scholarly journals Cytochrome c release from isolated rat liver mitochondria can occur independently of outer-membrane rupture: possible role of contact sites

2000 ◽  
Vol 348 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena DORAN ◽  
Andrew P. HALESTRAP

Percoll-purified rat liver mitochondria were shown to contain BAX dimer and rapidly (< 2 min) release 5-10% of their cytochrome c when incubated in a standard KCl incubation medium under energized conditions. This release was not accompanied by release of adenylate kinase (AK), another intermembrane protein, and was not inhibited by Mg2+, dATP, inhibitors of the permeability transition or ligands of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor. However, release was greatly reduced by the presence of 5% (w/v) dextran (40 kDa), which caused a decrease in the light scattering (A520) of mitochondrial suspensions. Dextran also inhibited both mitochondrial oxidation of exogenous ferrocytochrome c in the presence of rotenone and antimycin, and respiratory-chain-driven reduction of exogenous ferricytochrome c. Hypo-osmotic medium or digitonin treatment of mitochondria caused a large additional release of both cytochrome c and AK that was not blocked by dextran. Polyaspartate, which stabilizes the low conductance state of the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), increased cytochrome c release. VDAC and BAX are both found at the contact sites between the inner and outer membranes and dextran is known to stabilize these contact sites in isolated mitochondria. Thus our data suggest that regulation of a specific permeability pathway for cytochrome c may be mediated by changes in protein-protein interactions within contact sites. The adenine nucleotide translocase is known to bind to VDAC and thus provides an additional link between the specific cytochrome c release pathway and the permeability transition.

2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (1) ◽  
pp. H39-H46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul S. Brookes ◽  
Victor M. Darley-Usmar

The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) is a membrane protein complex assembled and opened in response to Ca2+ and oxidants such as peroxynitrite (ONOO–). Opening the PTP is mechanistically linked to the release of cytochrome c, which participates in downstream apoptotic signaling. However, the molecular basis of the synergistic interactions between oxidants and Ca2+ in promoting the PTP are poorly understood and are addressed in the present study. In isolated rat liver mitochondria, it was found that the timing of the exposure of the isolated rat liver mitochondria to Ca2+ was a critical factor in determining the impact of ONOO– on PTP. Specifically, addition of Ca2+ alone, or ONOO– and then Ca2+, elicited similar low levels of PTP opening, whereas ONOO– alone was ineffective. In contrast, addition of Ca2+ and then ONOO– induced extensive PTP opening and cytochrome c release. Interestingly, Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase enhanced pore opening through a mechanism independent of its catalytic activity. These data are consistent with a model in which Ca2+ reveals a molecular target that is now reactive with ONOO–. As a test of this hypothesis, tyrosine nitration was determined in mitochondria exposed to ONOO– alone or to Ca2+ and then ONOO–, and mitochondrial membrane proteins were analyzed using proteomics. These studies suggest protein targets revealed by Ca2+ include dehydrogenases and CoA-containing enzymes. These data are discussed in the context of the role of mitochondria, Ca2+, and ONOO– in apoptotic signaling.


2000 ◽  
Vol 203 (22) ◽  
pp. 3425-3434 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Toninello ◽  
M. Salvi ◽  
L. Colombo

Liver mitochondria from the great green goby Zosterisessor ophiocephalus (Pallas) normally exhibit bioenergetic variables (membrane potential 165+/−7 mV; respiratory control ratio 6.6+/−0.4; ADP/O ratio 1.85+/−0.8; means +/− s.e.m., N=6) and activities of physiological transport systems (phosphate/proton symporter, adenine nucleotide antiporter, Ca(2+) electrophoretic uniporter) comparable with those of rat liver mitochondria. When incubated in the presence of Ca(2+) and an inducer agent such as phosphate, these mitochondria undergo a complete collapse of membrane potential accompanied by a large-amplitude swelling of the matrix, influx of sucrose from the incubation medium, release of endogenous Mg(2+) and K(+) (approximately 90% of the total) and of preaccumulated Ca(2+) and oxidation of endogenous pyridine nucleotides. All these phenomena, which are completely eliminated by cyclosporin A and inhibited with different efficacies by Mg(2+) and spermine, demonstrate that the induction of the permeability transition in this type of mitochondria has characteristics similar to those described in rat liver mitochondria. In contrast, the requirement for very high Ca(2+) concentrations (greater than 100 micromol l(−1) for the induction of the permeability transition represents a very important difference that distinguishes this phenomenon in fish and mammalian mitochondria.


2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (2) ◽  
pp. G274-G281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thilo Hagen ◽  
Christopher J. Lagace ◽  
Josephine S. Modica-Napolitano ◽  
June R. Aprille

Mitochondrial permeability transition, due to opening of the permeability transition pore (PTP), is triggered by Ca2+ in conjunction with an inducing agent such as phosphate. However, incubation of rat liver mitochondria in the presence of low micromolar concentrations of Ca2+ and millimolar concentrations of phosphate is known to also cause net efflux of matrix adenine nucleotides via the ATP-Mg/Pi carrier. This raises the possibility that adenine nucleotide depletion through this mechanism contributes to mitochondrial permeability transition. Results of this study show that phosphate-induced opening of the mitochondrial PTP is, at least in part, secondary to depletion of the intramitochondrial adenine nucleotide content via the ATP-Mg/Pi carrier. Delaying net adenine nucleotide efflux from mitochondria also delays the onset of phosphate-induced PTP opening. Moreover, mitochondria that are depleted of matrix adenine nucleotides via the ATP-Mg/Pi carrier show highly increased susceptibility to swelling induced by high Ca2+ concentration, atractyloside, and the prooxidant tert-butylhydroperoxide. Thus the ATPMg/Pi carrier, by regulating the matrix adenine nucleotide content, can modulate the sensitivity of rat liver mitochondria to undergo permeability transition. This has important implications for hepatocytes under cellular conditions in which the intramitochondrial adenine nucleotide pool size is depleted, such as in hypoxia or ischemia, or during reperfusion when the mitochondria are exposed to increased oxidative stress.


2003 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikhail Y Vyssokikh ◽  
Dieter Brdiczka

The outer mitochondrial membrane pore (VDAC) changes its structure either voltage-dependently in artificial membranes or physiologically by interaction with the adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) in the c-conformation. This interaction creates contact sites and leads in addition to a specific organisation of cytochrome c in the VDAC-ANT complexes. The VDAC structure that is specific for contact sites generates a signal at the surface for several proteins in the cytosol to bind with high capacity, such as hexokinase, glycerol kinase and Bax. If the VDAC binding site is not occupied by hexokinase, the VDAC-ANT complex has two critical qualities: firstly, Bax gets access to cytochrome c and secondly the ANT is set in its c-conformation that easily changes conformation into an unspecific channel (uniporter) causing permeability transition. Activity of bound hexokinase protects against both, it hinders Bax binding and employs the ANT as anti-porter. The octamer of mitochondrial creatine kinase binds to VDAC from the inner surface of the outer membrane. This firstly restrains interaction between VDAC and ANT and secondly changes the VDAC structure into low affinity for hexokinase and Bax. Cytochrome c in the creatine kinase complex will be differently organised, not accessible to Bax and the ANT is run as anti-porter by the active creatine kinase octamer. However, when, for example, free radicals cause dissociation of the octamer, VDAC interacts with the ANT with the same results as described above: Bax-dependent cytochrome c release and risk of permeability transition pore opening.


2003 ◽  
Vol 317 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliott D. Crouser ◽  
Martha E. Gadd ◽  
Mark W. Julian ◽  
Jennifer E. Huff ◽  
Kimberly M. Broekemeier ◽  
...  

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