A Cascade of Protein Kinase C Isozymes Promotes Cytoskeletal Polarization in T Cells

Polarization of the T cell microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) toward the antigen-presenting cell is driven by the accumulation of diacylglycerol at the immunological synapse (IS). The mechanisms that couple diacylglycerol to the MTOC are not known. Using single-cell photoactivation of the T cell receptor, we demonstrated that three distinct protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms are recruited by diacylglycerol to the IS in two steps. PKC-ε and PKC-η accumulated first in a broad region of membrane, while PKC-θ arrived later in a smaller zone. Functional experiments indicated that PKC-θ was required for MTOC reorientation, and that PKC-ε and PKC-η operated redundantly to promote PKC-θ recruitment and subsequent polarization responses. These results establish a previously uncharacterized role for PKCs in T cell polarity.