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The electron transport chain in anaerobically functioning eukaryotes.

Many lower eukaryotes can survive anaerobic conditions via a fermentation pathway that involves the use of the reduction of endogenously produced fumarate as electron sink. This fumarate reduction is linked to electron transport in an especially adapted, anaerobically functioning electron-transport chain. An aerobic energy metabolism with Krebs cycle activity is accompanied by electron transfer from succinate to ubiquinone via complex II of the respiratory chain. On the other hand, in an anaerobic metabolism, where fumarate functions as terminal electron acceptor, electrons are transferred from rhodoquinone to fumarate, which is the reversed direction. Ubiquinone cannot replace rhodoquinone in the process of fumarate reduction in vivo, as ubiquinone can only accept electrons from complex II and cannot donate them to fumarate. Rhodoquinone, with its lower redox potential than ubiquinone, is capable of donating electrons to fumarate. Eukaryotic fumarate reductases were shown to interact with rhodoquinone (a benzoquinone), whereas most prokaryotic fumarate reductases interact with the naphtoquinones menaquinone and demethylmenaquinone. Fumarate reductase, the enzyme essential for the anaerobic functioning of many eukaryotes, is structurally very similar to succinate dehydrogenase, the Krebs cycle enzyme catalysing the reverse reaction. In prokaryotes these enzymes are differentially expressed depending on the external conditions. Evidence is now emerging that also in eukaryotes two different enzymes exist for succinate oxidation and fumarate reduction that are differentially expressed.

Anaerobiosis↗

Thenoyltrifluoroacetone, a potent inhibitor of carboxylesterase activity.

Thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTFA), a conventional mitochondrial complex II inhibitor, was found to inhibit purified porcine liver carboxylesterase non-competitively with a K(i) of 0.61x10(-6)M and an IC(50) of 0.54x10(-6)M. Both rat plasma and liver mitochondrial esterases were inhibited in a concentration-dependent fashion. Results indicate that TTFA is a potent inhibitor of carboxylesterase activity, in addition to its ability to inhibit mitochondrial complex II activity. Therefore, caution is warranted in using TTFA as a mitochondrial complex inhibitor in combination with esterase substrates, such as fluorescence probes or vitamin E esters.

Animals↗

Arachidonic acid interaction with the mitochondrial electron transport chain promotes reactive oxygen species generation.

A study has been carried out on the interaction of arachidonic acid and other long chain free fatty acids with bovine heart mitochondria. It is shown that arachidonic acid causes an uncoupling effect under state 4 respiration of intact mitochondria as well as a marked inhibition of uncoupled respiration. While, under our conditions, the uncoupling effect is independent of the fatty acid species considered, the inhibition is stronger for unsaturated acids. Experiments carried out with mitochondrial particles indicated that the arachidonic acid dependent decrease of the respiratory activity is caused by a selective inhibition of Complex I and III. It is also shown that arachidonic acid causes a remarkable increase of hydrogen peroxide production when added to mitochondria respiring with either pyruvate+malate or succinate as substrate. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the coupling site II was almost double than that at site I. The results obtained are discussed with regard to the impairment of the mitochondrial respiratory activity as occurring during the heart ischemia/reperfusion process.

Animals↗

Analyzing your complexes: structure of the quinol-fumarate reductase respiratory complex.

The integral membrane protein complex quinol-fumarate reductase catalyzes the terminal step of a major anaerobic respiratory pathway. The homologous enzyme succinate-quinone oxidoreductase participates in aerobic respiration both as complex II and as a member of the Krebs cycle. Last year, two structures of quinol-fumarate reductases were reported. These structures revealed the cofactor organization linking the fumarate and quinol sites, and showed a cofactor arrangement across the membrane that is suggestive of a possible energy coupling function.

Animals↗

The distal heme center in Bacillus subtilis succinate:quinone reductase is crucial for electron transfer to menaquinone.

Succinate:quinone reductases are membrane-bound enzymes that catalyze electron transfer from succinate to quinone. Some enzymes in vivo reduce ubiquinone (exergonic reaction) whereas others reduce menaquinone (endergonic reaction). The succinate:menaquinone reductases all contain two heme groups in the membrane anchor of the enzyme: a proximal heme (heme b(P)) located close to the negative side of the membrane and a distal heme (heme b(D)) located close to the positive side of the membrane. Heme b(D) is a distinctive feature of the succinate:menaquinone reductases, but the role of this heme in electron transfer to quinone has not previously been analyzed. His28 and His113 are the axial ligands to heme b(D) in Bacillus subtilis succinate:menaquinone reductase. We have individually replaced these His residues with Leu and Met, respectively, resulting in assembled membrane-bound enzymes. The H28L mutant enzyme lacks succinate:quinone reductase activity probably due to a defective quinone binding site. The H113M mutant enzyme contains heme b(D) with raised midpoint potential and is impaired in electron transfer to menaquinone. Our combined experimental data show that the heme b(D) center, into which we include a quinone binding site, is crucial for succinate:menaquinone reductase activity. The results support a model in which menaquinone is reduced on the positive side of the membrane and the transmembrane electrochemical potential provides driving force for electron transfer from succinate via heme b(P) and heme b(D) to menaquinone.

Bacillus subtilis↗

Dramatic improvement in mitochondrial cardiomyopathy following treatment with idebenone.

Idebenone, a synthetic analogue of coenzyme Q10, has been shown to improve cardiac function in patients with Friedreich ataxia and a deficiency of respiratory chain complexes I-III. We describe a woman with severe combined right and left heart failure due to a mitochondrial cardiomyopathy. The patient underwent an endomyocardial biopsy as part of an evaluation for cardiac transplantation. It showed severely decreased respiratory complex activities dependent on CoQ, pointing to CoQ depletion. Following idebenone treatment there was a dramatic improvement in her clinical status with resolution of the heart failure.

Adult↗

Human quadriceps muscle mitochondria: a functional characterization.

Human quadriceps mitochondria were isolated from ca. 80 mg tissue in ca. 45% yield. The preparation is described with respect to content of mitochondrial markers and nine different respiratory activities. The specific state 3 activities were high in comparison with literature data, indicating high integrity and purity of the preparation. Examples of state 3 rates, in micromol O min(-1) g protein(-1) (25 degrees C): pyruvate + malate, 400; succinate, 514; malate + glutamate, 444. The notion of high integrity was also supported by the reproducibility of the preparation and the magnitude of the respiratory control ratios and the P/O ratios. The mitochondria most likely had lost ca. 30% of their cytochrome c upon isolation, but it was substantiated that this loss had not influenced the state 3 rates. Functional assays of single reactions or groups of reactions could be based on respiration experiments. The respiratory chain activity, for instance, was measured as respiration of NADH in freeze-permeabilized mitochondria (1263 micromol O min(-1) g protein(-1)). Comparison of uncoupled rates of respiration and state 3 rates indicated that the ATP synthesis exerted major flux control over respiration of succinate + glutamate, malate + glutamate and pyruvate + malate. These reactions, showing very similar rates of ATP synthesis, could be used as a functional assay of ATP synthesis (1200 micromol ATP min(-1) g protein(-1)). Respiration of succinate, palmitoyl-carnitine + malate, or glutamate could not support the maximal rate of ATP synthesis and the upstream reactions probably exerted major flux control in these cases. The specific activities appeared very constant in this group of young men, only the respiratory activity with glutamate might show biological variation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

A proteasome-related gene between the two ABC transporter loci in the class II region of the human MHC.

It is now possible to paint a detailed picture of how cytoplasmic proteins are handled by the immune system. They are apparently degraded in the cytoplasm into peptides. These are then transported into the endoplasmic reticulum where they encounter class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Once loaded with peptide, the HLA molecules move through the Golgi apparatus to the cell membrane. Until recently, it had not been established how peptides without signal sequences cross the ER membrane. However, a number of papers have now described a pair of membrane transporter genes of the ABC (ATP-binding cassette) super-family which are attractive candidates for this function. Both transporter genes, which may encode two halves of a heterodimer, are situated in the class II region of the MHC. There is evidence that other putative components of the processing machinery, the LMPs (low molecular mass polypeptides), are also encoded in the MHC. Similarities between the properties of the LMPs and a large intracellular protease complex, called proteasome, have led to the suggestion that LMPs are involved in processing antigens. We have now identified a human gene with sequence homology to proteasome components. Remarkably, this gene maps between the two putative peptide transporter genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome: a machine designed to destroy.

The anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is a ubiquitin ligase that has essential functions in and outside the eukaryotic cell cycle. It is the most complex molecular machine that is known to catalyse ubiquitylation reactions, and it contains more than a dozen subunits that assemble into a large 1.5-MDa complex. Recent discoveries have revealed an unexpected multitude of mechanisms that control APC/C activity, and have provided a first insight into how this unusual ubiquitin ligase recognizes its substrates.

Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome↗

Properties of ubiquinol oxidase reconstituted from ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase, cytochrome c and cytochrome c oxidase.

Ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase (Complex III), cytochrome c and cytochrome c oxidase can be combined to reconstitute antimycin-sensitive ubiquinol oxidase activity. In 25 mM-acetate/Tris, pH 7.8, cytochrome c binds at high-affinity sites (KD = 0.1 microM) and low-affinity sites (KD approx. 10 microM). Quinol oxidase activity is 50% of maximal activity when cytochrome c is bound to only 25% of the high affinity sites. The other 50% of activity seems to be due to cytochrome c bound at low-affinity sites. Reconstitution in the presence of soya-bean phospholipids prevents aggregation of cytochrome c oxidase and gives rise to much higher rates of quinol oxidase. The cytochrome c dependence was unaltered. Antimycin curves have the same shape regardless of lipid/protein ratio, Complex III/cytochrome c oxidase ratio or cytochrome c concentration. Proposals on the nature of the interaction between Complex III, cytochrome c and cytochrome c oxidase are considered in the light of these results.

Antimycin A↗

4-Hydroxy-2(E)-nonenal inhibits CNS mitochondrial respiration at multiple sites.

A destructive cycle of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction is proposed in neurodegenerative disease. Lipid peroxidation, one outcome of oxidative challenge, can lead to the formation of 4-hydroxy-2(E)-nonenal (HNE), a lipophilic alkenal that forms stable adducts on mitochondrial proteins. In this study, we characterized the effects of HNE on brain mitochondrial respiration. We used whole rat brain mitochondria and concentrations of HNE comparable to those measured in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Our results showed that HNE inhibited respiration at multiple sites. Complex I-linked and complex II-linked state 3 respirations were inhibited by HNE with IC50 values of approximately 200 microM HNE. Respiration was apparently diminished owing to the inhibition of complex III activity. In addition, complex II activity was reduced slightly. The lipophilicity and adduction characteristics of HNE were responsible for the effects of HNE on respiration. The inhibition of respiration was not prevented by N-acetylcysteine or aminoguanidine. Studies using mitochondria isolated from porcine cerebral cortex also demonstrated an inhibition of complex I- and complex II-linked respiration. Thus, in neurodegenerative disease, oxidative stress may impair mitochondrial respiration through the production of HNE.

Aldehydes↗

Astroglial trophic support and neuronal cell death: influence of cellular energy level on type of cell death induced by mitochondrial toxin in cultured rat cortical neurons.

Previous in vivo and in vitro analyses have shown that both necrosis and apoptosis are involved in neuronal cell death induced by energy impairment caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. However, little is known about the key factors that determine whether the cells undergo necrosis or apoptosis. In the present study, we analyzed neuronal cell death induced by 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), an irreversible inhibitor of mitochondrial complex II, in a primary culture system of rat cortical neurons. The neurons were maintained for a week in coculture with astroglial cells, and then they were treated with 3-NP in the presence or absence of astroglial cells. As judged from morphological (Hoechst 33258 staining) and biochemical (DNA fragmentation and caspase activation) analyses, the cortical neurons appeared to die through an apoptotic process after 3-NP treatment in the presence of astroglial cells. However, caspase inhibitors did not suppress the 3-NP-induced cell death, suggesting the involvement of a caspase-independent pathway of 3-NP-induced neuronal cell death in the presence of astroglial cells. On the other hand, 3-NP induced necrotic cell death within 1 day in the absence of astroglial cells, following a rapid decrease in intracellular ATP level. These changes were attenuated by the presence of astroglial cells or the addition of astroglial conditioned medium. These results suggest that astroglial trophic support influences the alteration of the intracellular energy state in 3-NP-treated neurons and consequently determines the type of neuronal cell death, apoptosis or necrosis.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Mitochondrial electron transport chain complex dysfunction in a transgenic mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes degeneration of motoneurons. Mutation of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is one cause for this disease. In mice, expression of mutant protein causes motoneuron degeneration and paralysis resembling the human disease. Morphological change, indicative of mitochondrial damage, occurs at early stages of the disease. To determine whether mitochondrial function changes during the course of disease progression, enzyme activities of mitochondrial electron transport chain in spinal cords from mice at different disease stages were measured using three different methods: spectrophotometric assay, in situ histochemical enzyme assay, and blue native gel electrophoresis combined with in-gel histochemical reaction. The enzyme activities were decreased in the spinal cord, particularly in the ventral horn, beginning at early disease stages. This decrease persisted throughout the course of disease progression. This decrease was not detected in the spinal cords of non-transgenic animals, of mice expressing the wild-type protein, and in cerebellum and dorsal horn of the spinal cords from mice expressing mutant protein. These results demonstrate a functional defect in mitochondria in the ventral horn region and support the view that mitochondrial damage plays a role in mutant SOD1-induced motoneuron degeneration pathway.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗