Elevated protein kinase D3 (PKD3) expression supports proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer cells and contributes to mTORC1-S6K1 pathway activation.

Here, we show that the expression of the Golgi-localized serine-threonine kinase protein kinase D3 (PKD3) is elevated in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Using an antibody array, we identified PKD3 to trigger the activation of S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), a main downstream target of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway. Accordingly, PKD3 knockdown in TNBC cells led to reduced S6K1 phosphorylation, which was associated with impaired activation of mTORC1 at endolysosomal membranes, the accumulation of the mannose 6-phosphate receptor in and the recruitment of the autophagy marker light chain 3 to enlarged acidic vesicles. We further show that PKD3 depletion strongly inhibited cell spreading and proliferation of TNBC cells, identifying this kinase as a potential novel molecular therapeutic target in TNBC. Together, our data suggest that PKD3 in TNBC cells provides a molecular connection between the Golgi and endolysosomal compartments to enhance proliferative mTORC1-S6K1 signaling.