V. Kumar et al., Functional interaction between RAFT1/FRAP/mTOR and protein kinase C delta in the regulation of cap-dependent initiation of translation, EMBO J, 19(5), 2000, pp. 1087-1097
Hormones and growth th factors induce protein translation in Dart by phosph
orylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) binding protein 1
(4E-BP1). The rapamycin and FK506-binding protein (FKBP-)target 1 (RAFT1, a
lso known as FRAP) is a mammalian homolog of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae t
arget of rapamycin proteins (mTOR) that regulates 4E-BP1. However, the mole
cular mechanisms involved in growth factor-initiated phosphorylation of 4E-
BP1 are not well understood. Here we demonstrate that protein kinase C delt
a (PKC delta) associates with RAFT1 and that PKC delta is required for the
phosphorylation and inactivation of 4E-BP1. PKC delta-mediated phosphorylat
ion of 4E-BP1 is wortmannin resistant but rapamycin sensitive. As shown for
serum, phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 by PKC delta inhibits the interaction bet
ween 4E-BP1 and eIF4E and stimulates cap-dependent translation. Moreover, a
dominant-negative mutant of PKC delta inhibits serum-induced phosphorylati
on of 4E-BP1. These findings demonstrate that PKC delta associates with RAF
T1 and thereby regulates phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 and cap-dependent initia
tion of protein translation.