Cyclic Nucleotide-dependent Protein Kinases Target ARHGAP17 and ARHGEF6 Complexes in Platelets

Endothelial cells release prostacyclin (PGI2) and nitric oxide (NO) to inhibit platelet functions. PGI2 and NO effects are mediated by cyclic nucleotides, cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases (PKA, PKG), and largely unknown PKA and PKG substrate proteins. The small G-protein Rac1 plays a key role in platelets and was suggested to be a target of cyclic nucleotide signaling. We confirm that PKA and PKG activation reduces Rac1-GTP levels. Screening for potential mediators of this effect resulted in the identification of the Rac1-specific GTPase-activating protein ARHGAP17 and the guanine nucleotide exchange factor ARHGEF6 as new PKA and PKG substrates in platelets. We mapped the PKA/PKG phosphorylation sites to serine 702 on ARHGAP17 using Phos-tag gels and to serine 684 on ARHGEF6. We show that ARHGAP17 binds to the actin-regulating CIP4 protein in platelets and that Ser-702 phosphorylation interferes with this interaction. Reduced CIP4 binding results in enhanced inhibition of cell migration by ARHGAP17. Furthermore, we show that ARHGEF6 is constitutively linked to GIT1, a GAP of Arf family small G proteins, and that ARHGEF6 phosphorylation enables binding of the 14-3-3 adaptor protein to the ARHGEF6/GIT1 complex. PKA and PKG induced rearrangement of ARHGAP17- and ARHGEF6-associated protein complexes might contribute to Rac1 regulation and platelet inhibition.