Human Molecular Genetics, 2015, Vol. 24, No. 15 4296–4305 doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv162 Advance Access Publication Date: 6 May 2015 Original Article ORIGINAL ARTICLE Src inhibitors modulate frataxin protein levels Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/hmg/article/24/15/4296/2453025 by guest on 28 September 2021 Fabio Cherubini1, Dario Serio1, Ilaria Guccini1, Silvia Fortuni1,2, Gaetano Arcuri1, Ivano Condò1, Alessandra Rufini1,2, Shadman Moiz1, Serena Camerini3, Marco Crescenzi3, Roberto Testi1,2 and Florence Malisan1,* 1Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy, 2Fratagene Therapeutics Ltd, 22 Northumberland Rd, Dublin, Ireland and 3Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Italian National Institute of Health, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy *To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy. Tel: +39 0672596501; Fax: +39 0672596505; Email:
[email protected] Abstract Defective expression of frataxin is responsible for the inherited, progressive degenerative disease Friedreich’s Ataxia (FRDA). There is currently no effective approved treatment for FRDA and patients die prematurely. Defective frataxin expression causes critical metabolic changes, including redox imbalance and ATP deficiency. As these alterations are known to regulate the tyrosine kinase Src, we investigated whether Src might in turn affect frataxin expression. We found that frataxin can be phosphorylated by Src. Phosphorylation occurs primarily on Y118 and promotes frataxin ubiquitination, a signal for degradation. Accordingly, Src inhibitors induce accumulation of frataxin but are ineffective on a non-phosphorylatable frataxin- Y118F mutant.