Inna I. Severina

An attempt to prevent senescence: A mitochondrial approach

Antioxidants specifically addressed to mitochondria have been studied to determine if they can decelerate senescence of organisms. For this purpose, a project has been established with participation of several research groups from Russia and some other countries. This paper summarizes the first results of the project. A new type of compounds (SkQs) comprising plastoquinone (an antioxidant moiety), a penetrating cation, and a decane or pentane linker has been synthesized. Using planar bilayer phospholipid membrane (BLM), we selected SkQ derivatives with the highest permeability, namely plastoquinonyl-decyl-triphenylphosphonium (SkQ1), plastoquinonyl-decyl-rhodamine 19 (SkQR1), and methylplastoquinonyldecyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ3). Anti- and prooxidant properties of these substances and also of ubiquinonyl-decyl-triphenylphosphonium (MitoQ) were tested in aqueous solution, detergent micelles, liposomes, BLM, isolated mitochondria, and cell cultures. In mitochondria, micromolar cationic quinone derivatives were found to be prooxidants, but at lower (sub-micromolar) concentrations they displayed antioxidant activity that decreases in the series SkQ1=SkQR1>SkQ3>MitoQ. SkQ1 was reduced by mitochondrial respiratory chain, i.e. it is a rechargeable antioxidant. Nanomolar SkQ1 specifically prevented oxidation of mitochondrial cardiolipin. In cell cultures, SkQR1, a fluorescent SkQ derivative, stained only one type of organelles, namely mitochondria. Extremely low concentrations of SkQ1 or SkQR1 arrested H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis in human fibroblasts and HeLa cells. Higher concentrations of SkQ are required to block necrosis initiated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the fungus Podospora anserina, the crustacean Ceriodaphnia affinis, Drosophila, and mice, SkQ1 prolonged lifespan, being especially effective at early and middle stages of aging. In mammals, the effect of SkQs on aging was accompanied by inhibition of development of such age-related diseases and traits as cataract, retinopathy, glaucoma, balding, canities, osteoporosis, involution of the thymus, hypothermia, torpor, peroxidation of lipids and proteins, etc. SkQ1 manifested a strong therapeutic action on some already pronounced retinopathies, in particular, congenital retinal dysplasia. With drops containing 250 nM SkQ1, vision was restored to 67 of 89 animals (dogs, cats, and horses) that became blind because of a retinopathy. Instillation of SkQ1-containing drops prevented the loss of sight in rabbits with experimental uveitis and restored vision to animals that had already become blind. A favorable effect of the same drops was also achieved in experimental glaucoma in rabbits. Moreover, the SkQ1 pretreatment of rats significantly decreased the H(2)O(2) or ischemia-induced arrhythmia of the isolated heart. SkQs strongly reduced the damaged area in myocardial infarction or stroke and prevented the death of animals from kidney ischemia. In p53(-/-) mice, 5 nmol/kgxday SkQ1 decreased the ROS level in the spleen and inhibited appearance of lymphomas to the same degree as million-fold higher concentration of conventional antioxidant NAC. Thus, SkQs look promising as potential tools for treatment of senescence and age-related diseases.

Conversion of biomembrane-produced energy into electric form. II. Intact mitochondria.

Abstract The transport of synthetic ions penetrating across intact mitochondrial membranes has been investigated. It is shown that anions of phenyl dicarbaundecaborane (PCB − ) are extruded from mitochondria on transition to the energized state. Discharge of the energized state is accompanied by movement of the extruded anions back into the mitochondria. The penetrating cations dibenzyl dimethyl ammonium (DDA + ), tetrabutyl ammonium and triphenyl methyl phosphonium, when added to liver or heart mitochondria in the presence of oxidizable substrates or ATP, bring about the same responses that accompany the active transport of natural penetrating cations Ca 2+ or K + in the presence of valinomycin, i.e. acidification of the incubation mixture, a transient increase in ATPase and oxidation rate in State 4, cyclic oxidation of NAD(P)H reduced by succinate and swelling of the mitochondrial matrix. The latter process requires the addition of inorganic phosphate. DDA + -induced swelling is found to be supported by both ATP hydrolysis and respiratory chain electron transfer from substrates to oxygen or to ferricyanide. All effects of penetrating cations in mitochondria are potentiated by the addition of small amounts of the penetrating anions, PCB − or tetraphenyl boron, which increase the permeability of the membrane for the cations under study. The data obtained confirm the conclusion that it is the electric field (negative inside the mitochondria) which is the motive force for the transport of penetrating ions across the mitochondrial membrane.

Mitochondria-Targeted Plastoquinone Derivatives as Tools to Interrupt Execution of the Aging Program. 1. Cationic Plastoquinone Derivatives: Synthesis and in vitro Studies*

Synthesis of cationic plastoquinone derivatives (SkQs) containing positively charged phosphonium or rhodamine moieties connected to plastoquinone by decane or pentane linkers is described. It is shown that SkQs (i) easily penetrate through planar, mitochondrial, and outer cell membranes, (ii) at low (nanomolar) concentrations, posses strong antioxidant activity in aqueous solution, BLM, lipid micelles, liposomes, isolated mitochondria, and cells, (iii) at higher (micromolar) concentrations, show pronounced prooxidant activity, the “window” between anti- and prooxidant concentrations being very much larger than for MitoQ, a cationic ubiquinone derivative showing very much lower antioxidant activity and higher prooxidant activity, (iv) are reduced by the respiratory chain to SkQH2, the rate of oxidation of SkQH2 being lower than the rate of SkQ reduction, and (v) prevent oxidation of mitochondrial cardiolipin by OH·. In HeLa cells and human fibroblasts, SkQs operate as powerful inhibitors of the ROS-induced apoptosis and necrosis. For the two most active SkQs, namely SkQ1 and SkQR1, C1/2 values for inhibition of the H2O2-induced apoptosis in fibroblasts appear to be as low as 1·10−11 and 8·10−13 M, respectively. SkQR1, a fluorescent representative of the SkQ family, specifically stains a single type of organelles in the living cell, i.e. energized mitochondria. Such specificity is explained by the fact that it is the mitochondrial matrix that is the only negatively-charged compartment inside the cell. Assuming that the Δψ values on the outer cell and inner mitochondrial membranes are about 60 and 180 mV, respectively, and taking into account distribution coefficient of SkQ1 between lipid and water (about 13,000: 1), the SkQ1 concentration in the inner leaflet of the inner mitochondrial membrane should be 1.3·108 times higher than in the extracellular space. This explains the very high efficiency of such compounds in experiments on cell cultures. It is concluded that SkQs are rechargeable, mitochondria-targeted antioxidants of very high efficiency and specificity. Therefore, they might be used to effectively prevent ROS-induced oxidation of lipids and proteins in the inner mitochondrial membrane in vivo.

Penetrating cation/fatty acid anion pair as a mitochondria-targeted protonophore

A unique phenomenon of mitochondria-targeted protonophores is described. It consists in a transmembrane H+-conducting fatty acid cycling mediated by penetrating cations such as 10-(6’-plastoquinonyl)decyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) or dodecyltriphenylphosphonium (C12TPP). The phenomenon has been modeled by molecular dynamics and directly proved by experiments on bilayer planar phospholipid membrane, liposomes, isolated mitochondria, and yeast cells. In bilayer planar phospholipid membrane, the concerted action of penetrating cations and fatty acids is found to result in conversion of a pH gradient (ΔpH) to a membrane potential (Δψ) of the Nernstian value (about 60 mV Δψ at ΔpH = 1). A hydrophobic cation with localized charge (cetyltrimethylammonium) failed to substitute for hydrophobic cations with delocalized charge. In isolated mitochondria, SkQ1 and C12TPP, but not cetyltrimethylammonium, potentiated fatty acid-induced (i) uncoupling of respiration and phosphorylation, and (ii) inhibition of H2O2 formation. In intact yeast cells, C12TPP stimulated respiration regardless of the extracellular pH value, whereas a nontargeted protonophorous uncoupler (trifluoromethoxycarbonylcyanide phenylhydrazone) stimulated respiration at pH 5 but not at pH 3. Hydrophobic penetrating cations might be promising to treat obesity, senescence, and some kinds of cancer that require mitochondrial hyperpolarization.

Accumulation of lipophilic dications by mitochondria and cells

Lipophilic monocations can pass through phospholipid bilayers and accumulate in negatively-charged compartments such as the mitochondrial matrix, driven by the membrane potential. This property is used to visualize mitochondria, to deliver therapeutic molecules to mitochondria and to measure the membrane potential. In theory, lipophilic dications have a number of advantages over monocations for these tasks, as the double charge should lead to a far greater and more selective uptake by mitochondria, increasing their therapeutic potential. However, the double charge might also limit the movement of lipophilic dications through phospholipid bilayers and little is known about their interaction with mitochondria. To see whether lipophilic dications could be taken up by mitochondria and cells, we made a series of bistriphenylphosphonium cations comprising two triphenylphosphonium moieties linked by a 2-, 4-, 5-, 6- or 10-carbon methylene bridge. The 5-, 6- and 10-carbon dications were taken up by energized mitochondria, whereas the 2- and 4-carbon dications were not. The accumulation of the dication was greater than that of the monocation methyltriphenylphosphonium. However, the uptake of dications was only described by the Nernst equation at low levels of accumulation, and beyond a threshold membrane potential of 90-100 mV there was negligible increase in dication uptake. Interestingly, the 5- and 6-carbon dications were not accumulated by cells, due to lack of permeation through the plasma membrane. These findings indicate that conjugating compounds to dications offers only a minor increase over monocations in delivery to mitochondria. Instead, this suggests that it may be possible to form dications within mitochondria that then remain within the cell.

Prevention of cardiolipin oxidation and fatty acid cycling as two antioxidant mechanisms of cationic derivatives of plastoquinone (SkQs)

The present state of the art in studies on the mechanisms of antioxidant activities of mitochondria-targeted cationic plastoquinone derivatives (SkQs) is reviewed. Our experiments showed that these compounds can operate as antioxidants in two quite different ways, i.e. (i) by preventing peroxidation of cardiolipin [Antonenko et al., Biochemistry (Moscow) 73 (2008) 1273-1287] and (ii) by fatty acid cycling resulting in mild uncoupling that inhibits the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondrial State 4 [Severin et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 107 (2009), 663-668]. The quinol and cationic moieties of SkQ are involved in cases (i) and (ii), respectively. In case (i) SkQH2 interrupts propagation of chain reactions involved in peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acid residues in cardiolipin, the formed SkQ- being reduced back to SkQH2 by heme bH of complex III in an antimycin-sensitive way. Molecular dynamics simulation showed that there are two stable conformations of SkQ1 with the quinol residue localized near peroxyl radicals at C9 or C13 of the linoleate residue in cardiolipin. In mechanism (ii), fatty acid cycling mediated by the cationic SkQ moiety is involved. It consists of (a) transmembrane movement of the fatty acid anion/SkQ cation pair and (b) back flows of free SkQ cation and protonated fatty acid. The cycling results in a protonophorous effect that was demonstrated in planar phospholipid membranes and liposomes. In mitochondria, the cycling gives rise to mild uncoupling, thereby decreasing membrane potential and ROS generation coupled to reverse electron transport in the respiratory chain. In yeast cells, dodecyltriphenylphosphonium (capital ES, Cyrillic12TPP), the cationic part of SkQ1, induces uncoupling that is mitochondria-targeted since capital ES, Cyrillic12TPP is specifically accumulated in mitochondria and increases the H+ conductance of their inner membrane. The conductance of the outer cell membrane is not affected by capital ES, Cyrillic12TPP.

Derivatives of Rhodamine 19 as Mild Mitochondria-targeted Cationic Uncouplers

A limited decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential can be beneficial for cells, especially under some pathological conditions, suggesting that mild uncouplers (protonophores) causing such an effect are promising candidates for therapeutic uses. The great majority of protonophores are weak acids capable of permeating across membranes in their neutral and anionic forms. In the present study, protonophorous activity of a series of derivatives of cationic rhodamine 19, including dodecylrhodamine (C12R1) and its conjugate with plastoquinone (SkQR1), was revealed using a variety of assays. Derivatives of rhodamine B, lacking dissociable protons, showed no protonophorous properties. In planar bilayer lipid membranes, separating two compartments differing in pH, diffusion potential of H+ ions was generated in the presence of C12R1 and SkQR1. These compounds induced pH equilibration in liposomes loaded with the pH probe pyranine. C12R1 and SkQR1 partially stimulated respiration of rat liver mitochondria in State 4 and decreased their membrane potential. Also, C12R1 partially stimulated respiration of yeast cells but, unlike the anionic protonophore FCCP, did not suppress their growth. Loss of function of mitochondrial DNA in yeast (grande-petite transformation) is known to cause a major decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential. We found that petite yeast cells are relatively more sensitive to the anionic uncouplers than to C12R1 compared with grande cells. Together, our data suggest that rhodamine 19-based cationic protonophores are self-limiting; their uncoupling activity is maximal at high membrane potential, but the activity decreases membrane potentials, which causes partial efflux of the uncouplers from mitochondria and, hence, prevents further membrane potential decrease.

6-KETOCHOLESTANOL IS A RECOUPLER FOR MITOCHONDRIA, CHROMATOPHORES AND CYTOCHROME OXIDASE PROTEOLIPOSOMES

The effect of 6-ketocholestanol (kCh) on various natural and reconstituted membrane systems has been studied. 6-ketocholestanol (5 alpha-Cholestan-3 beta-ol-6-one), a compound increasing the membrane dipole potential, completely prevents or reverses the uncoupling action of low concentrations of the most potent artificial protonophore SF6847. This effect can be shown in the rat liver and heart muscle mitochondria, in the intact lymphocytes, in the Rhodobacter sphaeroides chromatophores, and in proteoliposomes with the heart muscle or Rh. sphaeroides cytochrome oxidase. The recoupling effect of kCh disappears within a few minutes after the kCh addition and cannot be observed at all at high SF6847 concentrations. Almost complete recoupling is also shown with FCCP, CCCP, CCP and platanetin. With 2,4-dinitrophenol, fatty acids and gramicidin, kCh is ineffective. With TTFB, PCP, dicoumarol, and zearalenone, low kCh concentrations are ineffective, whereas its high concentrations recouple but partially. The kCh recoupling is more pronounced in mitochondria, lymphocytes and proteoliposomes than in chromatophores. On the other hand, mitochondria, lymphocytes and proteoliposomes are much more sensitive to SF6847 than chromatophores. A measurable lowering of the electric resistance of a planar bilayer phospholipid membrane (BLM) are shown to occur at SF6847 concentrations which are even higher than in chromatophores. In BLMs, kCh not only fails to reverse the effect of SF6847, but even enhances the conductivity increase caused by this uncoupler. It is assumed that action of low concentrations of the SF6847-like uncouplers on coupling membranes involves cytochrome oxidase and perhaps some other membrane protein(s) as well. This involvement is inhibited by the asymmetric increase in the membrane dipole potential, caused by incorporation of kCh to the outer leaflet of the membrane.

Transfer of cationic antibacterial agents berberine, palmatine, and benzalkonium through bimolecular planar phospholipid film and Staphylococcus aureus membrane.

Some organic cations are known to be electrophoretically imported into bacterial cells and actively extruded from these cells by multidrug resistance (MDR) pumps. We have studied penetration of plant antimicrobial agents berberine and palmatine and synthetic antiseptic benzalkonium chloride through black planar phospholipid membrane (BLM) and membrane of Staphylococcus aureus cells. Gradients of these cations across BLM generated an electric potential difference. Penetrating anion tetraphenyl borate and phloretin (a plant substance decreasing membrane dipole potential) stimulated this effect. Under optimal conditions, the magnitude of the electric potential was close to theoretical, that is, 60 mV/10‐fold cation gradient. Berberine accumulated in S. aureus cells as shown by direct measurement of berberine with a berberinesensitive electrode. The berberine accumulation was prevented by protonophore CCCP and was stimulated by mutation in the MDR pump NorA. It is concluded that the plant alkaloids and benzalkonium are penetrating cations and substrates of an MDR pump.

Membrane potential generation by two reconstituted mitochondrial systems: Liposomes inlayed with cytochrome oxidase or with ATPase

Abstract Formation of a membrane potential in two types of liposomes, one inlayed with cytochrome c + cytochrome oxidase, and another, with oligomycin-sensitive ATPase, has been demonstrated. To detect a membrane potential, phenyl dicarbaundecaborane (PCB − ), a penetrating anion probe, was used. The first type of liposome was reconstituted from a solution of purified cytochrome oxidase, mitochondrial phospholipids and cytochrome c , the latter being enclosed inside liposomes. Cytochrome c bound to the outer surface of the liposome membrane was removed by washing with NaCl. Such liposomes catalyzed oxidation of ascorbate by oxygen in the presence of phenazine methosulfate or N , N , N ′, N ′-tetramethyl- p -phenylenediamine. The oxidation was found to support the PCB − uptake by liposomes. The PCB − response was prevented and reversed by cyanide, protonophorous uncouplers and external cytochrome c . Liposomes of the second type were prepared from a solution of mitochondrial phospholipids, coupling factors F 1 and F c , and the hydrophobic proteins of the oligomycin-sensitive ATPase. These liposomes catalyzed ATP hydrolysis coupled with the PCB − uptake. The latter effect was prevented and reversed by oligomycin and uncouplers. The conclusion is made that membrane potential can be independently formed by enzymic reactions of two different kinds: (1) redox ( e.g. cytochrome c oxidase) and (2) hydrolytic (ATPase).