Unusual fast sedimenting mitochondria producing heavy DNA in the cells of aging coleoptiles of wheat seedlings

A fraction of unusual fast sedimenting (10 min at 600-1700g) particles with properties of mitochondria has been detected in wheat seedlings. This fraction conventionally called "heavy" mitochondria amounts (by protein) to about 40% of the total subcellular particle fraction sedimented by 10 min centrifugation at 17,000g. The specific feature of these "heavy" mitochondria in aging tissues is an ability to synthesize and even superproduce heavy (rho = 1.718 g/cm3) mitochondrial DNA (H-mtDNA). The share of "heavy" mitochondria sedimented in the interval between 1000 and 1700g and possessing the maximal H-mtDNA synthesis in aging coleoptiles is about 1.5-fold higher than that in young coleoptiles. Although "heavy" mitochondria are present in young plant organs, they seem to be unable to synthesize H-mtDNA; heavy mtDNA forms only in mitochondria of aging or old cells. Thus, aging in plants is accompanied by a change in population of mitochondria and appearance of the ability for selective H-mtDNA superproduction in a certain mitochondrial fraction. Mitochondria isolated from wheat coleoptiles are practically not stimulated by uncouplers. "Heavy" (600-1700g) and usual (4,300-17,400g) mitochondria are similar in respiration rates, cytochrome compositions, cytochrome c amount (per mg protein) and sensitivities to respiration inhibitors. However, "heavy" mitochondria contain (per mg protein) cytochromes b and aa3 by 10-20% and Ca2+ by 2-3-fold more than normal mitochondria. Ultrastructural analysis showed that the isolated fraction of fast sedimenting mitochondria consists of a suspension of closed membrane vesicles filled with cytoplasm and containing one or a few mitochondria. We observed similar structures in situ in vacuoles of parenchyma cells in the apical part of intact coleoptiles. The process of formation of such structures was detected by serial ultra-thin section analysis. It was shown that tonoplast protrudes into vacuoles, the separate mitochondria translocate into these protrusions, and then these structures separate. As a result, the suspended cytoplasmic bodies containing mitochondria appear in vacuoles. Appearance of these bodies containing mitochondria and, in particular, the superproduction of H-mtDNA in them correlate with processes of aging and cell transition to apoptosis.     

Ultrastructural localization of glutamic oxalacetic transaminase activity in cardiac muscle fiber and cardiac mitochondrial fraction of the rat

Summary The ventricular heart muscle of the rat was fixed in glutaraldehyde-formaldehyde mixture. The tissue blocks were incubated in a medium containing 20 mM 1-aspartic acid, 2 mM -ketoglutaric acid and 6 mM lead nitrate as major ingredients. The enzymatic reaction product due to glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) activity was found to be localized in the cristae and at the surface of the mitochondria, in the cisternae of the nuclear envelope and in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Isolation of the mitochondrial fraction from the homogenate of the fixed heart muscle was performed, and GOT activity in this fraction was demonstrated both histochemically and biochemically.This Work was Supported by a Research Grant from the Medical Research Council of Canada (MA-3340).     

FORMATION OF MITOCHONDRIA IN NEUROSPORA CRASSA : A Quantitative Radioautographic Study

Cells of a choline-requiring mutant of Neurospora crassa, labeled with radioactive choline, were transferred to unlabeled medium. At various times during their subsequent logarithmic growth, a highly purified mitochondrial fraction was prepared by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and the distribution of label among individual mitochondria was determined by quantitative autoradiography. Preliminary experiments indicated that, under the conditions of this "washout" experiment, choline served as a stable mitochondrial label. Radioautographic analysis showed that, in fully labeled mycelia and for three mass doubling cycles in the unlabeled medium, radioactivity was randomly distributed among all mitochondria; i.e., the distribution of autographic grains among individual mitochondria followed a Poisson distribution. In experiments in which pulse labeling for 10 minutes was used, the label was randomly distributed among all mitochondria. The data suggest that the mitochondrial mass is increased by a continuous process of addition of new lecithin units to the already existing mitochondrial framework.     

DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPROVED MEDIUM FOR THE ISOLATION OF LIVER MITOCHONDRIA

In view of the unsatisfactory appearance, under the electron microscope, of liver mitochondria isolated in isotonic sucrose medium, alternative media have been examined. It was found to be advantageous to replace sucrose by raffinose, and to add levan or, preferably, dextran, together with heparin in suitable concentration. With the optimal medium, the constituents of which are raffinose, versene (optional), dextran of high molecular weight, heparin, and AMP (optional), most of the mitochondria in the osmium-fixed pellet are apparently intact, and show the membranes characteristic of mitochondria as seen in cell sections. The optimal medium has no adverse effect on the activity of the several tissue enzymes which have been studied, except that Mg⁺⁺-activated ATPase is partially inhibited if the medium is present in high concentration in the assay system. Mitochondrial fractions isolated in the new medium have, in common with sucrose fractions, appreciable "free" ATPase activity, this activity being evidently a poor criterion of mitochondrial integrity. Use of the new medium does not decrease the proportion of cytoplasmic ATPase which fails to sediment with the mitochondria, but does give a mitochondrial fraction low in RNA and in acid phosphatase activity and little contaminated with microsomal material. Particles tentatively identified as "lysosomes" have been seen in certain sections.     

Functional activity and ultrastructure of mitochondria isolated from myocardial apoptotic tissue

Apoptosis in myocardial tissue slices was induced by extended incubation under anoxic conditions. Mitochondria were isolated from the studied tissue. A new method of isolation of mitochondria in special conditions by differential centrifugation at 1700, 10,000, and 17,000g resulted in three fractions of mitochondria. According to the data of electron microscopy the heavy mitochondrial fraction (1700g) consisted of mitochondrial clusters only, the middle mitochondrial fraction (10,000g) consisted of mitochondria with typical for isolated mitochondria ultrastructure, and the light fraction consisted of small mitochondria (2 or 3 cristae) of various preservation. The heavy fraction contained unusual structural elements that we detected earlier in apoptotic myocardial tissue—small electron-dense mitochondria incorporated in bigger mitochondria. The structure of small mitochondria from the light fraction corresponded to that of the small mitochondria from these unusual elements—mitochondrion in mitochondrion. The most important functions of isolated mitochondria are strongly inhibited when apoptosis is induced in our model. The detailed study of the activities of the two fractions of the apoptotic mitochondria showed that the system of malate oxidation is completely altered, the activity of cytochrome c as electron carrier is partly inhibited, while succinate oxidase activity is completely preserved (complexes II, III, and IV of the respiration chain). Succinate oxidase activity was accompanied by high permeability of the internal membrane for protons: the addition of uncoupler did not stimulate respiration. ATP synthesis in mitochondria was inhibited. We demonstrated that in our model of apoptosis cytochrome c remains in the intermembrane space, and, consequently, is not involved in the cascade of activation of effector caspases. The possible mechanisms of induction of apoptosis during anoxia are discussed.     

Anisakis simplex: uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation in the muscle mitochondria of infected fish

Adenosine triphosphatase activity stimulated by Mg2+ was greater in muscle mitochondria of fish infected with larval Anisakis simplex nematodes than in uninfected fish. When muscle mitochondria were isolated in a sucrose ethylene-glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)N,N'-tetraacetic acid medium from fresh uninfected fish, they were loosely coupled, and their adenosine triphosphatase activity was comparable to that of mitochondria from rat tissue. Activity in infected fish was dose dependent, increasing with the number of worms per fish. Excretory secretory products or a cytoplasmic fraction of anisakines, when incubated with coupled rat mitochondria, also caused adenosine triphosphatase activity to increase. Storage of fish flesh caused an increase in adenosine triphosphatase activity, but such aging was not significant until 5 and 10 days after death in refrigerated and frozen samples, respectively. The Mg2+ stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity of muscle mitochondria can be used to estimate the number of nematodes per market fish. The type of medium used to isolate the mitochondria is crucial in such studies; an ionic medium with Nagarse proteinase was optimal for fish muscle mitochondria.     

Preparation and properties of mitochondria derived from synaptosomes.

A method has been developed whereby a fraction of rat brain mitochondria (synaptic mitochondria) was isolated from synaptosomes. This brain mitochondrial fraction was compared with the fraction of "free" brain mitochondria (non-synaptic) isolated by the method of Clark & Nicklas (1970). (J. Biol. Chem. 245, 4724-4731). Both mitochondrial fractions are shown to be relatively pure, metabolically active and well coupled. 2. The oxidation of a number of substrates by synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria was studied and compared. Of the substrates studied, pyruvate plus malate was oxidized most rapidly by both mitochondrial populations. However, the non-synaptic mitochondria oxidized glutamate plus malate almost twice as rapidly as the synaptic mitochondria. 3. The activities of certain tricarboxylic acid-cycle and related enzymes in synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria were determined. Citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7), isocitrate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.41) and malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37) activities were similar in both fractions, but pyruvate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.4.1) activity in non-synaptic mitochondria was higher than in synaptic mitochondria and glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.3) activity in non-synaptic mitochondria was lower than that in synaptic mitochondria. 4. Comparison of synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria by rate-zonal separation confirmed the distinct identity of the two mitochondrial populations. The non-synaptic mitochondria had higher buoyant density and evidence was obtained to suggest that the synaptic mitochondria might be heterogeneous. 5. The results are also discussed in the light of the suggested connection between the heterogeneity of brain mitochondria and metabolic compartmentation.     

Some properties of mitochondrial and cell sap alanine aminotransferase of the rat heart.

Alanine aminotransferase activity is present in mitochondria and the cell sap fraction of the rat myocardium. As distinct from the cell sap form, mitochondrial alanine aminotransferase was significantly inhibited by chloride ions, maleate and incubation medium temperatures of over 40 degrees C. Activity of the cell sap enzyme was inhibited by phosphate and stimulated by temperatures of over 40 degrees C. The pH optimum for cell sap alanine aminotransferase was in the region of 8, while for the mitochondrial enzyme it had a wider range (pH 7.3-8.2). D,L-penicillamine, and antagonist of vitamin B6, inhibited alanine aminotransferase activity equally in intact and tritonized mitochondria and in the cell sap fraction. The activity of mitochondrial and cell sap alanine aminotransferease rose in correlation to the stage of ontogenesis, the maximum increase being observed in the cell sap fraction 14-20 days after birth. The addition of coenzyme to the incubation medium did not affect the activity of either mitochondrial or cell sap alanine aminotransferase. The results indicate that there are two different alanine aminotransferase enzymes in the rat heart, with different intracellular localizations and probably with different regulative functions.     

Mammalian pyruvate carboxylase: effect of biotin on the synthesis and translocation of apo-enzyme into 3T3-L adipocyte mitochondria

The effect of biotin on the induction (and possible requirement for uptake into mitochondria) of apopyruvate carboxylase has been examined in 3T3-L adipocytes. Cells fed biotin-sufficient medium contained only holoenzyme in mitochondria and no apoenzyme was detected. The amount of apoenzyme elaborated in biotin-deficient 3T3-L adipocytes was comparable to the holopyruvate carboxylase protein found in cells maintained on biotin-sufficient medium. Like the holoenzyme, the apoenzyme was detected exclusively in the mitochondrial fraction of 3T3-L adipocytes. This indicates that the synthesis of apopyruvate carboxylase and its translocation into mitochondria occur independently of the cofactor, biotin.     

Protein synthesis by brain-cortex mitochondria. Characterization of a 55S mitochondrial ribosome as the functional unit in protein synthesis by cortex mitochondria and its distinction from a contaminant cytoplasmic protein-synthesizing system

Homogenates of rat brain cortex were fractionated by conventional methods of velocity sedimentation and separated into a microsomal and a washed mitochondrial fraction. By electron microscopy the mitochondrial fraction was shown to be rich in synaptosomes. The mitochondria-synaptosome fraction synthesized protein in vitro by a route that was partially inhibited by cycloheximide and partly by chloramphenicol. The relative effectiveness of the two inhibitors varied greatly with the medium used. In the mitochondria-synaptosome fraction active 80S cytoplasmic ribosomes and active 55S mitochondrial ribosomes were detected; these were also seen in the electron microscope. Mild osmotic shock of the mitochondria-synaptosome fraction followed by velocity sedimentation in sucrose-EDTA allowed isolation of a mitochondrial fraction free of synaptosomes. Protein synthesis in this fraction was entirely inhibited by chloramphenicol, but was completely resistant to cycloheximide both in a medium promoting oxidative phosphorylation and in ATP-generating medium. Ouabain had no inhibitory effect on protein synthesis in a purified mitochondrial preparation. It is concluded that brain-cortex mitochondria synthesize protein entirely on 55S mitochondrial ribosomes.     

Transport of calcium to synaptosomes and subcellular membrane fractions of the brain: effects of opioid peptides

Highly purified synaptosomal and subcellular fractions identified as mitochondria and microsomes were obtained by fractionation of brain tissues. The greatest Ca-accumulating capacity and the highest rate of Ca2+ accumulation were revealed in the mitochondrial fraction. Upon further fractionation of the synaptosomal fraction the energy-dependent uptake (accumulation) of Ca2+ was revealed only in the mitochondria. It was demonstrated that opioid peptides accelerate Ca2+ uptake by the synaptosomes in a medium with physiological concentration of K+ and inhibit this process during K+-dependent membrane depolarization. It was shown that beta-endorphine, methionine-encephaline and leucine-encephaline (10(-8)-10(-5) M) inhibit the Ca-accumulating capacity of both mitochondria and microsomes from brain. The experimental data suggest that opioid peptides can modulate the release of neurotransmitters and/or neurohormones by inhibiting the potential-dependent Ca2+ influx into the nerve endings and by decreasing the intrasynaptosomal pool of Ca2+.     

Evidence pointing to the main role of lysosomes in mitochondrial proteolysis at neutral pH

Recombination experiments using radioactive mitochondria and mitoplasts, and nonradioactive lysosomes or digitonin-soluble fraction of mitochondria, show equal rates of proteolysis and of inactivation of carbamyl phosphate synthetase; the amount of lysosomal protein was equal in both cases on the basis of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase activity. Therefore, lysosomes seem to be responsible for all the proteolytic activity exhibited by the digitonin soluble fraction of mitochondrial preparations. Since this fraction contains ca. 90% of the proteolytic activity present in mitochondrial preparations, most of the proteolysis can be attributed to lysosomal contamination. These findings and stability characteristics "in vitro" and "in vivo" of some matrix enzymes are presented and discussed in relation to protein turnover.     

An analysis of the contribution of the preparatory technique to the appearance of condensed and orthodox conformations of liver mitochondria

The structure and volume of isolated mitochondria embedded for electron microscopy during different respiratory states were analyzed in thin sections. Three different embedding methods were compared; osmium tetroxide fixation/acetone dehydration, glutaraldehyde fixation/acetone dehydration, and glutaraldehyde fixation-osmium tetroxide postfixation/acetone dehydration. Analysis of fresh mitochondria, isolated in a sucrose medium, revealed the presence of a homogeneous population with respect to structure when any of the three methods were applied. After fixation with osmium alone, or in combination with glutaraldehyde, nearly 100% of the mitochondria were in a "condensed" conformation. Mitochondria fixed with glutaraldehyde alone resulted in a population of mitochondria that had large spaces separating the two membranes of the cristae which corresponds to the condensed conformation as observed after osmium fixation. Transfer of the mitochondria to the incubation medium led to the appearance of two classes of mitochondria with respect to size. One class had a volume close to that observed when suspended in sucrose, and another class was present that was 30-45% larger. In osmium fixed or in double-fixed preparations, these small and large classes corresponded to "condensed" and "orthodox" forms of mitochondria respectively. When glutaraldehyde was used alone as the fixative, the two size classes were also present. However, the mitochondria were homogeneous with respect to structure. In these mitochondria, the width of the space that separated the cristae membranes had become reduced when compared to mitochondria suspended in sucrose. The two size classes were also present in samples of mitochondria prepared during both states 3 and 4. State 4 conditions did not lead to any significant increase of the number of condensed mitochondria. In state 3 preparations, 65-70% of the population were condensed. The condensed and orthodox forms could be related to normal and swollen forms of mitochondria. Conditions that led to a swelling also led to an increase in the number of orthodox mitochondria in osmium-fixed material. The different appearance of the mitochondria is explained by the different conditions for fixation of the mitochondria that exist when nonswollen and swollen mitochondria are fixed. This difference is particularly crucial in the case of osmium tetroxide due to the unique way this fixative, among generally used fixatives, denatures proteins.     

The absence of histone H1 from the chromatin fraction obtained by sonication of calf thymus nuclei under "quasiphysiological" ionic conditions.

The minor chromatin fraction was isolated from the sonicated calf thymus nuclei on the basis of its differential solubility in the "quasiphysiological" salt medium (0.1 M KCl-0.05 M NaCl-l mM MgCl2-1 mM CaCl2). Histone Hl is almost completely absent from this fraction. DNA isolated from this fraction occurs in three discrete low mol. wt. fragments. The fraction of chromatin which lacks histone Hl can also be obtained by two other methods. On of them consists in salt precipitation of the chromatin gel and its subsequent sonication. The second method includes precipitation of the sonicated chromatin gel by salts. In the first case the properties of the chromatin fraction which remains in the supernatant after centrifugation closely resemble those of the original salt-soluble nuclear fraction. The second method yields supernatant fraction also lacking histone Hl but containing heterogeneous DNA. Comparisons were also made of the sonically-solubilized nuclear fractions obtained in the complete salt medium and its mono and divalent cationic constituents.     

Preparation of rat enterocyte mitochondria.

Rat enterocyte mitochondria were prepared with respiratory control ratios of 4 or 5 and occasionally 6. When EGTA was excluded from the mitochondrial incubation medium the calculated P/O ratios were high, especially those based on the first addition of ADP. These ratios were lowered by increasing the EGTA concentration from 1 mM to 2 mM in the mitochondrial preparation medium and including 1 mM-EGTA in the incubation medium. The use of EDTA in the enterocyte isolation medium led to the mitochondria requiring added cytochrome c. Substituting EGTA for EDTA abolished this requirement. The mitochondrial fraction consisted of two components, an upper cream-coloured layer rich in DNA and a lower brown-coloured layer poor in DNA. Both components were capable of oxidative phosphorylation with succinate or the glutamate/malate couple as substrates. The mitochondrial yield was assessed by assaying succinate dehydrogenase activity, and the contamination of the mitochondrial fraction by other cell organelles was assessed by assays for appropriate marker enzymes.     

Physical coupling supports the local Ca2+ transfer between sarcoplasmic reticulum subdomains and the mitochondria in heart muscle

In many cell types, transfer of Ca(2+) released via ryanodine receptors (RyR) to the mitochondrial matrix is locally supported by high [Ca(2+)] microdomains at close contacts between the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and mitochondria. Here we studied whether the close contacts were secured via direct physical coupling in cardiac muscle using isolated rat heart mitochondria (RHMs). "Immuno-organelle chemistry" revealed RyR2 and calsequestrin-positive SR particles associated with mitochondria in both crude and Percoll-purified "heavy" mitochondrial fractions (cRHM and pRHM), to a smaller extent in the latter one. Mitochondria-associated vesicles were also visualized by electron microscopy in the RHMs. Western blot analysis detected greatly reduced presence of SR markers (calsequestrin, SERCA2a, and phospholamban) in pRHM, suggesting that the mitochondria-associated particles represented a small subfraction of the SR. Fluorescence calcium imaging in rhod2-loaded cRHM revealed mitochondrial matrix [Ca(2+)] ([Ca(2+)](m)) responses to caffeine-induced Ca(2+) release that were prevented when thapsigargin was added to predeplete the SR or by mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake inhibitors. Importantly, caffeine failed to increase [Ca(2+)] in the large volume of the incubation medium, suggesting that local Ca(2+) transfer between the SR particles and mitochondria mediated the [Ca(2+)](m) signal. Despite the substantially reduced SR presence, pRHM still displayed a caffeine-induced [Ca(2+)](m) rise comparable with the one recorded in cRHM. Thus, a relatively small fraction of the total SR is physically coupled and transfers Ca(2+) locally to the mitochondria in cardiac muscle. The transferred Ca(2+) stimulates dehydrogenase activity and affects mitochondrial membrane permeabilization, indicating the broad significance of the physical coupling in mitochondrial function.     

Succinate dehydrogenase activity of isolated myocardial mitochondria during chronic insufficiency]

Succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity of the isolated mitochondria myocardial cells in chronic cardiac insufficiency was studied experimentally. The highest SDH values were found in the mitochondria of condensed type. The activity of the enzyme was low in the ordinary (orthodox) mitochondria. The medium SDH activity was registered in the intermediary type of mitochondria. The ordinary and the intermediary types of mitochondria prevailed in the fraction under study reflecting a fall of the SDH activity in the myocardial tissue. Biochemical study of the mitochondrial fraction revealed a slight dissociation between the tissue respiration and the oxidative phosphorilation. The low SDH activity values seen to indicatate the state of overstrain of the energy-producing structures.     

RNA biosynthesis in mitochondria under conditions of prolonged inhibition of protein biosynthesis in rat liver cytoplasm]

When cytoplasmic protein synthesis is inhibited by cycloheximide (CHI) in vivo synthesis of water-soluble mitochondrial proteins and of mitochondrial RNA is decreased. These changes measured in isolated rat liver mitochondria are similar to those observed in vivo and correlate with the changes the synthesis of water-soluble proteins in mitochondria. When the cytoplasmic fraction (30,000 g-supernatant) had been added to the mitochondria showing decreased RNA synthesis, the RNA synthesis increased to the control level (the incubation conditions were favourable for the protein transport from microsomes to mitochondria). RNA synthesis in mitochondria was not stimulated by cytoplasmic fractions from the CHI-pretreated rats. After prolonged dialysis these fraction stimulated RNA synthesis even to a greater extent than cytoplasmic fractions from the untreated animals. Mitochondrial RNA polymerase activity (measured in mitochondrial extracts supplemented with exogenous DNA) was higher in extracts of mitochondria from livers of normal rats than in extracts of mitochondria from livers of animals injected with CHI.     

Studies on lysosomes. XI. Characterization of a hydrolase-rich fraction from human lymphocytes

Pure suspensions of human lymphocytes were separated from peripheral blood by means of nylon wool, homogenized in 0.34 M sucrose-0.01 M EDTA solution, and fractionated by differential centrifugation. The bulk of acid hydrolase activity was found to be concentrated in a 20,000 g x 20 min granular fraction, whereas nuclear, debris, and supernatant fractions contained lesser concentrations of hydrolases. Acid hydrolase activity present in the granular fraction showed appropriate "latency" as judged by its dose-dependent release into the 20,000 g x 20 min supernatant after exposure to membrane-disruptive agents such as streptolysin S, filipin, and lysolecithin. Heparin proved to be necessary in the suspending medium so that reproducible homogenization and cell fractionation could be obtained. Even excessive contamination of lymphocyte suspensions with platelets did not appreciably alter the acid hydrolase activity of lymphocyte homogenates or the distribution of enzymes in subcellular fractions. Discontinuous density-gradient centrifugation of a 500 g x 10 min supernatant, containing both acid hydrolase-rich organelles and mitochondria, resulted in partial resolution of hydrolase-rich organelles from mitochondria. Fine structural studies of the intact lymphocytes showed the presence of acid phosphatase-positive, membrane-bounded organelles. Electron microscopy of the "large granule" (20,000 g x 20 min) fraction of such lymphocytes demonstrated 80–90% mitochondria, 5–10% platelets, and 5–10% membrane-bounded acid phosphatase-positive structures. The data indicate the presence in human peripheral blood lymphocytes of acid hydrolase-rich granules which possess many of the biochemical and structural characteristics of lysosomes in other tissues.