Possible Involvement of 2′,3′-Cyclic Nucleotide-3′-Phosphodiesterase in the Protein Phosphorylation-Mediated Regulation of the Permeability Transition Pore

Calcium as a secondary messenger regulates the phosphorylation of several membrane-bound proteins in brain and liver mitochondria. Regulation of the activity of different protein kinases and phosphatases by Ca2+ occurs through its binding with calmodulin. The protein phosphorylation is strongly dependent on the Ca2+-induced mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening. 2′,3′-Cyclic nucleotide-3′-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) was phosphorylated by protein kinases A and C. CNPase and melatonin (MEL) might interact with calmodulin. The effects of the calmodulin antagonist calmidazolium and the inhibitor of protein kinase A H89 on mPTP opening in rat brain mitochondria of male Wistar rats were investigated. In addition, the role of CNPase, serine/threonine kinases, and MEL in the mPTP opening was examined. The anti-CNPase antibody added to rat brain mitochondria (RBM) reduced the content of CNPase in mitochondria. The threshold [Ca2+] decreased, and mitochondrial swelling was accelerated in the presence of the anti-CNPase antibody. H89 enhanced the effect of anti-CNPase antibody and accelerated the swelling of mitochondria, while CmZ abolished the effect of anti-CNPase antibody under mPTP opening. The levels of phospho-Akt and phospho-GSK3β increased, while the MEL content did not change. It can be assumed that CNPase may be involved in the regulation of these kinases, which in turn plays an important role in mPTP functioning

Effect of the CRAC Peptide, VLNYYVW, on mPTP Opening in Rat Brain and Liver Mitochondria

The translocator protein (TSPO; 18 kDa) is a high-affinity cholesterol-binding protein located in the outer membrane of mitochondria. A domain in the C-terminus of TSPO was characterized as the cholesterol recognition/interaction amino acid consensus (CRAC). The ability of the CRAC domain to bind to cholesterol led us to hypothesize that this peptide may participate in the regulation of mitochondrial membrane permeability. Herein, we report the effect of the synthetic CRAC peptide, VLNYYVW, on mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening. It was found that the CRAC peptide alone prevents the mPTP from opening, as well as the release of apoptotic factors (cytochrome c, AIF, and EndoG) in rat brain mitochondria (RBM). Co-incubation of CRAC, together with the TSPO drug ligand, PK 11195, resulted in the acceleration of mPTP opening and in the increase of apoptotic factor release. VLNYYVW did not induce swelling in rat liver mitochondria (RLM). 3,17,19-androsten-5-triol (19-Atriol; an inhibitor of the cholesterol-binding activity of the CRAC peptide) alone and in combination with the peptide was able to stimulate RLM swelling, which was Ca2+- and CsA-sensitive. Additionally, a combination of 19-Atriol with 100 nM PK 11195 or with 100 µM PK 11195 displayed the opposite effect: namely, the addition of 19-Atriol with 100 µM PK 11195 in a suspension of RLM suppressed the Ca2+-induced swelling of RLM by 40%, while the presence of 100 nM PK 11195 with 19-Atriol enhanced the swelling of RLM by 60%. Taken together, these data suggest the participation of the TSPO’s CRAC domain in the regulation of permeability transition