title: Lysosomal iron modulates NMDA receptor-mediated excitation via small GTPase, Dexras1.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Activation of NMDA receptors can induce iron movement into neurons by the small GTPase Dexras1 via the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1). This pathway under pathological conditions such as NMDA excitotoxicity contributes to metal-catalyzed reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and neuronal cell death, and yet its physiological role is not well understood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that genetic and pharmacological ablation of this neuronal iron pathway in the mice increased glutamatergic transmission. Voltage sensitive dye imaging of hippocampal slices and whole-cell patch clamping of synaptic currents, indicated that the increase in excitability was due to synaptic modification of NMDA receptor activity via modulation of the PKC/Src/NR2A pathway. Moreover, we identified that lysosomal iron serves as a main source for intracellular iron signaling modulating glutamatergic excitability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicates that intracellular iron is dynamically regulated in the neurons and robustly modulate synaptic excitability under physiological condition. Since NMDA receptors play a central role in synaptic neurophysiology, plasticity, neuronal homeostasis, neurodevelopment as well as in the neurobiology of many diseases, endogenous iron is therefore likely to have functional relevance to each of these areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Anup K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Mary F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: McMullen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 125 S 31st, TRL RM 2207, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. sangwonk@mail.med.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Sangwon F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003600:Cytosol / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D006834:Hydrazines; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008954:Models, Biological; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019061:src-Family Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006834:Hydrazines; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C029424:hydrazine; D007501:Iron; D019061:src-Family Kinases; C498511:Rasd1 protein, mouse; D018631:ras Proteins