Sustained receptor stimulation leads to sequestration of recycling endosomes in a classical protein kinase C- and phospholipase D-dependent manner.

Considerable insight has been garnered on initial mechanisms of endocytosis of plasma membrane proteins and their subsequent trafficking through the endosomal compartment. It is also well established that ligand stimulation of many plasma membrane receptors leads to their internalization. However, stimulus-induced regulation of endosomal trafficking has not received much attention. In previous studies, we showed that sustained stimulation of protein kinase C (PKC) with phorbol esters led to sequestration of recycling endosomes in a juxtanuclear region. In this study, we investigated whether G-protein-coupled receptors that activate PKC exerted effects on endosomal trafficking. Stimulation of cells with serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)) led to sequestration of the 5-HT receptor (5-HT2AR) into a Rab11-positive juxtanuclear compartment. This sequestration coincided with translocation of PKC as shown by confocal microscopy. Mechanistically the observed sequestration of 5-HT2AR was shown to require continuous PKC activity because it was inhibited by pretreatment with classical PKC inhibitor Gö6976 and could be reversed by posttreatment with this inhibitor. In addition, classical PKC autophosphorylation was necessary for receptor sequestration. Moreover inhibition of phospholipase D (PLD) activity and inhibition of PLD1 and PLD2 using dominant negative constructs also prevented this process. Functionally this sequestration did not affect receptor desensitization or resensitization as measured by intracellular calcium increase. However, the PKC- and PLD-dependent sequestration of receptors resulted in co-sequestration of other plasma membrane proteins and receptors as shown for epidermal growth factor receptor and protease activated receptor-1. This led to heterologous desensitization of those receptors and diverted their cellular fate by protecting them from agonist-induced degradation. Taken together, these results demonstrate a novel role for sustained receptor stimulation in regulation of intracellular trafficking, and this process requires sustained stimulation of PKC and PLD.