Monovalent carboxylic ionophores inhibit transport of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase I into mitochondria in Reuber hepatoma H-35 cells and cause accumulation of enzyme precursor

Transport of the precursor for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase I into mitochondria in Reuber hepatoma H-35 cells was inhibited by adding monensin or nigericin to the culture medium at a concentration of 0.5 microM, and the enzyme precursor accumulated, mainly in the cytosolic fraction. Accumulated precursor was degraded slowly with a half-life of more than 16 min. Valinomycin, nonactin, A23187, X-537A (lasalocid), bromo-lasalocid, and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone did not exhibit these effects at concentrations at which they did not inhibit protein synthesis of the cells.     

Nigericin forms highly stable complexes with lithium and cesium

Nigericin is a monocarboxylic polyether molecule described as a mobile K⁺ ionophore unable to transport Li⁺ and Cs⁺ across natural or artificial membranes. This paper shows that the ion carrier molecule forms complexes of equivalent energy demands with Li⁺, Cs⁺, Na⁺, Rb⁺, and K⁺. This is in accordance with the similar values of the complex stability constants obtained from nigericin with the five alkali metal cations assayed. On the other hand, nigericinalkali metal cation binding isotherms show faster rates for Li⁺ and Cs⁺ than for Na⁺, K⁺, and Rb⁺, in conditions where the carboxylic proton does not dissociate. Furthermore, proton NMR spectra of nigericin-Li⁺ and nigericin-Cs⁺ complexes show wide broadenings, suggesting strong cation interaction with the ionophore; in contrast, the complexes with Na⁺, K⁺, and Rb⁺ show only clear-cut chemical shifts. These latter results support the view that nigericin forms highly stable complexes with Li⁺ and Cs⁺ and contribute to the explanation for the inability of this ionophore to transport the former cations in conditions where it catalyzes a fast transport of K⁺>Rb⁺>Na⁺.Part of the results of this paper were presented at the 14th International Congress of Biochemistry in Prague, Czechoslovakia.     

Toxoplasma gondii: induction of egress by the potassium ionophore nigericin

The obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii is an important pathogen of humans and animals. Some of the devastating consequences of toxoplasmosis are in part due to the lysis of the host cell during parasite egress. The process of egress is poorly understood and since it is asynchronous in tissue culture its study has been limited to those conditions that induce it, such as artificial permeabilisation of the host cell and induction of calcium fluxes with ionophores. Given that permeabilisation leads to egress by the activation of motility upon a drop in host cell potassium concentration, we investigated whether the ionophore nigericin, which selectively causes efflux of potassium from the cell without the need for permeabilisation, would cause egress. Nigericin effectively causes intracellular parasites to exit their host cell within 30 min of treatment with the drug. Our results show that nigericin-induced egress depends on an efflux of potassium from the cell and requires phospholipase C function and parasite motility. This novel method of inducing and synchronising egress mimics the effect of artificial permeabilisation in all respects. Nevertheless, since the membrane remains intact during the treatment, in our nigericin-induced egress we are able to detect parasite-dependent permeabilisation of the host cell, a known step in induced egress. In addition, consistent with the model that loss of host cell potassium leads to egress through the activation of intraparasitic calcium fluxes, a previously isolated Toxoplasma mutant lacking a sodium hydrogen exchanger and defective in responding to calcium fluxes does not undergo nigericin-induced egress. Thus, the discovery that nigericin induces egress presents a novel assay that allows for the genetic and biochemical analysis of the signalling mechanisms that lead to the induction of motility and egress.     

Cyclosporin A does not protect the disruption of the inner mitochondrial membrane potential induced by potassium ionophores in intact K562 cells

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been widely associated with programmed cell death. Studies of intact cells are important for the understanding of the process of cell death and its relation to mitochondrial physiology. Using cytofluorometric approaches we studied the mitochondrial behavior in an erythroleukemic cell line. The effects of protonophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), potassium exchanger (nigericin), potassium ionophore (valinomycin), Na+K+-ATPase inhibitor (ouabain) and mitochondrial permeability transition pore inhibitor (cyclosporin A) were evaluated. Cyclosporin A (CSA) was very effective in attenuating the disruption of inner mitochondrial membrane potential induced by CCCP. However, CSA failed to protect the loss of inner mitochondrial membrane potential induced by potassium intracellular flux manipulation. Our findings suggest that mitochondrial cyclophilin is not involved in the cell events mediated by deregulation of potassium flux, underlining the need for further studies in intact tumor cells for a better understanding of the involvement of mitochondria physiology in cell death events.     

尼日利亚菌素高产菌株的选育

通过对致死率和正负突变率的测定,确定了紫外线、亚硝酸、紫外线加吖啶橙3种诱变方式对吸水链霉菌NND-52的29号菌株进行诱变处理的合适剂量,并采用复合诱变得到了一株脱葡萄糖阻遏的高产菌株A19,其尼日利亚菌素的摇瓶产量比出发菌株提高了128％。传代结果表明,在传代的同时结合自然分离,可以保持稳定的产抗特性。     

Reduction of the fertilizing capacity of sea urchin sperm by cannabinoids derived from marihuana. I. Inhibition of the acrosome reaction induced by egg jelly.

delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and two other major cannabinoids derived from marihuana--cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN)--inhibit fertilization in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus by reducing the fertilizing capacity of sperm (Schuel et al., 1987). Sperm fertility depends on their motility and on their ability to undergo the acrosome reaction upon encountering the egg's jelly coat. Pretreatment of S. purpuratus sperm with THC prevents triggering of the acrosome reaction by solubilized egg jelly in a dose (0.1-100 microM) and time (0-5 min)-dependent manner. Induction of the acrosome reaction is inhibited in 88.9 +/- 2.3% of sperm pretreated with 100 microM THC for 5 min, while motility of THC-treated sperm is not reduced compared to solvent (vehicle) and seawater-treated controls. The acrosome reaction is inhibited 50% by pretreatment with 6.6 microM THC for 5 min and with 100 microM THC after 20.8 sec. CBN and CBD at comparable concentrations inhibit the acrosome reaction by egg jelly in a manner similar to THC. THC does not inhibit the acrosome reaction artificially induced by ionomycin, which promotes Ca2+ influx, and nigericin, which promotes K+ efflux. THC partially inhibits (20-30%) the acrosome reaction induced by A23187, which promotes Ca2+ influx, and NH4OH, which raises the internal pH of the sperm. Addition of monensin, which promotes Na+ influx to egg jelly or to A23187, does not overcome the THC inhibition. Inhibition of the egg jelly-induced acrosome reaction by THC produces a corresponding reduction in the fertilizing capacity of the sperm. The adverse effects of THC on the acrosome reaction and sperm fertility are reversible.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Control of the chemotactic behavior of Bacillus subtilis cells

The effects of nigericin, valinomycin and some lipophilic cations on the motile behavior of non-starved and methionine-starved Bacillus subtilis cells were studied. For valinomycin and nigericin a quantitative relationship between the flux in the proton-motive force and the duration of the twiddle response was found. Lipophilic cations bind to the ion gate controlling the twiddle frequency and thereby cause the cells to swim smoothly. To explain the transmission of the chemotactic signal a model is given in which receptors, a hyperpolarizing wave, an ion gate and two methylation sites, viz. methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins and a further methylation site (MT), play a role. For the transmission of the signal caused by an attractant both the hyperpolarizing wave and an interaction between receptor and methylation site (MT) are needed. The methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins are involved in the adaptation/deadaptation to altered levels of attractant. Artificial changes in the proton-motive force act directly on the ion gate, which finally controlls the twiddle frequency of the cells.Abbreviations KT medium potassium taxis medium - NAT medium sodium taxis medium - HT medium acidic taxis medium - OHT medium alkaline taxis medium - ImT medium imidazole taxis medium - GT medium glycylgycine taxis medium - Di-S-C₃(5) 3,3-dipropyl-2,2-thiacarbocyanine iodide - TPAs⁺ tetraphenylarsonium ion - TPMP⁺ triphenylmethylphosphonium ion - DDA⁺ dibenzyldimethylammonium ion - TPB^- tetraphenylboron ion - pmf proton-motive force - MCP methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein - MT methylation site - membrane potential     

Nigericin-induced impairment of autophagic flux in neuronal cells is inhibited by overexpression of Bak

Bak is a prototypic pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein expressed in a wide variety of tissues and cells. Recent studies have revealed that Bcl-2 family proteins regulate apoptosis as well as autophagy. To investigate whether and how Bak exerts a regulatory role on autophagy-related events, we treated independent cell lines, including MN9D neuronal cells, with nigericin, a K(+)/H(+) ionophore. Treatment of MN9D cells with nigericin led to an increase of LC3-II and p62 levels with concomitant activation of caspase. Ultrastructural examination revealed accumulation of autophagic vacuoles and swollen vacuoles in nigericin-treated cells. We further found that the LC3-II accumulated as a consequence of impaired autophagic flux and the disrupted degradation of LC3-II in nigericin-treated cells. In this cell death paradigm, both transient and stable overexpression of various forms of Bak exerted a protective role, whereas it did not inhibit the extent of nigericin-mediated activation of caspase-3. Subsequent biochemical and electron microscopic studies revealed that overexpressed Bak maintained autophagic flux and reduced the area occupied by swollen vacuoles in nigericin-treated cells. Similar results were obtained in nigericin-treated non-neuronal cells and another proton ionophore-induced cell death paradigm. Taken together, our study indicates that a protective role for Bak during ionophore-induced cell death may be closely associated with its regulatory effect on maintenance of autophagic flux and vacuole homeostasis.     

Relations Between Intracellular Ions and Energy Metabolism Under Acidotic Conditions: A Study with Nigericin in Synaptosomes, Neurons, and C6 Glioma Cells

Abstract: Effects of nigericin were investigated in rat brain synaptosomes, cultured neurons, and C6 glioma cells to characterize the relations among ATP synthesis, [Na⁺]_i., [K⁺]_i, and [Ca²⁺]_i, and pH under conditions when [H⁺]_i is substantially increased and transmembrane electrical potential is decreased. Intracellular acidification and loss of K⁺ were accompanied by enhanced oxygen consumption and lactate production and a decrease in cellular energy level. Changes in the last three parameters were attenuated by addition of 1 mM ouabain. In synaptosomes treated with nigericin, neither respiration nor glycolysis was affected by 0.3 μM tetrodotoxin, whereas 1 mM amiloride reduced lactate production by 20% but did not influence respiration. In C6 cells, amiloride decreased the nigericin-stimulated rate of lactate generation by about 50%. The enhancement by nigericin of synaptosomal oxygen uptake and glycolytic rate decreased with time. However, there was only a small reduction in respiration and none in glycolysis in C6 cells. Measurements with ion-selective microelectrodes in neurons and C6 cells showed that nigericin also caused a rise in [Ca²⁺], and [Na⁺]., The increase in [Na⁺], in C6 cells was partially reversed by 1 mM amiloride. It is concluded that nigericin-induced loss of K⁺ and subsequent depolarization lead to an increase in Na⁺ influx and stimulation of the Na⁺/K⁺ pump with a consequent rise in energy utilization; that acidosis inhibits mitochondrial ATP production; that a rise in [H⁺] does not decrease glycolytic rate when the energy state (a fall in [ATP] and rises in [ADP] and [AMP]) is simultaneously reduced; that a fall in [K⁺], depresses both oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis; and that the nigericin-induced alterations in ion levels and activities of energy-producing pathways can explain some of the deleterious effects of ischemia and hypoxia.