BackgroundPhenylephrine (PHE), an α1 adrenergic receptor agonist, increases phospholipase D (PLD) activity, independent of classical and novel protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms, in rat-1 fibroblasts expressing α1A adrenergic receptors. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of atypical PKCζ to PLD activation in response to PHE in these cells.ResultsPHE stimulated a PLD activity as demonstrated by phosphatidylethanol production. PHE increased PKCζ translocation to the particulate cell fraction in parallel with a time-dependent decrease in its activity. PKCζ activity was reduced at 2 and 5 min and returned to a sub-basal level within 10–15 min. Ectopic expression of kinase-dead PKCζ, but not constitutively active PKCζ, potentiated PLD activation elicited by PHE. A cell-permeable pseudosubstrate inhibitor of PKCζ reduced basal PKCζ activity and abolished PHE-induced PLD activation.Conclusionα1A adrenergic receptor stimulation promotes the activation of a PLD activity by a mechanism dependent on PKCζ; Our data also suggest that catalytic activation of PKCζ is not required for PLD stimulation.