Phospholipase D (PLD) is an important signaling enzyme implicated in the control of many biological processes, including cell proliferation and survival. Despite the importance of the duration and amplitude of PLD signaling in carcinogenesis, mechanisms that regulate PLD expression remain poorly understood. In our study, we define the regulatory components of the machinery that specifies selective PLD1 induction via signals propagated through PLD activity. We demonstrate for the first time that establishment of a positive feedback loop that is dependent on enzymatic activity originating from both PLD1 and PLD2 isozymes enhances selective expression of PLD1, but not PLD2. Phosphatidic acid, the product of PLD activity, leads to an increase in the Ras-ERK/PI3K-NFjB signaling cascade and enhances binding of NFjB to the PLD1 promoter, consequently inducing selective PLD1 expression in SK-BR3 breast cancer cells. Moreover, selective PLD inhibitor suppressed epidermal growth factor-induced matrix metalloproteinase upregulation and invasion by inhibiting PLD1 expression. In conclusion, we propose that autoregulation of PLD activity might be coupled to induction of PLD1 expression, and thereby play a role in carcinogenesis.Phosphatidic acid (PA) has emerged as an important mediator of lipid signaling that is associated with regulation of cell growth and proliferation, membrane trafficking and cytoskeletal reorganization. Because of its regulatory role, the level of PA itself should be tightly regulated through synthesis and turnover. PA is the product of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis catalyzed by phospholipase D (PLD) and is strategically located at the intersection of several major signaling and metabolic pathways. Endogenous levels of PA are low in resting cells, and PLD activity is tightly regulated by mechanisms that control secretion, migration, survival and proliferation of cells. 1,2 PLD is activated by a variety of mitogens, including epidermal growth factor (EGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and interleukin 1b (IL-1b), [3][4][5][6][7] and its involvement in many cellular biological processes, including cell proliferation, survival, vesicular trafficking and secretion, has been demonstrated. 1,8 Two distinct isoforms of mammalian PLD, PLD1 and PLD2, have been identified. 9 PLD mediates the parallel reactions of phospholipid hydrolysis and transphosphatidylation. Primary alcohols, such as ethanol or 1-butanol, serve as competitive nucleophiles to water, resulting in a transphosphatidylation reaction that produces a phosphatidylalcohol, such as phosphatidylbutanol (PtdBut), instead of PA. Thus, primary alcohols have been used almost exclusively as the only means of preventing PA production for study of the role of PLD-mediated PA formation in certain cellular processes. 10 Potent dual PLD1 and PLD2 inhibitors, as well as isoformselective PLD inhibitors, with considerable pharmacological characterization have recently been developed. 11 Recent work has demonstrated a novel PA target in the Ras/Raf/ERK si...