Edward J. Lesnefsky

Function of Mitochondrial Stat3 in Cellular Respiration

Cytokines such as interleukin-6 induce tyrosine and serine phosphorylation of Stat3 that results in activation of Stat3-responsive genes. We provide evidence that Stat3 is present in the mitochondria of cultured cells and primary tissues, including the liver and heart. In Stat3–/– cells, the activities of complexes I and II of the electron transport chain (ETC) were significantly decreased. We identified Stat3 mutants that selectively restored the proteins function as a transcription factor or its functions within the ETC. In mice that do not express Stat3 in the heart, there were also selective defects in the activities of complexes I and II of the ETC. These data indicate that Stat3 is required for optimal function of the ETC, which may allow it to orchestrate responses to cellular homeostasis.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate produced by sphingosine kinase 2 in mitochondria interacts with prohibitin 2 to regulate complex IV assembly and respiration

The potent lipid mediator sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) regulates diverse physiological processes by binding to 5 specific GPCRs, although it also has intracellular targets. Here, we demonstrate that S1P, produced in the mitochondria mainly by sphin‐gosine kinase 2 (SphK2), binds with high affinity and specificity to prohibitin 2 (PHB2), a highly conserved protein that regulates mitochondrial assembly and function. In contrast, S1P did not bind to the closely related protein PHB1, which forms large, multimeric complexes with PHB2. In mitochondria from SphK2‐null mice, a new aberrant band of cytochrome‐c oxidase was detected by blue native PAGE, and interaction between subunit IV of cytochrome‐c oxidase and PHB2 was greatly reduced. Moreover, depletion of SphK2 or PHB2 led to a dysfunction in mitochondrial respiration through cytochrome‐c oxidase. Our data point to a new action of S1P in mitochondria and suggest that interaction of S1P with homomeric PHB2 is important for cytochrome‐c oxidase assembly and mitochondrial respiration.—Strub, G. M., Paillard, M., Liang, J., Gomez, L., Allegood, J. C., Hait, N. C., Maceyka, M., Price, M. M., Chen, Q., Simpson, D. C., Kordula, T., Milstien, S., Lesnefsky, E. J., Spiegel, S. Sphingosine‐1‐phos‐phate produced by sphingosine kinase 2 in mitochondria interacts with prohibitin 2 to regulate complex IV assembly and respiration. FASEB J. 25, 600–612 (2011). www.fasebj.org

Reversible blockade of electron transport during ischemia protects mitochondria and decreases myocardial injury following reperfusion

Cardiac mitochondria sustain damage during ischemia and reperfusion, contributing to cell death. The reversible blockade of electron transport during ischemia with amobarbital, an inhibitor at the rotenone site of complex I, protects mitochondria against ischemic damage. Amobarbital treatment immediately before ischemia was used to test the hypothesis that damage to mitochondrial respiration occurs mainly during ischemia and that protection of mitochondria during ischemia leads to decreased cardiac injury with reperfusion. Langendorff-perfused Fischer-344 rat hearts were treated with amobarbital (2.5 mM) or vehicle for 1 min immediately before 25 min of global ischemia. Both groups were reperfused for 30 min without additional treatment. Subsarcolemmal (SSM) and interfibrillar (IFM) populations of mitochondria were isolated after reperfusion. Ischemia and reperfusion decreased state 3 and increased state 4 respiration rate in both SSM and IFM. Amobarbital treatment protected oxidative phosphorylation measured following reperfusion and improved the coupling of respiration. Cytochrome c content measured in SSM and IFM following reperfusion decreased in untreated, but not in amobarbital-treated, hearts. H2O2 release from SSM and IFM isolated from amobarbital-treated hearts during reperfusion was markedly decreased. Amobarbital treatment before ischemia improved recovery of contractile function (percentage of preischemic developed pressure: untreated 51 ± 4%, n = 12; amobarbital 70 ± 4%, n = 11, p < 0.01) and substantially reduced infarct size (untreated 32 ± 2%, n = 7; amobarbital 13 ± 2%, n = 7, p < 0.01). Thus, mitochondrial damage occurs mainly during ischemia rather than during reperfusion. Reperfusion in the setting of preserved mitochondrial respiratory function attenuates the mitochondrial release of reactive oxygen species, enhances contractile recovery, and decreases myocardial infarct size.

Mitochondrial-targeted Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) Protects against Ischemia-induced Changes in the Electron Transport Chain and the Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species

Expression of the STAT3 transcription factor in the heart is cardioprotective and decreases the levels of reactive oxygen species. Recent studies indicate that a pool of STAT3 resides in the mitochondria where it is necessary for the maximal activity of complexes I and II of the electron transport chain. However, it has not been explored whether mitochondrial STAT3 modulates cardiac function under conditions of stress. Transgenic mice with cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of mitochondria-targeted STAT3 with a mutation in the DNA-binding domain (MLS-STAT3E) were generated. We evaluated the role of mitochondrial STAT3 in the preservation of mitochondrial function during ischemia. Under conditions of ischemia heart mitochondria expressing MLS-STAT3E exhibited modest decreases in basal activities of complexes I and II of the electron transport chain. In contrast to WT hearts, complex I-dependent respiratory rates were protected against ischemic damage in MLS-STAT3E hearts. MLS-STAT3E prevented the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol during ischemia. In contrast to WT mitochondria, ischemia did not augment reactive oxygen species production in MLS-STAT3E mitochondria likely due to an MLS-STAT3E-mediated partial blockade of electron transport through complex I. Given the caveat of STAT3 overexpression, these results suggest a novel protective mechanism mediated by mitochondrial STAT3 that is independent of its canonical activity as a nuclear transcription factor.

Potential Therapeutic Benefits of Strategies Directed to Mitochondria

The mitochondrion is the most important organelle in determining continued cell survival and cell death. Mitochondrial dysfunction leads to many human maladies, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disease, and cancer. These mitochondria-related pathologies range from early infancy to senescence. The central premise of this review is that if mitochondrial abnormalities contribute to the pathological state, alleviating the mitochondrial dysfunction would contribute to attenuating the severity or progression of the disease. Therefore, this review will examine the role of mitochondria in the etiology and progression of several diseases and explore potential therapeutic benefits of targeting mitochondria in mitigating the disease processes. Indeed, recent advances in mitochondrial biology have led to selective targeting of drugs designed to modulate and manipulate mitochondrial function and genomics for therapeutic benefit. These approaches to treat mitochondrial dysfunction rationally could lead to selective protection of cells in different tissues and various disease states. However, most of these approaches are in their infancy.

Aging defect at the QO site of complex III augments oxyradical production in rat heart interfibrillar mitochondria

Complex III in the mitochondrial electron transport chain is a proposed site for the enhanced production of reactive oxygen species that contribute to aging in the heart. We describe a defect in the ubiquinol binding site (Q(O)) within cytochrome b in complex III only in the interfibrillar population of cardiac mitochondria during aging. The defect is manifested as a leak of electrons through myxothiazol blockade to reduce cytochrome b and is observed whether cytochrome b in complex III is reduced from the forward or the reverse direction. The aging defect increases the production of reactive oxygen species from the Q(O) site of complex III in interfibrillar mitochondria. A greater leak of electrons from complex III during the oxidation of ubiquinol is a likely mechanism for the enhanced oxidant production from mitochondria that contributes to aging in the rat heart.

Cardiolipin Remodeling in the Heart

Cardiolipin (CL) is a mitochondrial phospholipid that fundamentally contributes to the function of many proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it is actively involved in the integrity and flux of the electron transport chain. In the heart, functional CL is linoleic acid rich, and the loss of linoleic acid content is associated with cardiac disorders including ischemia and reperfusion, heart failure, and diabetes, as well as the X-linked recessive disease, Barth syndrome. To attain its high levels of linoleic acid, newly synthesized CL must initially undergo remodeling. CL modification and depletion by pathological processes may represent a failure of this remodeling pathway or activation of an alternative “pathological remodeling” pathway that causes the substitution of higher molecular weight, polyunsaturated fatty acyl side chains such as arachidonic or docosahexaenoic acid onto CL. This remodeling may occur in response to the alteration of CL by oxidative mechanisms, but the substituted side chains can also provoke further oxidation of CL. It is increasingly thought that cardiac pathology may result, at least partially, due to changes in CL resulting from the pathological remodeling process. Dietary interventions may restore CL to its linoleic acid-rich form and improve cardiac function by redirecting the remodeling process.

Increased left ventricular dysfunction in elderly patients despite successful thrombolysis: The GUSTO-I angiographic experience

OBJECTIVE This study sought to determine whether the recovery of regional and global left ventricular function is reduced in elderly patients despite successful thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction. Comparisons were made between elderly (> or = 75 years old, n = 47) and adult (< 75 years old, n = 434) patients enrolled in the Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO) angiographic trial who underwent catheterization at 90 min and 5 to 7 days after thrombolysis and who had an open infarct-related artery with Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade 2 to 3 flow at both times. BACKGROUND The morbidity and mortality of acute myocardial infarction is increased in elderly patients, presumably because of multiple adverse coexistent baseline variables. However, functional recovery after thrombolysis has not been characterized in the elderly. METHODS Ejection fraction, end-systolic volume index, infarct and noninfarct zone contractile function (SD/chord) and infarct extent (number of chords) were determined. RESULTS At 90 min, elderly patients with an open infarct-related artery had decreased infarct zone contractile function (-2.8 +/- 0.2 vs. -2.3 +/- 0.1 SD/chord in adults, p < or = 0.05) and a greater extent of injury (26.0 +/- 2.6 vs. 20.7 +/- 0.8 chords in adults, p < or = 0.05). At 5- to 7-day follow-up ventriculography, ejection fraction was reduced, and end-systolic volume index was significantly increased in elderly patients compared with adults. The severity of regional wall motion dysfunction in the infarct zone was also greater in the elderly than in adults at 5- to 7-day follow-up (-2.6 +/- 0.2 vs. -1.9 +/- 0.1 SD/chord, respectively, p < or = 0.005). Non-infarct zone contractile function at 90-min ventriculography was similar in both groups. Despite a patent infarct-related artery at 90-min, the 30-day mortality rate in the elderly remained elevated (17.8%) compared with that of adults (4%) (p < or = 0.0001). Elderly patients were predominantly female and had a higher prevalence of hypertension, multivessel coronary disease, previous infarction, anterior infarctions and later time to treatment (between 3 and 6 h) than adults. However, age > or = 75 years remained an independent determinant by multivariable regression analysis of 1-week postinfarction end-systolic volume index, regional left ventricular dysfunction (p = 0.02 and p < or = 0.008, respectively) and 30-day mortality (p < or = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Elderly patients had increased damage in the infarct zone and had persistently increased mortality despite sustained infarct-related artery patency after successful thrombolysis. Although the causes are probably multifactorial, a more rapid progression of ischemic injury or a blunted postreperfusion recovery appears to contribute to the poorer outcomes in elderly patients.

Sensitivity of Protein Sulfhydryl Repair Enzymes to Oxidative Stress

According to their demonstrated activities, the thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase (TDOR) enzyme systems [thioltransferase (glutaredoxin) and GSSG reductase; and thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase] are expected to provide the primary cellular mechanism for protection and repair of sulfhydryl proteins under oxidative stress. Since all four enzymes have active site dithiol moieties, they may be vulnerable to oxidative damage themselves. Therefore, an hydroxyl radical generating system (chelated ferrous iron in combination with hydrogen peroxide) was used to document the relative sensitivity of each of the enzymes to oxidative stress in vitro. At particular concentrations of enzymes and oxidant system, all of the enzymes were deactivated nearly completely, but different patterns of susceptibility were observed. At the approximate physiological concentration of each enzyme thioredoxin and thiol-transferase were largely deactivated with 1 mM Fe2+-ADP, 1 mM H2O2; whereas thioredoxin reductase and GSSG reductase were much less sensitive: 10 microM thioredoxin (88% deactivated), 1 microM thioltransferase (72%), 2 microM thioredoxin reductase (5%), and 0.1 microM GSSG reductase (17%). As the concentration of the oxidant system was decreased stepwise from 1 mM to 1 microM to mimic conditions that may be associated with oxidative tissue injury in situ, deactivation of thioredoxin was decreased proportionately, whereas thioltransferase remained much more susceptible. As expected GSH and other radical scavengers protected thioltransferase from deactivation by Fe(ADP)-H2O2. To test the susceptibility of the TDOR enzymes to oxidative stress in a physiological-like setting, isolated perfused rabbit hearts were subjected to 30 min ischemia and 30 min reperfusion. The GSH/GSSG ratio and total dethiolase activity (thioltransferase and thioredoxin systems) remained unchanged relative to control hearts, indicating that overall redox status and sulfhydryl repair activity are maintained during moderate oxidative stress in situ.

Tissue Iron Overload and Mechanisms of Iron-Catalyzed Oxidative Injury

Tissue iron overload causes clinical syndromes that involve the heart, liver, and pancreas. While tissue iron uptake occurs by both transferrin-dependent and independent processes, tissue uptake in the iron overload syndromes occurs predominantly via transferrin-independent mechanisms. Increased redox-active iron present in hemeproteins and the cytosolic iron pool can catalyze oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, either by oxyradical dependent or independent mechanisms. Iron-catalyzed injury results in damage to cell constituents, including mitochondria, lysosomes, and the sarcolemmal membrane. These mechanisms of iron-mediated damage are involved in the pathogenesis of organ dysfunction in primary hemochromatosis, transfusion-related iron overload, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and cardiac anthracycline toxicity.