Regulation of biosynthesis of the rat liver inner mitochondrial membrane by thyroid hormone

Regulation of mitochondrial protein synthesis by thyroid hormone has been studied in isolated rat hepatocytes and liver mitochondria. Small doses (5 micrograms/100 g body wt) of triiodothyronine (T3) injected into hypothyroid rats increased both state 3 and 4 respiration by approximately 100%, while the ADP:O ratio remained constant. This suggests that T3 increases the numbers of functional respiratory chain units. T3 also induces mitochondrial protein synthesis by 50-100%. Analysis of the mitochondrial translation products show that all of the products were induced. No differential translation of the peptides involved in the respiratory chain was found. Regulation of the cytoplasmically made inner membrane peptides was also investigated in isolated hepatocytes. The majority of these peptides were not influenced by T3, in contrast to the finding with mitochondrial translation products. Those found to be regulated by T3 belong to two subsets, which were either induced or repressed by hormone. Thus, T3 stimulated a general increase in the synthesis of mitochondrially translated inner membrane peptides, but regulates selectively those inner membrane peptides translated on cytoplasmic ribosomes. The findings suggest that hormone regulation of the respiratory chain is exerted through a few selective proteins, perhaps those which require subunits made from both nuclear and mitochondrial genes.     

Skeletal muscle expression of p43, a truncated thyroid hormone receptor α, affects lipid composition and metabolism

Thyroid hormone is a major regulator of metabolism and mitochondrial function. Thyroid hormone also affects reactions in almost all pathways of lipids metabolism and as such is considered as the main hormonal regulator of lipid biogenesis. The aim of this study was to explore the possible involvement of p43, a 43 Kda truncated form of the nuclear thyroid hormone receptor TRα1 which stimulates mitochondrial activity. Therefore, using mouse models overexpressing p43 in skeletal muscle (p43-Tg) or lacking p43 (p43?/?), we have investigated the lipid composition in quadriceps muscle and in mitochondria. Here, we reported in the quadriceps muscle of p43?/? mice, a fall in triglycerides, an inhibition of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) synthesis, an increase in elongase index and an decrease in desaturase index. However, in mitochondria from p43?/? mice, fatty acid profile was barely modified. In the quadriceps muscle of p43-Tg mice, MUFA content was decreased whereas the unsaturation index was increased. In addition, in quadriceps mitochondria of p43-Tg mice, we found an increase of linoleic acid level and unsaturation index. Last, we showed that cardiolipin content, a key phospholipid for mitochondrial function, remained unchanged both in quadriceps muscle and in its mitochondria whatever the mice genotype. In conclusion, this study shows that muscle lipid content and fatty acid profile are strongly affected in skeletal muscle by p43 levels. We also demonstrate that regulation of cardiolipin biosynthesis by the thyroid hormone does not imply p43.     

Peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha) enhances the thyroid hormone induction of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT-I alpha)

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT-I) catalyzes the rate-controlling step in the pathway of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Thyroid hormone will stimulate the expression of the liver isoform of CPT-I (CPT-I alpha). This induction of CPT-I alpha gene expression requires the thyroid hormone response element in the promoter and sequences within the first intron. The peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha) is a coactivator that promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, and hepatic gluconeogenesis. In addition, PGC-1 alpha will stimulate the expression of CPT-I alpha in primary rat hepatocytes. Here we report that thyroid hormone will increase PGC-1 alpha mRNA and protein levels in rat hepatocytes. In addition, overexpression of PGC-1 alpha will enhance the thyroid hormone induction of CPT-I alpha indicating that PGC-1 alpha is a coactivator for thyroid hormone. By using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we show that PGC-1 alpha is associated with both the thyroid hormone response element in the CPT-I alpha gene promoter and the first intron of the CPT-I alpha gene. Our data demonstrate that PGC-1 alpha participates in the stimulation of CPT-I alpha gene expression by thyroid hormone and suggest that PGC-1 alpha is a coactivator for thyroid hormone.     

The response of individual polypeptides of the mammalian respiratory chain to thyroid hormone

The effects of thyroid hormone on the accumulation of inner membrane polypeptides in rat liver mitochondria have been investigated using Western blot analysis. Respiration and mitochondrial protein synthesis were also measured. Levels of the subunits of cytochrome oxidase, the cytochrome bc1 complex, and the beta-subunit of F1-ATPase increase relatively late, requiring 3-6 days of treatment and high doses of hormone. In contrast, respiration increases under conditions in which no significant accumulation of individual subunits is observed. Our results indicate that increased oxidative capacity of mitochondria can be divided into an early response which probably involves metabolic regulation of mitochondrial respiration by hormone and a later response which is due to elevated mitochondrial protein synthesis and the accumulation of polypeptides of the respiratory chain.     

Thyroid hormone regulation of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial inner membrane polypeptides of the liver

The effects of thyroid hormone on nuclear-encoded mitochondrial inner membrane proteins were investigated by in vitro translation of the endogenous mRNA present in a postmitochondrial fraction from the livers of rats treated in vivo with hormone. The levels of the mRNAs were estimated by quantitative immunoabsorption of the translation mixture. Total protein synthesis was increased 2.6-fold after 4 days of in vivo hormone treatment, but only 10-15% of the polypeptides were dramatically altered (greater than 5-fold). Among the most highly elevated were cytochrome c1 (greater than 10-fold increase) and the Rieske iron-sulfur protein of the cytochrome bc1 complex. Other inner membrane proteins (core protein 1, beta subunit of F1 ATPase, subunit IV of cytochrome oxidase, 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase) and non-mitochondrial proteins (rat serum albumin, beta 2-microglobulin) were not altered significantly by hormone treatment. Cytochrome c1 and the Rieske protein increased after 12 h of hormone treatment, a relatively early response in mammalian mitochondrial biogenesis. The possible significance of this response for the regulation of mitochondrial synthesis and assembly is discussed.