Peroxisome assembly: matrix and membrane protein biogenesis

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles whose functional integrity requires a coordinated supply of proteins and phospholipids. Defined functions of specific phospholipids, like the mitochondrial signature lipid cardiolipin, are emerging in diverse processes, ranging from protein biogenesis and energy production to membrane fusion and apoptosis. The accumulation of phospholipids within mitochondria depends on interorganellar lipid transport between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria as well as intramitochondrial lipid trafficking. The discovery of proteins that regulate mitochondrial membrane lipid composition and of a multiprotein complex tethering ER to mitochondrial membranes has unveiled novel mechanisms of mitochondrial membrane biogenesis.     

Action of hydrocortisone on the lipid composition of active and inactive chromatin fractions in the rat liver

A composition of phospholipids and neutral lipids of rat liver chromatin and its active and inactive fractions has been investigated. It is shown that the hydrocortisone action results in marked increase in phospholipid/neutral lipid ratio of both chromatin and its active fraction. The changes in lipid content is clearly expressed in active chromatin fraction, the lipid content of inactive fraction is not changed. It is concluded that the increase of content in certain phospholipids and simultaneous decrease of neutral lipids in chromatin promotes the hormonal activation of genome.     

The influence of polyunsaturated fatty acids on spermine inhibition of lipoperoxidation. Studies on liposomes prepared with microsomal and mitochondrial phospholipids of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) and rat liver

1. Composition of phospholipids extracted from different organelles of European sea bass liver was determined and compared with that of phospholipids extracted from the same organelles of rat liver. 2. Spermine binding to the vesicles prepared from microsomal and mitochondrial phospholipids and their aggregation was studied: these parameters indicate that only the presence of acidic phospholipids and not their unsaturation was essential for polyamine action. 3. No correlation exists between polyunsaturated fatty acid and spermine inhibition of lipid peroxidation. In fact microsomal phospholipids, which have a low content of acidic phospholipids, and a prevalent presence of phosphatidylinositol, are not protected by spermine. 4. Mitochondrial phospholipids, which have high content of cardiolipin, elicit the capability of spermine to inhibit lipid peroxidation.     

Dietary fatty acids modulate liver mitochondrial cardiolipin content and its fatty acid composition in rats with non alcoholic fatty liver disease

No data are reported on changes in mitochondrial membrane phospholipids in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We determined the content of mitochondrial membrane phospholipids from rats with non alcoholic liver steatosis, with a particular attention for cardiolipin (CL) content and its fatty acid composition, and their relation with the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. Different dietary fatty acid patterns leading to steatosis were explored. With high-fat diet, moderate macrosteatosis was observed and the liver mitochondrial phospholipid class distribution and CL fatty acids composition were modified. Indeed, both CL content and its C18:2n-6 content were increased with liver steatosis. Moreover, mitochondrial ATP synthase activity was positively correlated to the total CL content in liver phospholipid and to CL C18:2n-6 content while other complexes activity were negatively correlated to total CL content and/or CL C18:2n-6 content of liver mitochondria. The lard-rich diet increased liver CL synthase gene expression while the fish oil-rich diet increased the (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids content in CL. Thus, the diet may be a significant determinant of both the phospholipid class content and the fatty acid composition of liver mitochondrial membrane, and the activities of some of the respiratory chain complex enzymes may be influenced by dietary lipid amount in particular via modification of the CL content and fatty acid composition in phospholipid.     

Bid, a widely expressed proapoptotic protein of the Bcl-2 family, displays lipid transfer activity

Bid is an abundant proapoptotic protein of the Bcl-2 family that is crucial for the induction of death receptor-mediated apoptosis in primary tissues such as liver. Bid action has been proposed to involve the relocation of its truncated form, tBid, to mitochondria to facilitate the release of apoptogenic cytochrome c. The mechanism of Bid relocation to mitochondria was unclear. We report here novel biochemical evidence indicating that Bid has lipid transfer activity between mitochondria and other intracellular membranes, thereby explaining its dynamic relocation to mitochondria. First, physiological concentrations of phospholipids such as phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylglycerol induced an accumulation of full-length Bid in mitochondria when incubated with light membranes enriched in endoplasmic reticulum. Secondly, native and recombinant Bid, as well as tBid, displayed lipid transfer activity under the same conditions and at the same nanomolar concentrations leading to mitochondrial relocation and release of cytochrome c. Thus, Bid is likely to be involved in the transport and recycling of mitochondrial phospholipids. We discuss how this new role of Bid may relate to its proapoptotic action.     

Cell biology of cardiac mitochondrial phospholipids.

Phospholipids are important structural and functional components of all biological membranes and define the compartmentation of organelles. Mitochondrial phospholipids comprise a significant proportion of the entire phospholipid content of most eukaroytic cells. In the heart, a tissue rich in mitochondria, the mitochondrial phospholipids provide for diverse roles in the regulation of various mitochondrial processes including apoptosis, electron transport, and mitochondrial lipid and protein import. It is well documented that alteration in the content and fatty acid composition of phospholipids within the heart is linked to alterations in myocardial electrical activity. In addition, reduction in the specific mitochondrial phospholipid cardiolipin is an underlying biochemical cause of Barth Syndrome, a rare and often fatal X-linked genetic disease that is associated with cardiomyopathy. Thus, maintenance of both the content and molecular composition of phospholipids synthesized within the mitochondria is essential for normal cardiac function. This review will focus on the function and regulation of the biosynthesis and resynthesis of mitochondrial phospholipids in the mammalian heart.     

Mitochondrial lipid abnormality and electron transport chain impairment in mice lacking alpha-synuclein

The presynaptic protein alpha-synuclein, implicated in Parkinson disease (PD), binds phospholipids and has a role in brain fatty acid (FA) metabolism. In mice lacking alpha-synuclein (Snca-/-), total brain steady-state mass of the mitochondria-specific phospholipid, cardiolipin, is reduced 22% and its acyl side chains show a 51% increase in saturated FAs and a 25% reduction in essential n-6, but not n-3, polyunsaturated FAs. Additionally, 23% reduction in phosphatidylglycerol content, the immediate biosynthetic precursor of cardiolipin, was observed without alterations in the content of other brain phospholipids. Consistent with these changes, more ordered lipid head group and acyl chain packing with enhanced rotational motion of diphenylhexatriene (DPH) about its long axis were demonstrated in time-resolved DPH fluorescence lifetime experiments. These abnormalities in mitochondrial membrane properties were associated with a 15% reduction in linked complex I/III activity of the electron transport chain, without reductions in mitochondrial number, complex II/III activity, or individual complex I, II, III, or IV activity. Reduced complex I activity is thought to be a critical factor in the development of PD. Thus, altered membrane composition and structure and impaired complex I/III function in Snca-/- brain suggest a relationship between alpha-synuclein's role in brain lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and PD.     

Peroxynitrite and Brain Mitochondria: Evidence for Increased Proton Leak

Abstract: Peroxynitrite has been reported to inhibit irreversibly mitochondrial respiration. Here we show that three sequential additions of 200 µ M peroxynitrite (initial concentration) to rat brain mitochondria (0.2 mg of protein/ml) significantly stimulated state 4 respiration and that further additions progressively inhibited it. No stimulation of state 3 respiration or of the maximal enzymatic activities of the respiratory chain complexes was observed on identical peroxynitrite exposure. State 4 respiration is a consequence of the proton permeability of the mitochondrial inner membrane, and we demonstrate that the peroxynitrite-induced stimulation of state 4 respiration is accompanied by a decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, suggesting an increase in this proton leak. Cyclosporin A did not affect the stimulation, suggesting no involvement of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. The stimulation was prevented by the lipid-soluble vitamin E analogue Trolox, suggesting the involvement of lipid peroxidation, a proposed mechanism of peroxynitrite cytotoxicity. Lipid peroxidation has previously been reported to increase membrane bilayer proton permeability. The high polyunsaturate content of brain mitochondrial phospholipids may predispose them to peroxidation, and thus a peroxynitrite-induced, lipid peroxidation-mediated increase in proton leak may apply particularly to brain mitochondria and to certain neurodegenerative disorders thought to proceed via mechanisms of mitochondrial oxidative damage.     

Changes in the triacylglycerol content of mitochondrial membranes during development

The lipid content of mitochondria and mitochondrial membranes isolated from foetal, suckling, and adult rat liver mitochondria were compared. In foetal liver mitochondria triacylglycerol made up 26% of the lipids, while in adult rat liver mitochondria the triacylglycerol content was 7%. Esterified fatty acids originating from non-phospholipid sources amounted to 34% in mitochondrial membranes, and this amount decreased in mitochondrial membranes of adult rat liver to 22%. The concentration of phospholipids in the mitochondrial membranes did not change significantly during development.     

Lipid topology and physical properties of the outer mitochondrial membrane of the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The outer membrane of yeast mitochondria was studied with respect to its lipid composition, phospholipid topology and membrane fluidity. This membrane is characterized by a high phospholipid to protein ratio (1.20). Like other yeast cellular membranes the outer mitochondrial membrane contains predominantly phosphatidylcholine (44% of total phospholipids), phosphatidylethanolamine (34%) and phosphatidylinositol (14%). Cardiolipin, the characteristic phospholipid of the inner mitochondrial membrane (13% of total phospholipids) is present in the outer membrane only to a moderate extent (5%). The ergosterol to phospholipid ratio is higher in the inner (7.0 wt%) as compared to the outer membrane (2.1 wt.%). Attempts to study phospholipid asymmetry by selective degradation of phospholipids of the outer leaflet of the outer mitochondrial membrane failed, because isolated right-side-out vesicles of this membrane became leaky upon treatment with phospholipases. Selective removal of phospholipids of the outer leaflet with the aid of phospholipid transfer proteins and chemical modification with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid on the other hand, gave satisfactory results. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol are more or less evenly distributed between the two sides of the outer mitochondrial membrane, whereas the majority of phosphatidylethanolamine is oriented towards the intermembrane space. The fluidity of mitochondrial membranes was determined by measuring fluorescence anisotropy using diphenylhexatriene (DPH) as a probe. The lower anisotropy of DPH in the outer as compared to the inner membrane, which is an indication for an increased lipid mobility in the outer membrane, was attributed to the higher phospholipid to protein and the lower ergosterol to phospholipid ratio. The data presented here show, that the outer mitochondrial membrane, in spite of its close contact to the inner membrane, is distinct not only with respect to its protein pattern, but also with respect to its lipid composition and physical membrane properties.     

Lipid composition of the rat liver nuclear matrix as affected by hydrocortisone

It has been found that the rat liver nuclear matrix contains a small amount of phospholipids (2%) and neutral lipids (1.6%). The injection of hydrocortisone increased the nuclear matrix phospholipid content and reduced its neutral lipid levels. A marked increase in sphingomyelin content observed was accompanied by the reduction in phosphatidylcholine level. The decrease in neutral lipid content took place mainly at the expense of a sharp lowering of triglyceride and cholesterol ether levels. The latter may turn into free cholesterol, thus increasing its content. The data obtained testify to steroid hormone influence on lipid metabolism in intranuclear structures. The observed changes in lipid composition may be related to specific hydrocortisone-induced activation of genome.     

Changes of fatty acid composition of phospholipids and lipid structural order in rat liver mitochondrial membrane subsequent to galactosamine intoxication. Effect of clofibrate

Since it has been earlier reported that D-galactosamine induces an inhibition of palmitoylcarnitine transferase I and a depletion of mitochondrial phospholipids which were both prevented by clofibrate, an evaluation of the effects of these drugs on mitochondrial fatty acid composition was made. Galactosamine does not alter the fatty acid pattern of these fatty acids whereas clofibrate induces a 2-fold increase in monounsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio and a 10-fold decrease of the 20:4 (n - 6)/20:3 (n - 6) ratio in phosphatidylcholine. These alterations suggest an increase of delta 9-desaturation and a decrease of delta 5-desaturation. To determine whether the drug-induced changes in mitochondrial phospholipids has an effect on the physical properties of the membrane, the lipid structural order of mitochondrial preparations was studied using the lipophilic probes DPH and TMA-DPH. Mitochondrial isolated either from galactosamine- or clofibrate-treated rats showed a decrease in fluorescence polarization, indicating an overall decrease in lipid structural order. This alteration is more drastic when both drugs are administered. This phenomenon suggests drastic changes in the bulk phase of inner mitochondrial membrane lipids after treatments and could explain the altered kinetic properties of palmitoylcarnitine transferase I.     

酵母线粒体的磷脂转运

线粒体是一种由两层膜包被的细胞器,其功能和结构的稳定性取决于线粒体膜上精确的磷脂组成及分布。线粒体膜上的大部分脂类物质由内质网合成,既而转运到线粒体。而部分脂类利用内质网上产生的前体,在线粒体内膜上合成。由此可见,线粒体膜脂的生物合成需要线粒体与内质网以及线粒体外膜(outer mitochondrial membrane, OMM)与内膜(inner mitochondrial membrane, IMM)之间进行大量的脂质转运。目前认为,这种运输过程既可在拴系因子(tether factors)形成的膜结合部位(membrane contact sites, MCSs)内发生,也可借助脂质转运蛋白(lipid transfer proteins, LTPs)完成。近年来,研究者以酵母为对象,建立了多种线粒体磷脂转运(phospholipid trafficking)的模型,这使人们初步理解了线粒体磷脂转运的机制。本综述总结了酵母线粒体磷脂转运的最新发现,并对这些磷脂转运的模型进行了讨论,以期为今后深入了解线粒体脂类代谢提供参考。     

Changes in mitochondrial membrane composition and oxidative status during rapid growth,maturation and aging in zebrafish, Danio rerio

Considering membranes and membrane components as possible pacemakers of the main processes taking place inside mitochondria, changes in phospholipids or fatty acids could play a central role linking different mechanisms involved in cumulative damage to cell molecules and dysfunction during periods of high stress, such as rapid growth and aging. Changes affecting either lipid class or fatty acid compositions could affect phospholipid and membrane properties and alter mitochondrial function and cell viability. In the present study, mitochondrial oxidative status and mitochondrial membrane phospholipid compositions were analyzed throughout the life-cycle of zebrafish. TBARS content significantly increased in 18-month-old fish while aconitase activity decreased in 24-month-old fish, which have been related with oxidative damage to molecules. Mitochondria-specific superoxide dismutase decreased in 24-month-old animals although this change was not statistically significant. Age affected both mitochondrial phospholipid content and the peroxidation index of most phospholipid classes suggesting that oxidative damage to mitochondrial lipids was occurring.     

Biophysical studies on agents affecting the state of membrane lipids: Biochemical and pharmacological implications

Summary The phospholipid requirement of membrane-bound enzymes may depend on several reasons. In our laboratory we have investigated lipids (1) as a bidimensional medium required for the movement of Coenzyme Q, a lipid-soluble cofactor of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and (2) as a hydrophobic environment necessary to impose the proper conformation to membrane-bound enzymic proteins.We have found that Coenzyme Q, once reduced by NADH dehydrogenase, must cross the inner mitochondrial membrane; only quinones having long isoprenoid side chains can easily cross phospholipid bilayers, and this is the reason why a short chain quinone such as CoQ-3 inhibits NADH oxidation. The incapability of short quinones to cross lipid bilayers is due to their disposition in the lipid bilayer, stacked within the phospholipids.The conformational role of lipids has been investigated indirectly observing the kinetics of membrane-bound enzymes, e.g. the mitochondrial ATPase, and directly by circular dichroism. Lipid removal or lipid perturbation with organic solvents induce a decrease of -helical content in mitochondrial proteins, and give rise to a series of kinetic changes in ATPase, including uncompetitive inhibition, increased activation energy, and loss of cooperativity in oligomycin inhibition.The recognition of a conformational role of lipids has allowed us to postulate a working hypothesis for the mechanism of action of general anesthetics. Such drugs have been found by us, by means of spin labels and fluorescent probes, to disrupt lipid protein interactions in several membranes, including synaptic membranes. The loosening of such interactions is believed to induce conformational changes, which will alter ion transport systems necessary to the propagation of neural impulses. Conformational changes induced by anesthetics have been found by us both directly by circular dichroism and indirectly by enzyme kinetics.The conformational effect of anesthetics is not directly exerted on the porteins but is mediated through the lipids. In agreement with this hypothesis we have found that membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase is inhibited by anesthetics, whereas the solubilized enzyme is not inhibited. However, binding of the solubilized enzyme to phospholipids restores anesthetic inhibition.     

On rat liver mitochondrial monoamine oxidase activity and lipids

Following earlier observations on the retention of 5-hydroxytryptamine oxidizing activity by a purified preparation of monoamine oxidase from rat liver mitochondria, this fraction has been obtained in a water-soluble form by Triton X-100 gradient gel filtration and DEAE-Bio-Gel A chromatography. The soluble fraction appears to depend on Triton X-100 and phospholipids for its activity. The results seem to implicate membrane lipid components in the expression of rat liver mitochondrial monoamine oxidase activity.     

Effect of aging on the activity of the phosphate carrier and on the lipid composition in rat liver mitochondria

The effect of aging on the activity of the phosphate carrier and on the lipid composition in rat liver mitochondria has been investigated. It was found that the rate of phosphate transport in mitochondria from aged rats (28 months old) is significantly reduced (around 40%) compared to that obtained in mitochondria from young control rats (5 months old). Kinetic analysis of the phosphate transport indicates that only the Vmax of this process is affected, while there is no change in the Km values. The lower activity of the phosphate carrier in mitochondria from aged rats is also documented by swelling experiments. The age-related decrement in the activity of the phosphate carrier was found not to be due neither to a change in the endogenous content of phosphate nor to a change in the transmembrane delta pH value. Inhibitor titrations with mersalyl provide no evidence for a lower content of functional phosphate translocase in mitochondria from aged rats. There is no difference either in the respiratory control ratios or in the ADP/O ratios between mitochondria from young and aged animals. The hepatic mitochondrial lipid composition is altered significantly in aged rats: the total cholesterol increases (31%), the phospholipids decrease (12%), and the cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio increases (44%). Among the phospholipids cardiolipin shows the greatest alteration (30% decrease with age). Alterations were also found in the pattern of fatty acids. The age-related decrement in the activity of the phosphate carrier appears to be dependent on changes in the lipid domain surrounding the carrier protein molecule in the mitochondrial membrane.     

Purification and characterization of phthalanilide--lipid complexes from tissues

What appears to be a new class of phospholipids has been isolated from dog brain in the form of complexes with a substituted phthalanilide. The complexes were extracted by chloroform-methanol and purified by countercurrent distribution in solvent systems containing water, chloroform, methanol, and Freon 113. The binding of the phthalanilide congener to lipids has some ionic character. Cations such as H(+) or Ca(++) displaced the phthalanilide from its lipid complex. The pH for 50% displacement acid was about 3.8 and was independent of the purity of the complex. Thin-layer chromatography of the lipid yielded four subfractions of lipid, three of which were ninhydrin-positive and all of which yielded a group of unidentified ninhydrin-positive components on hydrolysis. Each lipid subfraction contained nitrogen, phosphorus, fatty acids, and glycerol but in different ratios. Of the known phospholipids containing nitrogen, none matches the composition and behavior of the lipids isolated as phthalanilide complexes. We have therefore concluded that the phthalanilides bind to a new class of phospholipids characterized by a high content of unidentified ninhydrin-positive components.     

克山病心肌线粒体氧化损伤的实验研究

用克山病区粮喂养豚鼠证明其红细胞、肝等组织及其线粒体、上清中的硒及谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活性明显降低,心肌线粒体脂质氢过氧化物、荧光色脂等增加、同时膜脂组成异常,内膜界面脂的心磷脂(CL)减少,细胞色素C氧化酶(CCO)活性降低;园二色性(CD)异常,近208nm及222nm区的峰值降低,病区粮加喂青菜的动物,随其线粒体硒及CL水平的增加。CCO活性和CD谱均明显恢复;通过外源性磷脂与纯化CCO的重组复性实验,只有CL可使病区粮组酶活性完全达到正常对照水平。表明心肌线粒体膜结合酶CCO活性的降低是CL含量降低引起酶的二级结构(构象)改变的结果。     

Effect of treatment with alpha-p-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate and of cold exposure on the distribution of lipids in hepatic mitochondria.

Administration of alpha-p-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate (0.25% in the diet) to rats increased the liver weight, hepatic contents of ubiquinone and mitochondrial protein with no effect on the sterols. The increase was progressive with the period of drug treatment and was potentiated by simultaneous cold exposure. Withdrawal of the drug treatment as well as the cold stress resulted in a return of the liver weight and mitochondrial content to normal levels but this was not so for the ubiquinone content. Treatment with alpha-p-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate with or without cold exposure also resulted in a small but significant increase in the mitochondrial lipids which could be accounted for completely by an increase in the phospholipids with no change in the neutral lipid content. Analysis of the individual phospholipids showed that the drug treatment per se resulted in a specific increase in phosphatidylethanolamine content whereas simultaneous cold exposure or cold per se showed an increase in phosphatidylcholine. Cardiolipin content was unaffected. Mitochondria isolated from drug-treated animals maintained at an ambient or low environmental temperature showed a small but significant decrease in the respiratory control index for the oxidation of glutamate and malate whereas the coupled oxidation rates and ADP/O ratios were normal. Such a feature was also observed in the animals exposed to short periods of cold stress without the drug treatment. In all the cases the oxidation of succinate was unaffected. The role of accumulated phospholipids in the mitochondrial membranes in drug treatment and cold exposure is discussed in relation to the possible involvement in increased thermogenesis.