling compartment whose formation is dependent on PKC and phospholipase D (PLD). Here we investigated whether the formation of the pericentrion modulates the ability of PKC to phosphorylate substrates, especially if it reduces substrate phosphorylation by sequestering PKC. Surprisingly, using an antibody that detects phosphosubstrates of classical PKCs, the results showed that the majority of PKC phosphosubstrates are phosphorylated with delayed kinetics, correlating with the time frame of PKC translocation to the pericentrion. Substrate phosphorylation was blocked by PLD inhibitors and was not observed in response to activation of a PKC βII mutant (F663D) that is defective in interaction with PLD and in internalization. Phosphorylation was also inhibited by blocking clathrin-dependent endocytosis, demonstrating a requirement for endocytosis for the PKC-dependent major phosphorylation effects. Serotonin receptor activation by serotonin showed a similar response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, implicating a potential role of delayed kinetics in G protein-coupled receptor signaling. Evaluation of candidate substrates revealed that the phosphorylation of the PKC substrate p70S6K kinase behaved in a similar manner. Gradient-based fractionation revealed that the majority of these PKC substrates reside within the pericentrion-enriched fractions and not in the plasma membrane. Finally, proteomic analysis of the pericentrion-enriched fractions revealed several proteins as known PKC substrates and/or proteins involved in endocytic trafficking. These results reveal an important role for PKC internalization and for the pericentrion as key determinants/amplifiers of PKC action.