Mitochondrial and cytosolic thiol redox state are not detectably altered in isolated human NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase deficiency

AbstractIsolated complex I deficiency is the most common enzymatic defect of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system, causing a wide range of clinical phenotypes. We reported before that the rates at which reactive oxygen species (ROS)-sensitive dyes are converted into their fluorescent oxidation products are markedly increased in cultured skin fibroblasts of patients with nuclear-inherited isolated complex I deficiency. Using video-imaging microscopy we show here that these cells also display a marked increase in NAD(P)H autofluorescence. Linear regression analysis revealed a negative correlation with the residual complex I activity and a positive correlation with the oxidation rates of the ROS-sensitive dyes 5-(and-6)-chloromethyl-2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein and hydroethidine for a cohort of 10 patient cell lines. On the other hand, video-imaging microscopy of cells expressing reduction–oxidation sensitive GFP1 in either the mitochondrial matrix or cytosol showed the absence of any detectable change in thiol redox state. In agreement with this result, neither the glutathione nor the glutathione disulfide content differed significantly between patient and healthy fibroblasts. Finally, video-rate confocal microscopy of cells loaded with C11-BODIPY581/591 demonstrated that the extent of lipid peroxidation, which is regarded as a measure of oxidative damage, was not altered in patient fibroblasts. Our results indicate that fibroblasts of patients with isolated complex I deficiency maintain their thiol redox state despite marked increases in ROS production

Regulation and quantification of cellular mitochondrial morphology and content

Mitochondria play a key role in signal transduction, redox homeostasis and cell survival, which extends far beyond their classical functioning in ATP production and energy metabolism. In living cells, mitochondrial content (“mitochondrial mass”) depends on the cell-controlled balance between mitochondrial biogenesis and degradation. These processes are intricately linked to changes in net mitochondrial morphology and spatiotemporal positioning (“mitochondrial dynamics”), which are governed by mitochondrial fusion, fission and motility. It is becoming increasingly clear that mitochondrial mass and dynamics, as well as its ultrastructure and volume, are mechanistically linked to mitochondrial function and the cell. This means that proper quantification of mitochondrial morphology and content is of prime importance in understanding mitochondrial and cellular physiology in health and disease. This review first presents how cellular mitochondrial content is regulated at the level of mitochondrial biogenesis, degradation and dynamics. Next we discuss how mitochondrial dynamics and content can be analyzed with a special emphasis on quantitative live-cell microscopy strategies.acceptedVersio

NDUFS4 deletion triggers loss of NDUFA12 in Ndufs4−/− mice and Leigh syndrome patients: A stabilizing role for NDUFAF2

Mutations in NDUFS4, which encodes an accessory subunit of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complex I (CI), induce Leigh syndrome (LS). LS is a poorly understood pediatric disorder featuring brain-specific anomalies and early death. To study the LS pathomechanism, we here compared OXPHOS proteomes between various Ndufs4−/− mouse tissues. Ndufs4−/− animals displayed significantly lower CI subunit levels in brain/diaphragm relative to other tissues (liver/heart/kidney/skeletal muscle), whereas other OXPHOS subunit levels were not reduced. Absence of NDUFS4 induced near complete absence of the NDUFA12 accessory subunit, a 50% reduction in other CI subunit levels, and an increase in specific CI assembly factors. Among the latter, NDUFAF2 was most highly increased. Regarding NDUFS4, NDUFA12 and NDUFAF2, identical results were obtained in Ndufs4−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and NDUFS4-mutated LS patient cells. Ndufs4−/− MEFs contained active CI in situ but blue-native-PAGE highlighted that NDUFAF2 attached to an inactive CI subcomplex (CI-830) and inactive assemblies of higher MW. In NDUFA12-mutated LS patient cells, NDUFA12 absence did not reduce NDUFS4 levels but triggered NDUFAF2 association to active CI. BN-PAGE revealed no such association in LS patient fibroblasts with mutations in other CI subunit-encoding genes where NDUFAF2 was attached to CI-830 (NDUFS1, NDUFV1 mutation) or not detected (NDUFS7 mutation). Supported by enzymological and CI in silico structural analysis, we conclude that absence of NDUFS4 induces near complete absence of NDUFA12 but not vice versa, and that NDUFAF2 stabilizes active CI in Ndufs4−/− mice and LS patient cells, perhaps in concert with mitochondrial inner membrane lipids

Extracellular acidification induces ROS- and mPTP-mediated death in HEK293 cells

The extracellular pH (pHe) is a key determinant of the cellular (micro)environment and needs to be maintained within strict boundaries to allow normal cell function. Here we used HEK293 cells to study the effects of pHe acidification (24 h), induced by mitochondrial inhibitors (rotenone, antimycin A) and/or extracellular HCl addition. Lowering pHe from 7.2 to 5.8 reduced cell viability by 70% and was paralleled by a decrease in cytosolic pH (pHc), hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ), increased levels of hydroethidine-oxidizing ROS and stimulation of protein carbonylation. Co-treatment with the antioxidant α-tocopherol, the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) desensitizer cyclosporin A and Necrostatin-1, a combined inhibitor of Receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) and Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), prevented acidification-induced cell death. In contrast, the caspase inhibitor zVAD.fmk and the ferroptosis inhibitor Ferrostatin-1 were ineffective. We conclude that extracellular acidification induces necroptotic cell death in HEK293 cells and that the latter involves intracellular acidification, mitochondrial functional impairment, increased ROS levels, mPTP opening and protein carbonylation. These findings suggest that acidosis of the extracellular environment (as observed in mitochondrial disorders, ischemia, acute inflammation and cancer) can induce cell death via a ROS- and mPTP opening-mediated pathogenic mechanism