Activation of protein kinase C by lysophosphatidic acid: dependence on composition of phospholipid vesicles.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has attracted recent attention as a major serum-derived regulator implicated in responses to vascular injury and inflammation, in tumour invasiveness and in neuronal signalling and remodelling. Although the possibility of a specific G-protein-coupled LPA receptor protein has been suggested, characterization of such a receptor is lacking. Since LPA can activate protein kinase C (PKC) pathways in many cells and PKC activators mimic many LPA effects, the possibility of more direct LPA effects on PKC was investigated. Phosphatidylcholine (PC)/phosphatidylserine (PS)/diacylglycerol (DAG) lipid vesicles of defined acyl chain composition were used to activate the enzyme. At total concentrations of saturated PC/PS + DAG vesicles (2-3 mM) that provided maximal PKC activation, 1-10 mol % [18:1]-LPA led to a further approx. 2-fold activation of PKC alpha. At lower lipid concentrations, a greater increase was observed with LPA concentrations up to 16-20 mol %. Higher concentrations of LPA were inhibitory. The LPA activation of PKC was dependent on the presence of DAG, PS and Ca2+. [18:1]-Lysophosphatidylcholine produced similar PKC activation in PC/PS/DAG vesicles. [14:0]-LPA was less effective, and longer-chain saturated lysolipids were ineffective. In unsaturated PC/PS vesicles, very little to no effect of LPA was discernable. These results suggest that physiologically or pathologically relevant concentrations of LPA can contribute to PKC activation depending on the composition of the lipid membrane. We hypothesize that LPA may affect the formation of lipid domains that are recognized by the enzyme.