Influence of mitochondrial creatine kinase on the mitochondrial/extramitochondrial distribution of high energy phosphates in muscle tissue: evidence for a leak in the creatine shuttle

The influence of mitochondrial creatine kinase on subcellular high energy systems has been investigated using isolated rat heart mitochondria, mitoplasts and intact heart and skeletal muscle tissue.In isolated mitochondria, the creatine kinase is functionally coupled to oxidative phosphorylation at active respiratory chain, so that it catalyses the formation of creatine phosphate against its thermodynamic equilibrium. Therefore the mass action ratio is shifted from the equilibrium ratio to lower values. At inhibited respiration, it is close to the equilibrium value, irrespective of the mechanism of the inhibition. The same results were obtained for mitoplasts under conditions where the mitochondrial creatine kinase is still associated with the inner membrane.In intact tissue increasing amounts of creatine phosphate are found in the mitochondrial compartment when respiration and/or muscle work are increased. It is suggested that at high rates of oxidative phosphorylation creatine phosphate is accumulated in the intermembrane space due to the high activity of mitochondrial creatine kinase and the restricted permeability of reactants into the extramitochondrial space. A certain amount of this creatine phosphate leaks into the mitochondrial matrix.This leak is confirmed in isolated rat heart mitochondria where creatine phosphate is taken up when it is generated by the mitochondrial creatine kinase reaction. At inhibited creatine kinase, external creatine phosphate is not taken up. Likewise, mitoplasts only take up creatine phosphate when creatine kinase is still associated with the inner membrane. Both findings indicate that uptake is dependent on the functional active creatine kinase coupled to oxidative phosphorylation.Creatine phosphate uptake into mitochondria is inhibited with carboxyatractyloside. This suggests a possible role of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase in creatine phosphate uptake.Taken together, our findings are in agreement with the proposal that creatine kinase operates in the intermembrane space as a functional unit with the adenine nucleotide translocase in the inner membrane for optimal transfer of energy from the electron transport chain to extramitochondrial ATP-consuming reactions.     

Creatine kinase of rat heart mitochondria. The demonstration of functional coupling to oxidative phosphorylation in an inner membrane-matrix preparation

To define more clearly the interactions between mitochondrial creatine kinase and the adenine nucleotide translocase, the outer membrane of rat heart mitochondria was removed by digitonin, producing an inner membrane-matrix (mitoplast) preparation. This mitoplast fracton was well-coupled and contained a high specific activity of mitochondrial creatine kinase. Outer membrane permeabilization was documented by the loss of adenylate kinase, a soluble intermembrane enzyme, and by direct antibody inhibition of mitochondrial creatine kinase activity. With this preparation, we documented four important aspects of functional coupling. Kinetic studies showed that oxidative phosphorylation decreased the value of the ternary enzyme-substrate complex dissociation constant for MgATP from 140 to 16 microM. Two approaches were used to document the adenine nucleotide translocase specificity for ADP generated by mitochondrial creatine kinase. Exogenous pyruvate kinase (20 IU/ml) could not readily phosphorylate ADP produced by creatine kinase, since added pyruvate kinase did not markedly inhibit creatine + ATP-stimulated respiration. Additionally, when ADP was produced by mitochondrial creatine kinase, the inhibition of the translocase required 2 nmol of atractyloside/mg of mitoplast protein, while only 1 nmol/mg was necessary when exogenous ADP was added. Finally, the mass action ratio of the mitochondrial creatine kinase reaction exceeded the apparent equilibrium constant when ATP was supplied to the creatine kinase reaction by oxidative phosphorylation. Overall, these results are consistent with much data from intact rat heart mitochondria, and suggest that the outer membrane plays a minor role in the compartmentation of adenine nucleotides. Furthermore, since the removal of the outer membrane does not alter the unique coupling between oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial creatine kinase, we suggest that this cooperation is the result of protein-protein proximity at the inner membrane surface.     

Studies of energy transport in heart cells. The functional coupling between mitochondrial creatine phosphokinase and ATP ADP translocase: kinetic evidence.

The dependence of the rate of creatine phosphate synthesis in the mitochondrial creatine phosphokinase reaction upon the rate of oxidative phosphorylation and ATP translocation from the matrix to outside of the mitochondria has been studied. It has been experimentally shown that mitochondrial creatine phosphokinase reacts slowly with ATP in the medium but is very active in utilization of ATP synthesized by the oxidative phosphorylation process. From these data, it is postulated, therefore, that the ATP-ADP translocase transports ATP molecules directly to the active site of creatine phosphokinase localized on the outer site of the inner membrane. This results in an increase in the effective concentration of ATP in the vinicity of the active sites of creatine kinase and in acceleration of the forward reaction (creatine phosphate synthesis). The kinetic theory based on this assumption allows a quantitative explanation of the observed dependences. These data indicate the tight functional coupling between ATP-ADP translocase and creatine phosphokinase in heart mitochondria. It is concluded that in heart cells energy can be transported by creatine phosphate molecules only.     

Specific inhibition of ATP-ADP translocase in cardiac mitoplasts by antibodies against mitochondrial creatine kinase

Mitochondrial creatine kinase was purified from rat hearts and used to produce antibodies in chicken and rabbits. Antibodies were purified to a high degree of homogeneity by an affinity chromatography method. Chicken antibodies against mitochondrial creatine kinase inhibited this enzyme in rat-heart mitochondrial inner membrane and matrix preparation, and simultaneously blocked oxidative phosphorylation. Under these conditions respiratory chain activities remained unchanged, but adenine nucleotide translocase was inhibited. Removal of mitochondrial creatine kinase from the membrane by pretreatment with 0.15 M KCl and 20 mM ADP completely abolished the effect of antibodies against mitochondrial creatine kinase on oxidative phosphorylation. Noninhibitory antibodies from rabbit with high affinity to rat mitochondrial creatine kinase inhibited neither creatine kinase activity nor oxidative phosphorylation. These data show close and specific spatial arrangement of mitochondrial creatine kinase and adenine nucleotide translocase in mitochondria. It is supposed that there is a fixed orientation of these proteins in the cardiolipin domain in the membrane and that their interaction may occur by a frequent collision due to their lateral movement.     

Functional Coupling between Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase of the Outer Mitochondrial Compartment and Oxidative Phosphorylation

In rat liver mitochondria all nucleoside diphosphate kinase of the outer compartment is associated with the outer surface of the outer membrane (Lipskaya, T. Yu., and Plakida, K. N. (2003) Biochemistry (Moscow), 68, 1136-1144). In the present study, three systems operating as ADP donors for oxidative phosphorylation have been investigated. The outer membrane bound nucleoside diphosphate kinase was the first system tested. Two others employed yeast hexokinase and yeast nucleoside diphosphate kinase. The two enzymes exhibited the same activity but could not bind to mitochondrial membranes. In all three systems, muscle creatine phosphokinase was the external agent competing with the oxidative phosphorylation system for ADP. Determination of mitochondrial respiration rate in the presence of increasing quantities of creatine phosphokinase revealed that at large excess of creatine phosphokinase activity over other kinase activities (of the three systems tested) and oxidative phosphorylation the creatine phosphokinase reaction reached a quasi-equilibrium state. Under these conditions equilibrium concentrations of all creatine phosphokinase substrates were determined and K(eq)app of this reaction was calculated for the system with yeast hexokinase. In samples containing active mitochondrial nucleoside diphosphate kinase the concentrations of ATP, creatine, and phosphocreatine were determined and the quasi-equilibrium concentration of ADP was calculated using the K(eq)app value. At balance of quasi-equilibrium concentrations of ADP and ATP/ADP ratio the mitochondrial respiration rate in the system containing nucleoside diphosphate kinase was 21% of the respiration rate assayed in the absence of creatine phosphokinase; in the system containing yeast hexokinase this parameter was only 7% of the respiration rate assayed in the absence of creatine phosphokinase. Substitution of mitochondrial nucleoside diphosphate kinase with yeast nucleoside diphosphate kinase abolished this difference. It is concluded that oxidative phosphorylation is accompanied by appearance of functional coupling between mitochondrial nucleoside diphosphate kinase and the oxidative phosphorylation system. Possible mechanisms of this coupling are discussed.     

Some observations on mitochondrial-bound hexokinase and creatine kinase of the heart

A large part of the hexokinase activity of the rat brain 20,000g supernatant became mitochondrial bound when incubated with rat heart mitochondria which had been pretreated with glucose-6-phosphate. This binding was dependent on small-molecular compounds (as yet unidentified) of the brain supernatant. Divalent cations, spermine, and pentalysine strongly stimulated the binding of brain supernatant hexokinase to heart mitochondria. Inorganic phosphate, alpha-glycerophosphate, and fructose-1,6-diphosphate showed some stimulatory effect. No effect was observed with insulin or glucose. Mitochondria isolated from hearts of fasted rats had less specific hexokinase activity than mitochondria from fasted and then carbohydrate refed rats. This dietary treatment had no significant effect on the total heart hexokinase activity. Oligomycin did not inhibit the formation of creatine phosphate or glucose-6-phosphate by isolated rabbit heart mitochondria incubated in the presence of phosphoenolpyruvate and pyruvate kinase. However, the presence of creatine inhibited the formation of glucose-6-phosphate when the ATP/ADP ratio was low, indicating that creatine kinase has a greater access to ATP/ADP translocation than has hexokinase.     

Synthesis of phosphocreatine in heart mitochondria of rats with hyperthyroidism

The mechanisms of the phosphocreatine/creatine ratio decrease in female Wistar rats with hyperthyroidism were studied. L-Thyroxin was injected to animals in doses of 50 and 100 micrograms/100 g of body weight, daily for 1 and 2 weeks. Oxidative phosphorylation and the rate of phosphocreatine synthesis were studied in isolated rat heart mitochondria. It was found that hyperthyroidism caused an increase in the ADP-activated mitochondrial respiration, whereas the coupling between electron transport and ADP phosphorylated remained at a constant level. Besides oxidative phosphorylation, activation, hyperthyroidism increased the rate of phosphocreatine synthesis at high values of the phosphocreatine/oxygen ratio. Thus, hyperthyroidism is unaccompanied by and significant changes in the coupling of mitochondrial creatine kinase with oxidative phosphorylation.     

The lack of direct coupling between ATP-ADP translocase and creatine phosphokinase in isolated rabbit heart mitochondria

The formation of creatine phosphate by isolated rabbit heart mitochondria in the presence of creatine, α-ketoglutarate, ATP, and inorganic phosphate was studied. Creatine phosphate formation was inhibited by oligomycin. This was most probably due to increased concentration of ADP favoring the reverse reaction (formation of creatine and ATP from phosphocreatine and ADP). The inhibitory effect of oligomycin disappeared in the presence of phosphoenolpyruvate and pyruvate kinase. The results do not indicate any direct coupling between mitochondrial creatine phosphokinase and ATP-ADP translocase as has been suggested for rat heart mitochondria.     

Inhibition of the mitochondrial permeability transition by creatine kinase substrates. Requirement for microcompartmentation

Mitochondria from transgenic mice, expressing enzymatically active mitochondrial creatine kinase in liver, were analyzed for opening of the permeability transition pore in the absence and presence of creatine kinase substrates but with no external adenine nucleotides added. In mitochondria from these transgenic mice, cyclosporin A-inhibited pore opening was delayed by creatine or cyclocreatine but not by beta-guanidinopropionic acid. This observation correlated with the ability of these substrates to stimulate state 3 respiration in the presence of extramitochondrial ATP. The dependence of transition pore opening on calcium and magnesium concentration was studied in the presence and absence of creatine. If mitochondrial creatine kinase activity decreased (i.e. by omitting magnesium from the medium), protection of permeability transition pore opening by creatine or cyclocreatine was no longer seen. Likewise, when creatine kinase was added externally to liver mitochondria from wild-type mice that do not express mitochondrial creatine kinase in liver, no protective effect on pore opening by creatine and its analog was observed. All these findings indicate that mitochondrial creatine kinase activity located within the intermembrane and intercristae space, in conjunction with its tight functional coupling to oxidative phosphorylation, via the adenine nucleotide translocase, can modulate mitochondrial permeability transition in the presence of creatine. These results are of relevance for the design of creatine analogs for cell protection as potential adjuvant therapeutic tools against neurodegenerative diseases.     

Quantitative studies of enzyme-substrate compartmentation,functional coupling and metabolic channelling in muscle cells

Some historical aspects of development of the concepts of functional coupling, metabolic channelling, compartmentation and energy transfer networks are reviewed. Different quantitative approaches, including kinetic and mathematical modeling of energy metabolism, intracellular energy transfer and metabolic regulation of energy production and fluxes in the cells in vivo are analyzed. As an example of the system with metabolic channelling, thermodynamic aspects of the functioning the mitochondrial creatine kinase functionally coupled to the oxidative phosphorylation are considered. The internal thermodynamics of the mitochondrial creatine kinase reaction is similar to that for other isoenzymes of creatine kinase, and the oxidative phosphorylation process specifically influences steps of association and dissociation of MgATP with the enzyme due to channelling of ATP from adenine nucleotide translocase. A new paradigm of muscle bioenergetics - the paradigm of energy transfer and feedback signaling networks based on analysis of compartmentation phenomena and structural and functional interactions in the cell is described. Analysis of the results of mathematical modeling of the compartmentalized energy transfer leads to conclusion that both calcium and ADP, which concentration changes synchronously in contraction cycle, may simultaneously activate oxidative phosphorylation in the muscle cells in vivo. The importance of the phosphocreatine circuit among other pathways of intracellular energy transfer network is discussed on the basis of the recent data published in the literature, with some experimental demonstration. The results of studies of perfused rat hearts with completely inhibited creatine kinase show significantly decreased work capacity and respectively, energy fluxes, in these hearts in spite of significant activation of adenylate kinase system (Dzeja et al. this volume). These results, combined with those of mathematical analysis of the energy metabolism of hearts of transgenic mice with switched off creatine kinase isoenzymes confirm the importance of phosphocreatine pathway for energy transfer for cell function and energetics in mature heart and many other types of cells, as one of major parts of intracellular energy transfer network and metabolic regulation.     

Diaphragm and cardiac mitochondrial creatine kinases are impaired in sepsis.

Previous studies indicate that ATP formation by the electron transport chain is impaired in sepsis. However, it is not known whether sepsis affects the mitochondrial ATP transport system. We hypothesized that sepsis inactivates the mitochondrial creatine kinase (MtCK)-high energy phosphate transport system. To examine this issue, we assessed the effects of endotoxin administration on mitochondrial membrane-bound creatine kinase, an important trans-mitochondrial ATP transport system. Diaphragms and hearts were isolated from control (n = 12) and endotoxin-treated (8 mg.kg(-1).day(-1); n = 13) rats after pentobarbital anesthesia. We isolated mitochondria using techniques that allow evaluation of the functional coupling of mitochondrial creatine kinase MtCK activity to oxidative phosphorylation. MtCK functional activity was established by 1) determining ATP/creatine-stimulated oxygen consumption and 2) assessing total creatine kinase activity in mitochondria using an enzyme-linked assay. We examined MtCK protein content using Western blots. Endotoxin markedly reduced diaphragm and cardiac MtCK activity, as determined both by ATP/creatine-stimulated oxygen consumption and by the enzyme-linked assay (e.g., ATP/creatine-stimulated mitochondrial respiration was 173.8 +/- 7.3, 60.5 +/- 9.3, 210.7 +/- 18.9, was 67.9 +/- 7.3 natoms O.min(-1).mg(-1) in diaphragm control, diaphragm septic, cardiac control, and cardiac septic samples, respectively; P < 0.001 for each tissue comparison). Endotoxin also reduced diaphragm and cardiac MtCK protein levels (e.g., protein levels declined by 39.5% in diaphragm mitochondria and by 44.2% in cardiac mitochondria; P < 0.001 and P = 0.009, respectively, comparing sepsis to control conditions). Our data indicate that endotoxin markedly impairs the MtCK-ATP transporter system; this phenomenon may have significant effects on diaphragm and cardiac function.     

Creatine kinase and mitochondrial respiration in hearts of trout,cod and freshwater turtle

The importance of the creatine kinase system in the cardiac muscle of ectothermic vertebrates is unclear. Mammalian cardiac muscle seems to be structurally organized in a manner that compartmentalizes the intracellular environment as evidenced by the substantially higher mitochondrial apparent K_m for ADP in skinned fibres compared to isolated mitochondria. A mitochondrial fraction of creatine kinase is functionally coupled to the mitochondrial respiration, and the transport of phosphocreatine and creatine as energy equivalents of ATP and ADP, respectively, increases the mitochondrial apparent ADP affinity, i.e. lowers the K_m. This function of creatine kinase seems to be absent in hearts of frog species. To find out whether this applies to hearts of ectothermic vertebrate species in general, we investigated the effect of creatine on the mitochondrial respiration of saponin-skinned fibres from the ventricle of rainbow trout, Atlantic cod and freshwater turtle. For all three species, the apparent K_m for ADP appeared to be substantially higher than for isolated mitochondria. Creatine lowered this K_m in trout and turtle, thus indicating a functional coupling between mitochondrial creatine kinase and respiration. However, creatine had no effect on K_m in cod ventricle. In conclusion, the creatine kinase-system in trout and turtle hearts seems to fulfil the same functions as in the mammalian heart, i.e. facilitating energy transport and communication between cellular compartments. In cod heart, however, this does not seem to be the case.Abbreviations ACR acceptor control ratio - CK creatine kinase - PCr creatine phosphate - V_ADP ADP-stimulated respiration rate - V_max maximal respiration rate - V₀ respiration rate in the absence of ADPCommunicated by: G. Heidmaier     

Conversion of inactive (phosphorylated) pyruvate dehydrogenase complex into active complex by the phosphate reaction in heart mitochondria is inhibited by alloxan-diabetes or starvation in the rat.

1. The conversion of inactive (phosphorylated) pyruvate dehydrogenase complex into active (dephosphorylated) complex by pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate phosphatase is inhibited in heart mitochondria prepared from alloxan-diabetic or 48h-starved rats, in mitochondria prepared from acetate-perfused rat hearts and in mitochondria prepared from normal rat hearts incubated with respiratory substrates for 6 min (as compared with 1 min). 2. This conclusion is based on experiments with isolated intact mitochondria in which the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase reaction was inhibited by pyruvate or ATP depletion (by using oligomycin and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone), and in experiments in which the rate of conversion of inactive complex into active complex by the phosphatase was measured in extracts of mitochondria. The inhibition of the phosphatase reaction was seen with constant concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ (activators of the phosphatase). The phosphatase reaction in these mitochondrial extracts was not inhibited when an excess of exogenous pig heart pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate was used as substrate. It is concluded that this inhibition is due to some factor(s) associated with the substrate (pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate complex) and not to inhibition of the phosphatase as such. 3. This conclusion was verified by isolating pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphate complex, free of phosphatase, from hearts of control and diabetic rats an from heart mitochondria incubed for 1min (control) or 6min with respiratory substrates. The rates of re-activation of the inactive complexes were then measured with preparations of ox heart or rat heart phosphatase. The rates were lower (relative to controls) with inactive complex from hearts of diabetic rats or from heart mitochondria incubated for 6min with respiratory substrates. 4. The incorporation of 32Pi into inactive complex took 6min to complete in rat heart mitocondria. The extent of incorporation was consistent with three or four sites of phosphorylation in rat heart pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. 5. It is suggested that phosphorylation of sites additional to an inactivating site may inhibit the conversion of inactive complex into active complex by the phosphatase in heart mitochondria from alloxan-diabetic or 48h-starved rats or in mitochondria incubated for 6min with respiratory substrates.     

Functional characterization of the creatine phosphokinase reactions in heart mitochondria and myofibrils]

The kinetic properties of MM-isozyme of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) bound to heart myofibrils have been determined experimentally. It has been shown that CPK isozymes bound to the heart myofibrils and mitochondria are electrophoretically different, but have very similar kinetic properties. For both isozymes the ATP formation reaction is preferable. However, in heart mitochondria the kinetic properties of CPK are compensated for by a tight functional coupling with ATP-ADP translocase. Due to this coupling the ATP formed in the course of oxidative phosphorylation can be used completely for creatine phosphate production in mitochondria. On the other hand, the kinetic properties of myofibrillar CPK isozyme are such that they provide for the effective utilization of creatine phosphate produced in mitochondria for rephosphorylation of AKP formed in the myofibrils during contraction. It is concluded that in the heart cells energy can be transferred from the mitochondria to the myofibrils by creatine phosphate molecules.     

Oxidative phosphorylation of creatine by respiring pig heart mitochondria in the absence of added adenine nucleotides

Isolated pig heart mitochondria were found to form phosphocreatine continuously at the rate of 12.5 +/- 1.8 nmol per min per mg of the mitochondrial protein in the respiration medium without externally added adenine nucleotides, and its formation rate showed a concentration dependency with respect to creatine and phosphate. The synthesis of phosphocreatine was completely inhibited by antimycin, FCCP (carbonyl cyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone), and atractyloside. However, oligomycin had no effect on the rate of phosphocreatine formation. These results are discussed in terms of a model that heart mitochondrial creatine kinase is functionally coupled to the oxidative phosphorylating system via the action of the adenine nucleotide translocase.     

Contact site between inner and outer mitochondrial membrane: a dynamic microcompartment for creatine kinase activity

Creatine kinase is involved in the integration of high-energy metabolism in various tissues. In this study the tissue-specific distribution of the mitochondrial isoform was investigated, both by electrophoresis of rat tissue extracts, and by ultrastructural localisation of creatine kinase activity. Furthermore, the influence of uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation on mitochondrial creatine kinase activity associated with intermembrane contacts was investigated by enzyme cytochemistry and morphometric analysis. The results of the cytochemical survey indicate that contact sites are a prerequisite for creatine kinase to demonstrate enzymatic activity. Moreover, the extent of creatine kinase active membrane contacts depends on the metabolic state of the mitochondrion, as shown for heart mitochondria in vivo and in vitro, before and after treatment with dinitrophenol.     

Phosphocreatine production coupled to the glycolytic reactions in the cytosol of cardiac cells

Phosphocreatine production catalyzed by a cytosolic fraction from cardiac muscle containing all glycolytic enzymes and creatine kinase in a soluble form has been studied in the presence of creatine, adenine nucleotides and different glycolytic intermediates as substrates. Glycolytic depletion of glucose, fructose 1,6-bis(phosphate) and phosphoenolpyruvate to lactate was coupled to efficient phosphocreatine production. The molar ratio of phosphocreatine to lactate produced was close to 2.0 when fructose 1,6-bis(phosphate) was used as substrate and 1.0 with phosphoenolpyruvate. In these processes the creatine kinase reaction was not the rate-limiting step: the mass action ratio of the creatine kinase reaction was very close to its equilibrium value and the maximal rate of the forward creatine kinase reaction exceeded that of glycolytic flux by about 6-fold when fructose 1,6-bis(phosphate) was used as a substrate. Therefore, the creatine kinase raction was continuously in the state of quasiequilibrium and the efficient synthesis of phosphocreatine observed is a result of constant removal of ADP by the glycolytic system at an almost unchanged level of ATP ([ATP] ? [ADP]), this leading to a continuous shift of the creatine kinase equilibrium position.When phosphocreatine was added initially at concentrations of 5–15 mM the rate of the coupled creatine kinase and glycolytic reactions was very significantly inhibited due to a sharp decrease in the steady-state concentration of ADP. Therefore, under conditions of effective phosphocreatine production in heart mitochondria, which maintain a high phosphocreatine: creatine ratio in the myoplasm in vivo, the glycolytic flux may be suppressed due to limited availability of ADP restricted by the creatine kinase system. The possible physiological role of the control of the glycolytic flux by the creatine kinase system is discussed.     

Alterations in oxidative phosphorylation complex proteins in the hearts of transgenic mice that overexpress the p38 MAP kinase activator, MAP kinase kinase 6

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) has critical consequences in the heart. Recent studies on the functions of I/R-activated kinases, such as p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), showed that I/R injury is reduced in the hearts of transgenic mice that overexpress the p38 MAPK activator MAPK kinase 6 (MKK6). This protection may be fostered by changes in the levels of many proteins not currently known to be regulated by p38. To examine this possibility, we employed the multidimensional protein identification technology MudPIT to characterize changes in levels of proteins in MKK6 transgenic mouse hearts, focusing on proteins in mitochondria, which play key roles in mediating I/R injury in the heart. Of the 386 mitochondrial proteins identified, the levels of 58 were decreased, while only 2 were increased in the MKK6 transgenic mouse hearts. Among those that were decreased were 21 mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complex proteins, which was unexpected because p38 is not known to mediate such decreases. Immunoblotting verified that proteins in each of the five oxidative phosphorylation complexes were reduced in MKK6 mouse hearts. On assessing functional consequences of these reductions, we found that MKK6 mouse heart mitochondria exhibited 50% lower oxidative respiration and I/R-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, both of which are predicted consequences of decreased oxidative phosphorylation complex proteins. Thus the cardioprotection observed in MKK6 transgenic mouse hearts may be partly due to decreased electron transport, which is potentially beneficial, because damaging ROS are known to be generated by mitochondrial complexes I and III during reoxygenation.     

Three-step preparation and purification of phosphorus-33-labeled creatine phosphate of high specific activity

Rabbit heart mitochondria were used as a source of enzymes for the synthesis of phosphoruslabeled creatine phosphate. This method is based on the coupled reaction between mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial-bound creatine kinase. It is possible to convert more than 90% of the inorganic phosphate (P_i) to creatine phosphate. The method used only small amounts of adenine nucleotides which led to a product with only slight nucleotide contamination. This could be removed by activated charcoal extraction. For further purification, a method for the removal of residual P_i is described.     

Creatine kinase of heart mitochondria. Control of oxidative phosphorylation by the extramitochondrial concentrations of creatine and phosphocreatine

Defining how extramitochondrial high-energy phosphate acceptors influence the rates of heart oxidative phosphorylation is essential for understanding the control of myocardial respiration. When the production of phosphocreatine is coupled to electron transport via mitochondrial creatine kinase, the net reaction can be expressed by the balanced equation: creatine + Pi----phosphocreatine + H2O. This suggests that rates of oxygen consumption could be regulated by changes in [creatine], [Pi], or [phosphocreatine], alone or in combination. The effects of altering these metabolites upon mitochondrial rates of respiration were examined in vitro. Rat heart mitochondria were incubated in succinate-containing oxygraph medium (pH 7.2, 37 degrees C) supplemented with five combinations of creatine (1.0-20 mM), phosphocreatine (0-25 mM), and Pi (0.25-5.0 mM). In all cases, the mitochondrial creatine kinase reaction was initiated by additions of 0.5 mM ATP. To emphasize the duality of control, the results are presented as three-dimensional stereoscopic projections. Under physiological conditions, with 5.0 mM creatine, increases in Pi or decreases in phosphocreatine had little influence upon mitochondrial respiration. When phosphocreatine was held constant (15 mM), changes in [creatine] modestly stimulated respiratory rates, whereas Pi again showed little effect. With 1.0 mM Pi, respiration clearly became dependent upon changes in [creatine] and [phosphocreatine]. Initially, respiratory rates increased as a function of [creatine]. However, at [phosphocreatine] values below 10 mM, product "deinhibition" was observed, and respiratory rates rapidly increased to 80% State 3. With 2.0 mM Pi or higher, respiration could be regulated from State 4 to 100% State 3. Overall, the data show how increasing [creatine] and decreasing [phosphocreatine] influence the rates of oxidative phosphorylation when mediated by mitochondrial creatine kinase. Thus, these changes may become secondary cytoplasmic signals regulating heart oxygen consumption.