Autophosphorylation of p110 delta phosphoinositide 3-kinase: a new paradigm for the regulation of lipid kinases in vitro and in vivo

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are lipid kinases which also possess an in vitro protein kinase activity towards themselves or their adaptor protei ns. The physiological relevance of these phosphorylations is unclear at pre sent. Here, the protein kinase activity of the tyrosine kinase-linked PI3K, p110 delta, is characterized and its functional impact assessed, lit vitro autophosphorylation of p110 delta completely down-regulates its lipid kina se activity. The single site of autophosphorylation was mapped to Ser1039 a t the C-terminus of p110 delta, Antisera specific for phospho-Ser1039 revea led a very low level of phosphorylation of this residue in cell lines. Howe ver, p110 delta that is recruited to activated receptors (such as CD28 in T cells) shows a time-dependent increase in Ser1039 phosphorylation and a co ncomitant decrease in associated lipid kinase activity, Treatment of cells with okadaic acid, an inhibitor of Ser/Thr phosphatases, also dramatically increases the level of Ser1039-phosphorylated p110 delta, LY294002 and wort mannin blocked these iii vivo increases in Ser1039 phosphorylation, consist ent with the notion that PI3Ks, and possibly p110 delta itself, are involve d in the in vivo phosphorylation of p110 delta. In summary, we show that PI 3Ks are subject to regulatory phosphorylations lit vivo similar to those id entified under lit vitro conditions, identifying a new level of control of these signalling molecules.