Italo Stipani

The mitochondrial phosphate carrier has an essential requirement for cardiolipin

The phosphate carrier of mitochondria has been purified by chromatography of a Triton X-100 lysate on hydroxylapatite, and the [“PI phosphate exchange activity reconstituted in liposomes by the freezethaw-sonication procedure [ 141. The reconstituted exchange activity, however, was rather low (ml ~01. min-‘. mg-’ at 25’C). Here, the effect of cardiolipin on the reconstituted activity of the isolated phosphate carrier is described. We show that cardiolipin is required for full activity and also for preventing an irreversible inactivation of the carrier occurring during its extraction from mitochondria with Triton X-100 or Triton X-l 14. In the presence of cardiolipin the maximal rate of the [“PIphosphate exchange can be enhanced to -30 ~01. min-‘. mg protein-’ at 25’C [5]. containing 2% Triton X-100,50 mM KCl, 20 mM Hepes (pH 7.0), 10 mM KPi, 1 mM EDTA and 1 mM dithioerythrol (final cont.) (table 1, flg.l), or in 1.8% Triton X-l 14,l mM EDTA, 20 mM KCl, 20 mM KPi (pH 6.5) (tables 2,3, flg.2) as in [5]. Chromatography on dry hydroxylapatite columns of clear supernatants (30 min, 100 000 X g) was performed as in [2,5]. Reconstitution of the phosphate transport system was performed with liposomes prepared from egg yolk lipids (table 1, flg.l), or 80% (w/w) egg yolk lipids and 20% (w/w) mitochondrial phospholipids (tables 2,3, fig.2)asin [2,5]. [ ‘*P]Phosphate exchange activity was measured at 25°C as in [2].

Purification of the active mitochondrial tricarboxylate carrier by hydroxylapatite chromatography

The mitochondrial tricarboxylate carrier has been extracted from rat liver mitochondria or SMP with Triton X‐100, in the presence of 1,2,3‐BTA and DPG, and partially purified by chromatography on HTP. The purified fraction, which also contains the ADP/ATP carrier and the phosphate carrier, after incorporation into liposomes catalyzes a 1,2,3‐BTA‐sensitive [14C]citrate/citrate exchange. The tissue and substrate specificity, the inhibitor sensitivity and the kinetic properties of citrate transport in liposomes are similar to those described for the citrate transport in mitochondria. The maximal rate of citrate exchange in the reconstituted system is 338 μmol·min−1·g protein−1, at 30°C and pH 7.0.

Mechanism of inhibition of the dicarboxylate carrier of mitochondria by thiol reagents

The nature of the inhibition of the dicarboxylate carrier by compounds reacting with SH groups has been investigated. (1) Mersalyl and p-hydroxymercuribenzoate increase the Km without changing the V of malonate/Pi exchange, when they are added simultaneously with the dicarboxylate. If, on the other hand, the mitochondria are preincubated with SH reagents prior to the addition of malonate, the mersalyl inhibition of malonate/Pi exchange becomes predominantly non-competitive with respect to malonate. (2) In the case of Pi/Pi exchange, catalyzed by the dicarboxylate carrier, the mersalyl inhibition is competitive with respect to Pi (as indicated by Lineweaver-Burk plots), even when mersalyl is added before the substrate. Dixon plots of the rate of Pi uptake against mersalyl concentration are, however, non-linear, suggesting that the inhibition is partially competitive. (3) Dicarboxylates and dicarboxylate analogous protect against SH reagent inhibition of both dicarboxylate and Pi uptake via the dicarboxylate carrier. The protectors are effective when added before, or together with the SH reagents, but do not reverse the inhibition once it has been established. Protection by substrate analogues progressively decreases, as the time of incubation with the SH reagent increases. (4) The presence of Pi does not protect against the SH reagent inhibition of the Pi uptake. (5) The rate of SH reagent inhibition of the dicarboxylate carrier is competively inhibited by dicarboxylates. (6) It is concluded that SH reagents bind at or near the dicarboxylate specific binding site and distant from the Pi binding site. As a result of this reaction these inhibitors prevent dicarboxylate binding directly and decrease the affinity for Pi by an indirect conformational change.

The transport of L-cysteinesulfinate in rat liver mitochondria.

1. The mechanism of L-cysteinesulfinate permeation into rat liver mitochondria has been investigated. 2. Mitochondria do not swell in ammonium or potassium salts of L-cysteinesulfinate in all the conditions tested, including the presence of valinomycin and/or carbonylcyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone. 3. The activation of malate oxidation by L-cysteinesulfinate is abolished by aminooxyacetate, an inhibitor of the intramitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase, it is not inhibited by high concentrations of carbonylcyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (in contrast to the oxidation of malate plus glutamate) and it is decreased on lowering the pH of the medium. 4. All the aspartate formed during the oxidation of malate plus L-cysteinesulfinate is exported into the extramitochondrial space. 5. Homocysteinesulfinate, cysteate and homocysteate, which are all good substrates of the mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase, are unable to activate the oxidation of malate. Homocysteinesulfinate and homocysteate have no inhibitory effect on the L-cysteinesulfinate-induced respiration, whereas cysteate inhibits it competitively with respect to L-cysteinesulfinate. 6. In contrast to D-aspartate, D-cysteinesulfinate and D-glutamate, L-aspartate inhibits the oxidation of malate plus L-cysteinesulfinate in a competitive way with respect to L-cysteinesulfinate. Vice versa, L-cysteinesulfinate inhibits the influx of L-aspartate. 7. Externally added L-cysteinesulfinate elicits efflux of intramitochondrial L-aspartate or L-glutamate. The cysteinesulfinate analogues homocysteinesulfinate, cysteate and homocysteate and the D-stereoisomers of cysteinesulfinate, aspartate and glutamate do not cause a significant release of internal glutamate or aspartate, indicating a high degree of specificity of the exchange reactions. External L-cysteinesulfinate does not cause efflux of intramitochondrial Pi, malate, malonate, citrate, oxoglutarate, pyruvate or ADP. The L-cysteinesulfinate-aspartate and L-cysteinesulfinate-glutamate exchanges are inhibited by glisoxepide and by known substrates of the glutamate-aspartate carrier. 8. The exchange between external L-cysteinesulfinate and intramitochondrial glutamate is accompanied by translocation of protons across the mitochondrial membrane in the same direction as glutamate. The L-cysteinesulfinate-aspartate exchange, on the other hand, is not accompanied by H+ translocation. 9. The ratios delta H+/delta glutamate, delta L-cysteinesulfinate/delta glutamate and delta L-cysteinesulfinate/delta aspartate are close to unity. 10. It is concluded that L-cysteinesulfinate is transported by the glutamate-aspartate carrier of rat liver mitochondria. The present data suggest that the dissociated form of L-cysteinesulfinate exchanges with H+-compensated glutamate or with negatively charged aspartate.

Inhibition of mitochondrial substrate anion translocators by a synthetic amphipathic polyanion

A synthetic polyanion (a copolymer of methacrylate, maleate, and styrene in 1:2:3 proportion with an average molecular weight of 10,000 dalton) inhibits the tricarboxylate, oxoglutarate, dicarboxylate, and adenine nucleotide translocators of rat liver mitochondria. The activity versus inhibitor concentration curves are sigmoidal. The inhibition of the oxoglutarate and tricarboxylate translocators by the polyanion is competitive, while that of the adenine nucleotide translocator is of mixed-type. TheK1 values of the polyanion are the following: for oxoglutarate translocator 4.0 µM, tricarboxylate translocator 1.2 µM, and adenine nucleotide translocator 1.3 µM with ADP and 0.8 µM with ATP. It is suggested that the polyanion acts primarily by increasing the negative charge of the inner membrane at the outer surface, and the sensitivity of the translocators toward the polyanion depends on the number of negative charges of their substrates.

Citrate transport in liposomes reconstituted with Triton extracts from mitochondria

Abstract The exchange between external [14C] citrate and internal citrate, malate or phosphoenopyruvate can be reconstituted with a Triton extract of submitochondrial particles from rat liver. The reconstituted activity is dependent on the phospholipid composition of the liposomes and is influenced by the simultaneously incorporated Triton. The kinetic properties, the substrate and tissue specificity, and the inhibitor sensitivity of citrate transport in liposomes are similar to those described for the tricarboxylate transport in mitochondria. The maximal rate of citrate exchange in the reconstituted system (13.5 μmol × min−1 × g−1 at 25°C and pH 7.5) accounts for 12% of the original mitochondrial activity.

Substrate-induced conformational changes of the mitochondrial oxoglutarate carrier : a spectroscopic and molecular modelling study

The structural and dynamic properties of the oxoglutarate carrier were investigated by introducing a single tryptophan in the Trp-devoid carrier in position 184, 190 or 199 and by monitoring the fluorescence spectra in the presence and absence of the substrate oxoglutarate. In the absence of substrate, the emission maxima of Arg190Trp, Cys184Trp and Leu199Trp are centered at 342, 345 and 348 nm, respectively, indicating that these residues have an increasing degree of solvent exposure. The emission intensity of the Arg190Trp and Cys184Trp mutants is higher than that of Leu199Trp. Addition of substrate increases the emission intensity of Leu199Trp, but not that of Cys184Trp and Arg190Trp. A 3D model of the oxoglutarate carrier was built using the structure of the ADP/ATP carrier as a template and was validated with the experimental results available in the literature. The model identifies Lys122 as the most likely candidate for the quenching of Trp199. Consistently, the double mutant Lys122Ala-Leu199Trp exhibits a higher emission intensity than Leu199Trp and does not display further fluorescence enhancement in response to substrate addition. Substitution of Lys122 with Cys and evaluation of its reactivity with a sulphydryl reagent in the presence and absence of substrate confirms that residue 122 is masked by the substrate, likely through a substrate-induced conformational change.

The purified and reconstituted ornithine/citrulline carrier from rat liver mitochondria catalyses a second transport mode: ornithine+/H+ exchange

The mechanism of unidirectional transport of ornithine (i.e. in the absence of a counter-metabolite) has been investigated in proteoliposomes reconstituted with the ornithine carrier purified from rat liver mitochondria. The efflux of [(3)H]ornithine from proteoliposomes was stimulated by the addition of H(+) (but not of other cations) to the incubation medium. On keeping the pH in the compartment containing ornithine constant at 8.0, the flux of ornithine into or out of the proteoliposomes increased on decreasing the pH in the opposite compartment from 8.0 to 6.0. Ornithine influx was also stimulated when a higher H(+) concentration was generated inside the vesicles relative to the outside by the K(+)/H(+) exchanger nigericin in the presence of an outwardly directed K(+) gradient. A valinomycin-induced electrogenic flux of K(+) did not affect ornithine transport in the absence of a counter-metabolite. Furthermore, changes in fluorescence of the pH indicator pyranine, included inside the proteoliposomes, showed that the flux of ornithine is accompanied by translocation of H(+) in the opposite direction. It is concluded that the mitochondrial ornithine carrier catalyses an electroneutral exchange of ornithine(+) for H(+), in addition to the well-known 1:1 exchange of metabolites. Lysine(+), but not citrulline, can also be exchanged for H(+) by the ornithine carrier. The ornithine(+)/H(+) transport mode of the exchanger is an essential step in the catabolism of excess arginine.

Functional and structural role of amino acid residues in the matrix α-helices, termini and cytosolic loops of the bovine mitochondrial oxoglutarate carrier

The mitochondrial oxoglutarate carrier belongs to the mitochondrial carrier family and exchanges oxoglutarate for malate and other dicarboxylates across the mitochondrial inner membrane. Here, single-cysteine mutant carriers were engineered for every residue in the amino- and carboxy-terminus, cytoplasmic loops, and matrix alpha-helices and their transport activity was measured in the presence and absence of sulfhydryl reagents. The analysis of the cytoplasmic side of the oxoglutarate carrier showed that the conserved and symmetric residues of the mitochondrial carrier motif [DE]XX[RK] localized at the C-terminal end of the even-numbered transmembrane alpha-helices are important for the function of the carrier, but the non-conserved cytoplasmic loops and termini are not. On the mitochondrial matrix side of the carrier most residues of the three matrix alpha-helices that are in the interface with the transmembrane alpha-helical bundle are important for function. Among these are the residues of the symmetric [ED]G motif present at the C-terminus of the matrix alpha-helices; the tyrosines of the symmetric YK motif at the N-terminus of the matrix alpha-helices; and the hydrophobic residues M147, I171 and I247. The functional role of these residues was assessed in the structural context of the homology model of OGC. Furthermore, in this study no evidence was found for the presence of a specific homo-dimerisation interface on the surface of the carrier consisting of conserved, asymmetric and transport-critical residues.

Inhibition of the mitochondrial tricarboxylate carrier by arginine-specific reagents

The effect of arginine‐specific reagents on the activity of the partially purified and reconstituted tricarboxylate carrier of the inner mitochondrial membrane has been studied. It has been found that 1,2‐cyclohexanedione, 2,3‐butanedione, phenylglyoxal and phenylglyoxal derivatives inhibit the reconstituted citrate/citrate exchange activity. The inhibitory potency of the phenylglyoxal derivatives increases with increasing hydrophilic character of the molecule. Citrate protects the tricarboxylate carrier against inactivation caused by the arginine‐specific reagents. Other tricarboxylates, which are not substrates of the carrier, have no protective effect. The results indicate that at least one essential arginine residue is located at the substrate‐binding site of the tricarboxylate carrier and that the vicinity of the essential arginine(s) has a hydrophilic character.