Protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes move upon activation from one intracellular site to another. PKC-binding proteins, such as receptors for activated C kinase (RACKs), play an important role in regulating the localization and diverse functions of PKC isozymes. RACK1, the receptor for activated IIPKC, determines the localization and functional activity of IIPKC. However, the mechanism by which RACK1 localizes activated IIPKC is not known. Here, we provide evidence that the intracellular localization of RACK1 changes in response to PKC activation. In Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with the dopamine D2L receptor and in NG108-15 cells, PKC activation by either phorbol ester or a dopamine D2 receptor agonist caused the movement of RACK1. Moreover, PKC activation resulted in the in situ association and movement of RACK1 and IIPKC to the same intracellular sites. Time course studies indicate that PKC activation induces the association of the two proteins prior to their co-movement. We further show that association of RACK1 and IIPKC is required for the movement of both proteins. Our results suggest that RACK1 is a PKC shuttling protein that moves IIPKC from one intracellular site to another.Specific intracellular localization of signaling proteins such as PKC 1 is important for the regulation of complex signal transduction cascades (1). PKC is a family of 10 isozymes that are localized to specific intracellular sites in unstimulated cells. Upon activation, each PKC isozyme moves to a different intracellular site (2). Localization of inactive or activated PKC isozymes is mediated, at least in part, by interaction with anchoring proteins (3, 4). For example, inactive PKC isozymes appear to be localized by binding to the scaffolding proteins AKAP-79 and gravin (5, 6). In contrast, activated PKC isozymes are localized by binding to receptors for activated C kinase (RACKs). RACK1 specifically binds the active form of IIPKC (7, 8) thereby regulating PKC function (8 -12). In vitro, RACK1 binds PKC only in the presence of PKC activators and increases PKC kinase activity, presumably by stabilizing its active conformation (13). The RACK1 binding site on PKC is within the C2 region of the regulatory domain providing a direct protein-protein interaction (8). Indeed, RACK1 belongs to the WD40 family of proteins, and the WD40 motif is implicated in mediating protein-protein interactions (14). Furthermore, peptides derived from either PKC and/or RACK1 can alter PKC activity in vitro and in vivo (8,12,15,16).Although RACK1 binds activated PKC and is clearly important for PKC function, the mechanism by which RACK1 localizes IIPKC to its site after activation is not understood. One prediction is that the anchoring protein RACK1 should always be localized to the same site that accepts IIPKC after translocation. We therefore used confocal microscopy to determine whether RACK1 is co-localized with activated IIPKC, whether RACK1 is localized to a specific organelle, and whether the intracellular localization of RACK1 changes...