PKA-mediated phosphorylation of Dexras1 suppresses iron trafficking by inhibiting S-nitrosylation

Dexras1 is a small GTPase and plays a central role in neuronal iron trafficking. We have shown that stimulation of glutamate receptors activates neuronal nitric oxide synthase, leading to S-nitrosylation of Dexras1 and a physiological increase in iron uptake. Here we report that Dexras1 is phosphorylated by protein kinase A (PICA) on serine 253, leading to a suppression of iron influx. These effects were directly associated with the levels of S-nitrosylated Dexras1, whereby PICA activation reduced Dexras1 S-nitrosylation in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, we found that adiponectin modulates Dexras1 via PICA. Hence these findings suggest the involvement of the PICA pathway in modulating glutamate-mediated ROS in neurons, and hint to a functional crosstalk between S-nitrosylation and phosphorylation. (C) 2015 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.