Targeting of protein kinase C-epsilon during Fcgamma receptor-dependent phagocytosis requires the epsilonC1B domain and phospholipase C-gamma1

Protein kinase C-epsilon (PKC-epsilon) translocates to phagosomes and promotes uptake of IgG-opsonized targets. To identify the regions responsible for this concentration, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-protein kinase C-epsilon mutants were tracked during phagocytosis and in response to exogenous lipids. Deletion of the diacylglycerol (DAG)-binding epsilonC1 and epsilonC1B domains, or the epsilonC1B point mutant epsilonC259G, decreased accumulation at phagosomes and membrane translocation in response to exogenous DAG. Quantitation of GFP revealed that epsilonC259G, epsilonC1, and epsilonC1B accumulation at phagosomes was significantly less than that of intact PKC-epsilon. Also, the DAG antagonist 1-hexadecyl-2-acetyl glycerol (EI-150) blocked PKC-epsilon translocation. Thus, DAG binding to epsilonC1B is necessary for PKC-epsilon translocation. The role of phospholipase D (PLD), phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC)-gamma1, and PI-PLC-gamma2 in PKC-epsilon accumulation was assessed. Although GFP-PLD2 localized to phagosomes and enhanced phagocytosis, PLD inhibition did not alter target ingestion or PKC-epsilon localization. In contrast, the PI-PLC inhibitor U73122 decreased both phagocytosis and PKC-epsilon accumulation. Although expression of PI-PLC-gamma2 is higher than that of PI-PLC-gamma1, PI-PLC-gamma1 but not PI-PLC-gamma2 consistently concentrated at phagosomes. Macrophages from PI-PLC-gamma2-/- mice were similar to wild-type macrophages in their rate and extent of phagocytosis, their accumulation of PKC-epsilon at the phagosome, and their sensitivity to U73122. This implicates PI-PLC-gamma1 as the enzyme that supports PKC-epsilon localization and phagocytosis. That PI-PLC-gamma1 was transiently tyrosine phosphorylated in nascent phagosomes is consistent with this conclusion. Together, these results support a model in which PI-PLC-gamma1 provides DAG that binds to epsilonC1B, facilitating PKC-epsilon localization to phagosomes for efficient IgG-mediated phagocytosis.