Nitrite reduction and superoxide-dependent nitric oxide degradation by Arabidopsis mitochondria: Influence of external NAD(P)H dehydrogenases and alternative oxidase in the control of nitric oxide levels

Mitochondria recently have emerged as important sites in controlling NO levels within the cell. In this study, the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) from nitrite and its degradation by mitochondria isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana were examined. Oxygen and NO concentrations in the reaction medium were measured with specific electrodes. Nitrite inhibited the respiration of isolated A. thaliana mitochondria, in competition with oxygen, an effect that was abolished or potentiated when electron flow occurred via alternative oxidase (AOX) or cytochrome c oxidase (COX), respectively. The production of NO from nitrite was detected electrochemically only under anaerobiosis because of a superoxide-dependent process of NO degradation. Electron leakage from external NAD(P)H dehydrogenases contributed the most to NO degradation as higher rates of Amplex Red-detected H₂O₂ production and NO consumption were observed in NAD(P)H-energized mitochondria. Conversely, the NO-insensitive AOX diminished electron leakage from the respiratory chain, allowing the increase of NO half-life without interrupting oxygen consumption. These results show that the accumulation of nitric oxide derived from nitrite reduction and the superoxide-dependent mechanism of NO degradation in isolated A. thaliana mitochondria are influenced by the external NAD(P)H dehydrogenases and AOX, revealing a role for these alternative proteins of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in the control of NO levels in plant cells.     

Nitric oxide: a cytotoxic activated macrophage effector molecule

The experiments reported here identify nitric oxide as a molecular effector of activated macrophage induced cytotoxicity. Cytotoxic activated macrophages synthesize nitric oxide from a terminal guanidino nitrogen atom of L-arginine which is converted to L-citrulline without loss of the guanidino carbon atom. In addition, authentic nitric oxide gas causes the same pattern of cytotoxicity in L10 hepatoma cells as is induced by cytotoxic activated macrophages (iron loss as well as inhibition of DNA synthesis, mitochondrial respiration, and aconitase activity). The results suggest that nitric oxide is the precursor of nitrite/nitrate synthesized by cytotoxic activated macrophages and, via formation of iron-nitric oxide complexes and subsequent degradation of iron-sulfur prosthetic groups, an effector molecule.     

Modulation by copper of the products of nitrite respiration in Pseudomonas perfectomarinus.

A synthetic growth medium was purified with the chelator 1,5-diphenylthiocarbazone to study the effects of copper on partial reactions and product formation of nitrite respiration in Pseudomonas perfectomarinus. This organism grew anaerobically in a copper-deficient medium with nitrate or nitrite as the terminal electron acceptor. Copper-deficient cells had high activity for reduction of nitrate, nitrite, and nitric oxide, but little activity for nitrous oxide reduction. High rates of nitrous oxide reduction were observed only in cells grown on a copper-sufficient (1 micro M) medium. Copper-deficient cells converted nitrate or nitrite initially to nitrous oxide instead of dinitrogen, the normal end product of nitrite respiration in this organism. In agreement with this was the finding that anaerobic growth of P. perfectomarinus with nitrous oxide as the terminal electron acceptor required copper. This requirement was not satisfied by substitution of molybdenum, zinc, nickel, cobalt, or manganese for copper. Reconstitution of nitrous oxide reduction in copper-deficient cells was rapid on addition of a small amount of copper, even though protein synthesis was inhibited. The results indicate an involvement of copper protein(s) in the last step of nitrite respiration in P. perfectomarinus. In addition we found that nitric oxide, a presumed intermediate of nitrite respiration, inhibited nitrous oxide reduction.     

Respiratory detoxification of nitric oxide by the cytochrome c nitrite reductase of Escherichia coli

Nitric oxide is a key element in host defense against invasive pathogens. The periplasmic cytochrome c nitrite reductase (NrfA) of Escherichia coli catalyzes the respiratory reduction of nitrite, but in vitro studies have shown that it can also reduce nitric oxide. The physiological significance of the latter reaction in vivo has never been assessed. In this study the reduction of nitric oxide by Escherichia coli was measured in strains active or deficient in periplasmic nitrite reduction. Nrf(+) cells, harvested from cultures grown anaerobically, possessed a nitric-oxide reductase activity with physiological electron donation of 60 nmol min(-1) x mg dry wt(-1), and an in vivo turnover number of NrfA of 390 NO* s(-1) was calculated. Nitric-oxide reductase activity could not be detected in Nrf(-) strains. Comparison of the anaerobic growth of Nrf(+) and Nrf(-) strains revealed a higher sensitivity to nitric oxide in the NrfA(-) strains. A higher sensitivity to the nitrosating agent S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP) was also observed in agar plate disk-diffusion assays. Oxygen respiration by E. coli was also more sensitive to nitric oxide in the Nrf(-) strains compared with the Nrf(+) parent strain. The results demonstrate that active periplasmic cytochrome c nitrite reductase can confer the capacity for nitric oxide reduction and detoxification on E. coli. Genomic analysis of many pathogenic enteric bacteria reveals the presence of nrf genes. The present study raises the possibility that this reflects an important role for the cytochrome c nitrite reductase in nitric oxide management in oxygen-limited environments.     

Evidence for mutagenesis by nitric oxide during nitrate metabolism in Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli, nitrosative mutagenesis may occur during nitrate or nitrite respiration. The endogenous nitrosating agent N2O3 (dinitrogen trioxide, nitrous anhydride) may be formed either by the condensation of nitrous acid or by the autooxidation of nitric oxide, both of which are metabolic by-products. The purpose of this study was to determine which of these two agents is more responsible for endogenous nitrosative mutagenesis. An nfi (endonuclease V) mutant was grown anaerobically with nitrate or nitrite, conditions under which it has a high frequency of A:T-to-G:C transition mutations because of a defect in the repair of hypoxanthine (nitrosatively deaminated adenine) in DNA. These mutations could be greatly reduced by two means: (i) introduction of an nirB mutation, which affects the inducible cytoplasmic nitrite reductase, the major source of nitric oxide during nitrate or nitrite metabolism, or (ii) flushing the anaerobic culture with argon (which should purge it of nitric oxide) before it was exposed to air. The results suggest that nitrosative mutagenesis occurs during a shift from nitrate/nitrite-dependent respiration under hypoxic conditions to aerobic respiration, when accumulated nitric oxide reacts with oxygen to form endogenous nitrosating agents such as N2O3. In contrast, mutagenesis of nongrowing cells by nitrous acid was unaffected by an nirB mutation, suggesting that this mutagenesis is mediated by N2O3 that is formed directly by the condensation of nitrous acid.     

A dramatic conformational rearrangement is necessary for the activation of DNR from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Crystal structure of wild‐type DNR

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa can grow in low oxygen, because it is capable of anaerobic respiration using nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor (denitrification). An intermediate of the denitrification pathway is nitric oxide, a compound that may become cytotoxic at high concentration. The intracellular levels of nitric oxide are tightly controlled by regulating the expression of the enzymes responsible for its synthesis and degradation (nitrite and nitric oxide reductases). In this article, we present the crystallographic structure of the wild‐type dissimilative nitrate respiration regulator (DNR), a master regulator controlling expression of the denitrification machinery and a putative target for new therapeutic strategies. Comparison with other structures among the CRP‐FNR class of regulators reveals that DNR has crystallized in a conformation that has never been observed before. In particular, the sensing domain of DNR has undergone a rotation of more than 50° with respect to the other structures. This suggests that DNR may undergo an unexpected and very large conformational rearrangement on activation. Proteins 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Nitrite biotransformation by mitochondria from the earthworm Eisenia foetida (Savigny).

1. Nitrite oxidase and cytochrome-c oxidase activity catalysed by cytochrome-aa3 were assayed in earthworms and rats. 2. Cytochrome-aa3 and intact mitochondria from the two species were anaerobically incubated in the presence of nitrite; the occurrence of mitochondria-induced nitrite biotransformations was evaluated by monitoring nitrite recovery in incubation medium. Possible nitric oxide production was also tested. 3. The ratio nitrite oxidase/cytochrome-c oxidase activity was much higher in earthworms than in rats. 4. Under anaerobic conditions and in the presence of respiratory substrates, earthworm mitochondria produced a time-dependent loss of nitrite in the incubation medium. On the contrary, rat mitochondria are unable to decrease environmental nitrite concentration. 5. Results support the notion that metabolic properties of earthworm mitochondria can be considered as an adaptation to chronic nitrite exposure, this toxicant being typically present in natural habitats of these worms.     

Control of cytochrome c oxidase activity by nitric oxide

Over the past decade it was discovered that, over-and-above multiple regulatory functions, nitric oxide (NO) is responsible for the modulation of cell respiration by inhibiting cytochrome c oxidase (CcOX). As assessed at different integration levels (from the purified enzyme in detergent solution to intact cells), CcOX can react with NO following two alternative reaction pathways, both leading to an effective, fully reversible inhibition of respiration. A crucial finding is that the rate of electron flux through the respiratory chain controls the mechanism of inhibition by NO, leading to either a "nitrosyl" or a "nitrite" derivative. The two mechanisms can be discriminated on the basis of the differential photosensitivity of the inhibited state. Of relevance to cell pathophysiology, the pathway involving the nitrite derivative leads to oxidative degradation of NO, thereby protecting the cell from NO toxicity. The aim of this work is to review the information available on these two mechanisms of inhibition of respiration.     

Impacts of Nitrate and Nitrite on Physiology of Shewanella oneidensis

Shewanella oneidensis exhibits a remarkable versatility in anaerobic respiration, which largely relies on its diverse respiratory pathways. Some of these are expressed in response to the existence of their corresponding electron acceptors (EAs) under aerobic conditions. However, little is known about respiration and the impact of non-oxygen EAs on the physiology of the microorganism when oxygen is present. Here we undertook a study to elucidate the basis for nitrate and nitrite inhibition of growth under aerobic conditions. We discovered that nitrate in the form of NaNO₃ exerts its inhibitory effects as a precursor to nitrite at low concentrations and as an osmotic-stress provider (Na⁺) at high concentrations. In contrast, nitrite is extremely toxic, with 25 mM abolishing growth completely. We subsequently found that oxygen represses utilization of all EAs but nitrate. To order to utilize EAs with less positive redox potential, such as nitrite and fumarate, S. oneidensis must enter the stationary phase, when oxygen respiration becomes unfavorable. In addition, we demonstrated that during aerobic respiration the cytochrome bd oxidase confers S. oneidensis resistance to nitrite, which likely functions via nitric oxide (NO).     

Mitochondrial NO and reactive nitrogen species production: Does mtNOS exist?

It is more than 10 years now that mitochondria are suspected to be sources of nitric oxide (NO). This hypothesis is intriguing since NO has multiple targets within the organelle and it is even suggested that mitochondria are the primary targets of NO in the cell. Most remarkably, nanomolar concentrations of NO can inhibit mitochondrial respiration, so even a small amount of NO in the mitochondrial matrix may regulate ATP synthesis. Therefore, the idea that mitochondria themselves are capable of NO production is an important concept in several physiological and pathological mechanisms. However, this field of research generates surprisingly few original papers and the published studies contain conflicting results. The reliability of the results is frequently questioned since they are seldom reproduced by independent investigators. Until 2003, all papers published in this field showed affirmative results but since then several studies directly challenged the existence of a mitochondrial nitric oxide synthase. The present review aims to summarize the most recent developments in mitochondrial NO production, highlights a few unsolved questions, and proposes new directions for future work in this research area.     

Oxidative stress and inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation induced by peroxynitrite and nitrite in rat brain subcellular fractions

Nitrite and nitrate, two endogenous oxides of nitrogen, are toxic in vivo. Furthermore, the reaction of superoxide (produced by all aerobic cells) with nitric oxide (NO) generates peroxynitrite, a potent oxidizing agent, that can cause biological oxidative stress. Using subcellular fractions from rat brain hemispheres we studied oxidative stress induced by these nitrogen compounds with special emphasis on nitrite. The consumption of Vitamin C (ascorbate) and Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), two of the important nutritional antioxidants, was followed in synaptosomes (nerve-ending particles) and mitochondria along with changes in parameters of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Nitrite, but not nitrate, oxidized ascorbate without oxidizing alpha tocopherol in both synaptosomes and mitochondria whereas peroxynitrite oxidized both ascorbate and alpha tocopherol. Functionally, both nitrite and peroxynitrite inhibited mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Nitrite was less potent than peroxynitrite when the effects of equal concentrations of the two were compared. However, since nitrite is much more stable than peroxynitrite the impact of nitrite as an oxidant in vivo could be as much or even more significant than peroxynitrite. Nitrate would not have similar action unless it is reduced to nitrite. It is possible that nitrite may impair oxidative phosphorylation through modulating levels of nitric oxide, changing the activity of heme proteins or a mild uncoupling of mitochondria.     

Kinetic and product distribution analysis of NO· reductase activity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nitrosomonas europaea</Emphasis> hydroxylamine oxidoreductase

Hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) from the ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea normally catalyzes the four-electron oxidation of hydroxylamine to nitrite, which is the second step in ammonia-dependent respiration. Here we show that, in the presence of methyl viologen monocation radical (MV(red)), HAO can catalyze the reduction of nitric oxide to ammonia. The process is analogous to that catalyzed by cytochrome c nitrite reductase, an enzyme found in some bacteria that use nitrite as a terminal electron acceptor during anaerobic respiration. The availability of a reduction pathway to ammonia is an important factor to consider when designing in vitro studies of HAO, and may also have some physiological relevance. The reduction of nitric oxide to ammonia proceeds in two kinetically distinct steps: nitric oxide is first reduced to hydroxylamine, and then hydroxylamine is reduced to ammonia at a tenfold slower rate. The second step was investigated independently in solutions initially containing hydroxylamine, MV(red), and HAO. Both steps show first-order dependence on nitric oxide and HAO concentrations, and zero-order dependence on MV(red) concentration. The rate constants governing each reduction step were found to have values of (4.7 +/- 0.3) x 10(5) and (2.06 +/- 0.04) x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. A second reduction pathway, with second-order dependence on nitric oxide, may become available as the concentration of nitric oxide is increased. Such a pathway might lead to production of nitrous oxide. We estimate a maximum value of (1.5 +/- 0.05) x 10(10) M(-2) s(-1) for the rate constant of the alternative pathway, which is small and suggests that the pathway is not physiologically important.     

A snapshot of a pathogenic bacterium mid-evolution: Neisseria meningitidis is becoming a nitric oxide-tolerant aerobe

Members of the Neisseria genus typically display the ability to carry out denitrification of nitrite to nitrous oxide as an alternative to oxygen respiration when oxygen is depleted. The key enzymes nitrite and nitric oxide reductase are found across the Neisseria genus. Within Neisseria meningitidis, however, a number of research groups have found that a significant proportion of strains lack a functional nitrite reductase. It appears that N. meningitidis is on an evolutionary trajectory towards loss of the capacity to reduce nitrite. In the present paper, I propose that N. meningitidis is evolving to become a nitric oxide-tolerant aerobe in order to occupy an oxygen-rich niche close to host tissue (and hence oxygen perfusion). Other features of the genomic and functional specialization of N. meningitidis, such as possession of a polysaccharide capsule and various acquired reactive oxygen species-resistance mechanisms, support this proposition. The importance of oxygen availability more generally is discussed with reference to recent findings with other mucosal pathogens.     

Functional evidence for nitric oxide production by skeletal-muscle mitochondria from lipopolysaccharide-treated mice

The possible existence of a mitochondrially localized nitric oxide (NO) synthase (mtNOS) is controversial. To clarify this, we studied the ability of intact mitochondria to generate NO and the effect of mitochondrial NO on respiration. Respiratory rates and oxygen kinetics (P(50) values) were determined by high-resolution respirometry in skeletal-muscle mitochondria from control mice and mice injected with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In the presence of the NOS substrate L-arginine, mitochondria from LPS-treated mice had lower respiration rates and higher P(50) values than control animals. These effects were prevented by the NOS inhibitor L-NMMA. Our results suggest that mitochondrially derived NO is generated by an LPS-inducible NOS protein other than iNOS and modulates oxygen consumption in mouse skeletal muscle.     

The existence and significance of a mitochondrial nitrite reductase

The physiological functions of nitric oxide (NO) are well established. The finding that the endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) is NO was totally unexpected. It was shown that NO is a reaction product of an enzymatically catalyzed, overall, 5-electron oxidation of guanidinium nitrogen from L-arginine followed by the release of the free radical species NO. NO is synthesized by a single protein complex supported by cofactors, coenzymes (such as tetrahydrobiopterin) and cytochrome P450. The latter can uncouple from substrate oxidation producing O2*- radicals. The research groups of Richter [Ghafourifar P, Richter C. Nitric oxide synthase activity in mitochondria. FEBS Lett 1997; 418: 291-296.] and Boveris [Giulivi C, Poderoso JJ, Boveris A. Production of nitric oxide by mitochondria. J Biol Chem 1998; 273: 11038-11043.] identified a mitochondrial NO synthase (NOS). There are, however, increasing reports demonstrating that mitochondrial NO is derived from cytosolic NOS belonging to the Ca2+-dependent enzymes. NO was thought to control cytochrome oxidase. This assumption is controversial due to the life-time of NO in biological systems (millisecond range). We found a nitrite reductase in mitochondria which is of major interest. Any increase of nitrite in the tissue which is the first oxidation product of NO, for instance following NO donors, will stimulate NO-recycling via mitochondrial nitrite reductase. In this paper, we describe the identity and the function of mitochondrial nitrite reductase and the consequences of NO-recycling in the metabolic compartment of mitochondria.     

Separate Nitrite, Nitric Oxide, and Nitrous Oxide Reducing Fractions from Pseudomonas perfectomarinus

Pseudomonas perfectomarinus was found to grow anaerobically at the expense of nitrate, nitrite, or nitrous oxide but not chlorate or nitric oxide. In several repetitive experiments, anaerobic incubation in culture media containing nitrate revealed that an average of 82% of the cells in aerobically grown populations were converted to the capacity for respiration of nitrate. Although they did not form colonies under these conditions, the bacteria synthesized the denitrifying enzymes within 3 hr in the absence of oxygen or another acceptable inorganic oxidant. This was demonstrated by the ability, after anaerobic incubation, of cells and of extracts to reduce nitrite, nitric oxide, and nitrous oxide to nitrogen. From crude extracts of cells grown on nitrate, nitrite, or nitrous oxide, separate complex fractions were obtained that utilized reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as the source of electrons for the reduction of (i) nitrite to nitric oxide, (ii) nitric oxide to nitrous oxide, and (iii) nitrous oxide to nitrogen. Gas chromatographic analyses revealed that each of these fractions reduced only one of the nitrogenous oxides.     

Effect of chronic ethanol administration on energy metabolism and phospholipase A2 activity in rat liver.

1. For a period of 31 days male rats were given a liquid diet containing 36% of its energy as ethanol. Liver mitochondria from these animals demonstrated lowered respiratory control with succinate as substrate, a diminished energy-linked anilinonaphthalene-sulphonic acid fluorescence response, and lowered endogenous ATP concentrations. The phospholipid/protein ratio in mitochondria from these animals was unchanged; only minor alterations in the phospholipid fatty acid composition were observed. 2. In experiments where mitochondria were incubated at 18 degrees C in iso-osmotic sucrose (aging experiments), the above energy-linked properties were lost at an earlier time in organelles from ethanol-fed animals. Phospholipase A2 acitivty was depressed in mitochondria from control animals until respiratory control was lost and ATP was depleted. In contrast, no lag in the expression of phospholipase activity was observed in mitochondria from ethanol-fed rats. This loss of control of the phospholipase resulted in an earlier degradation of membrane phospholipids under the conditions of the aging experiments. 3. The ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase) activities, measured in freshly prepared tightly coupled mitochondria and in organelles uncoupled with carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone, were not significantly different in ethanol-fed and liquid-diet control animals. When the mitochondria were aged at 18 degrees C, the activity increased with time of incubation in organelles from both groups of animals. A lag was observed, however, as the ATPase activity increased in control preparations. This lag was not present as APTase activity increased in mitochondria from ethanol-fed animals. 4. The significantly lowered values observed for energy-linked functions with succinate as an energy source demonstrate that ethanol elicits an alteration in liver mitochondria that affects the site II-site III regions of the oxidative-phosphorylation system. The apparent lack of control of the phospholipase A2 and ATPase activities in mitochondria from ethanol-fed animals suggests that the membrane microenvironment of these enzymes has been altered such that they can exert their catabolic effects more readily under conditions of mild perturbation. The fatty acid analyses demonstrate that the observed alterations both in the energy-linked functions and in control of the phospholipase and ATPase are not mediated through changes in the acyl chain composition of bulk-phase phospholipids.     

Dynamics of denitrification activity of Paracoccus denitrificans in continuous culture during aerobic-anaerobic changes.

Induction and repression of denitrification activity were studied in a continuous culture of Paracoccus denitrificans during changes from aerobic to anaerobic growth conditions and vice versa. The denitrification activity of the cells was monitored by measuring the formation of denitrification products (nitrite, nitric oxide, nitrous oxide, and dinitrogen), individual mRNA levels for the nitrate, nitrite, and nitrous oxide reductases, and the concentration of the nitrite reductase enzyme with polyclonal antibodies against the cd1-type nitrite reductase. On a change from aerobic to anaerobic respiration, the culture entered an unstable transition phase during which the denitrification pathway became induced. The onset of this phase was formed by a 15- to 45-fold increase of the mRNA levels for the individual denitrification enzymes. All mRNAs accumulated during a short period, after which their overall concentration declined to reach a stable value slightly higher than that observed under aerobic steady-state conditions. Interestingly, the first mRNAs to be formed were those for nitrate and nitrous oxide reductase. The nitrite reductase mRNA appeared significantly later, suggesting different modes of regulation for the three genes. Unlike the mRNA levels, the level of the nitrite reductase protein increased slowly during the anaerobic period, reaching a stable value about 30 h after the switch. All denitrification intermediates could be observed transiently, but when the new anaerobic steady state was reached, dinitrogen was the main product. When the anaerobic cultures were switched back to aerobic respiration, denitrification of the cells stopped at once, although sufficient nitrite reductase was still present. We could observe that the mRNA levels for the individual denitrification enzymes decreased slightly to their aerobic, uninduced levels. The nitrite reductase protein was not actively degraded during the aerobic period.     

Cycling of NADPH by glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase optimizes the spectrophotometric assay of nitric oxide synthase activity in cell lysates.

The measurement of nitric oxide synthase activity in cell lysates is often performed by radiochemical assay that quantifies the conversion of L-[3H]arginine to L-[3H]citrulline. We have developed a spectrophotometric procedure which continuously recycles NADPH through the addition of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase to the cell lysate. This allows nitric oxide synthase to operate linearly for hours, so that nitric oxide-derived nitrite accumulates at amounts sufficient to be detected with the Griess assay. The incorporation of cycling of NADPH also improves the radiochemical assay for nitric oxide synthase activity.