Linda L. Pearce

Identification of a neuronal nitric oxide synthase in isolated cardiac mitochondria using electrochemical detection

Mitochondrial nitric oxide synthase (mtNOS), its cellular NOS isoform, and the effects of mitochondrially produced NO on bioenergetics have been controversial since mtNOS was first proposed in 1995. Here we functionally demonstrate the presence of a NOS in cardiac mitochondria. This was accomplished by direct porphyrinic microsensor measurement of Ca2+-dependent NO production in individual mitochondria isolated from wild-type mouse hearts. This NO production could be inhibited by NOS antagonists or protonophore collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential. The similarity of mtNOS to the neuronal isoform was deduced by the absence of NO production in the mitochondria of knockout mice for the neuronal, but not the endothelial or inducible, isoforms. The effects of mitochondrially produced NO on bioenergetics were studied in intact cardiomyocytes isolated from dystrophin-deficient (mdx) mice. mdx cardiomyocytes are also deficient in cellular endothelial NOS, but overexpress mtNOS, which allowed us to study the mitochondrial enzyme in intact cells free of its cytosolic counterpart. In these cardiomyocytes, which produce NO beat-to-beat, inhibition of mtNOS increased myocyte shortening by approximately one-fourth. Beat-to-beat NO production and altered shortening by NOS inhibition were not observed in wild-type cells. A plausible mechanism for the reversible NO inhibition of contractility in these cells involves the reaction of NO with cytochrome c oxidase. This suggests a modulatory role for NO in oxidative phosphorylation and, in turn, myocardial contractility.

A mitochondria-targeted inhibitor of cytochrome c peroxidase mitigates radiation-induced death

The risk of radionuclide release in terrorist acts or exposure of healthy tissue during radiotherapy demand potent radioprotectants/radiomitigators. Ionizing radiation induces cell death by initiating the selective peroxidation of cardiolipin in mitochondria by the peroxidase activity of its complex with cytochrome c leading to release of hemoprotein into the cytosol and commitment to the apoptotic program. Here we design and synthesize mitochondria-targeted triphenylphosphonium-conjugated imidazole-substituted oleic and stearic acids which blocked peroxidase activity of cytochrome c/cardiolipin complex by specifically binding to its heme-iron. We show that both compounds inhibit pro-apoptotic oxidative events, suppress cyt c release, prevent cell death, and protect mice against lethal doses of irradiation. Significant radioprotective/radiomitigative effects of imidazole-substituted oleic acid are observed after pretreatment of mice from 1 hr before through 24 hrs after the irradiation.

Reversal of cyanide inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase by the auxiliary substrate nitric oxide: an endogenous antidote to cyanide poisoning?

Nitric oxide (NO) is shown to overcome the cyanide inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase in the presence of excess ferrocytochrome c and oxygen. Addition of NO to the partially reduced cyanide-inhibited form of the bovine enzyme is shown by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to result in substitution of cyanide at ferriheme a3 by NO with reduction of the heme. The resulting nitrosylferroheme a3 is a 5-coordinate structure, the proximal bond to histidine having been broken. NO does not simply act as a reversibly bound competitive inhibitor but is an auxiliary substrate consumed in a catalytic cycle along with ferrocytochrome c and oxygen. The implications of this observation with regard to estimates of steady-state NO levels in vivo is discussed. Given the multiple sources of NO available to mitochondria, the present results appear to explain in part some of the curious biomedical observations reported by other laboratories; for example, the kidneys of cyanide poisoning victims surprisingly exhibit no significant irreversible damage, and lethal doses of potassium cyanide are able to inhibit cytochrome c oxidase activity by only ∼50% in brain mitochondria.

The Peroxynitrite Reductase Activity of Cytochrome cOxidase Involves a Two-electron Redox Reaction at the Hemea 3-CuB Site

Fully and partially reduced forms of isolated bovine cytochrome c oxidase undergo a two-electron oxidation-reduction process with added peroxynitrite, leading to catalytic oxidation of ferrocytochrome c to ferricytochromec. The other major reaction product is nitrite ion, 86% of the added peroxynitrite being measurably converted to this species. The reaction is inhibited in the presence of cyanide, implicating the hemea 3-CuB binuclear pair as the active site. Moreover, provided peroxynitrite is not added to excess, the reductase activity of the enzyme toward this oxidant efficiently protects other protein and detergent molecules in vitrofrom nitration of tyrosine residues and oxidative damage. If the enzyme is exposed to ∼102-fold excesses of peroxynitrite, then significant irreversible loss of electron transfer activity results, and the heme a 3-CuBbinuclear pair no longer undergo a characteristic carbon monoxide-driven reduction. The accompanying rather small changes in the observed electronic absorption spectrum are suggestive of a modification in the vicinity of one or both hemes but probably not to the cofactors themselves.

Mitochondrial Targeting of a Catalase Transgene Product by Plasmid Liposomes Increases Radioresistance In Vitro and In Vivo

Abstract Epperly, M. W., Melendez, J. A., Zhang, X., Nie, S, Pearce, L., Peterson, J., Franicola, D., Dixon, T., Greenberger, B. A., Komanduri, P., Wang, H. and Greenberger, J. S. Mitochondrial Targeting of a Catalase Transgene Product by Plasmid Liposomes Increases Radioresistance In Vitro and In Vivo. Radiat. Res. 171, 588-595 (2009). To determine whether increased mitochondrially localized catalase was radioprotective, a human catalase transgene was cloned into a small pSVZeo plasmid and localized to the mitochondria of 32D cl 3 cells by adding the mitochondrial localization sequence of MnSOD (mt-catalase). The cell lines 32D-Cat and 32D-mt-Cat had increased catalase biochemical activity as confirmed by Western blot analysis compared to the 32D cl 3 parent cells. The MnSOD-overexpressing 32D cl 3 cell line, 2C6, had decreased baseline catalase activity that was increased in 2C6-Cat and 2C6-mt-Cat subclonal cell lines. 32D-mt-Cat cells were more radioresistant than 32D-Cat cells, but both were radioresistant relative to 32D cl 3 cells. 2C6-mt-Cat cells but not 2C6-Cat cells were radioresistant compared to 2C6 cells. Intratracheal injection of the mt-catalase-plasmid liposome complex (mt-Cat-PL) but not the catalase-plasmid liposome complex (Cat-PL) increased the resistance of C57BL/6NHsd female mice to 20 Gy thoracic irradiation compared to MnSOD-plasmid liposomes. Thus mitochondrially targeted overexpression of the catalase transgene is radioprotective in vitro and in vivo.

The case of the missing NO– hemoglobin: Spectral changes suggestive of heme redox reactions reflect changes in NO– heme geometry

When low levels of gaseous nitric oxide (NO) are equilibrated with deoxygenated Hb, all NO added can be accounted for in terms of hexacoordinate and pentacoordinate forms of NO–Hb, despite recent reports on NO disappearance from heme groups to form nitroxyl anions or S-nitrosated Hb at low ratios of NO to Hb. We demonstrate that a fraction of the spectral signature of fully nitrosylated (largely hexacoordinate) Hb disappears as the pentacoordinate state forms and reappears when pentacoordinate NO–Hb is reconverted to the hexacoordinate condition. We show that the spectral changes associated with these reversible shifts in NO– heme geometry can be remarkably well approximated as variations in the contributions from fully nitrosylated Hb and oxidized Hb (MetHb). As a result, increases in the level of pentacoordinate NO–Hb that occur at low NO to Hb ratios can be misinterpreted as increases in MetHb levels associated with NO-dependent heme oxidation. Conversely, any decrease in levels of pentacoordinate NO–Hb can be misinterpreted as a disappearance of MetHb associated with NO-dependent heme reduction. Transitions between pentacoordinate and hexacoordinate forms of NO–Hb with spectral changes suggestive of changes in levels of heme-bound NO are sensitive to the proteins quaternary conformation and can be brought about by alterations in anion levels or the degree of heme saturation with either O2 or NO.

Langevin dynamics studies of unsaturated phospholipids in a membrane environment

Computer simulations of three unsaturated phospholipids in a membrane environment have been carried out using Langevin dynamics and a mean-field based on the Marcelja model. The applicability of the mean-field to model unsaturated lipids was judged by comparison to available experimental NMR data. The results show that the mean-field methodology and the parameters developed for saturated lipids are applicable in simulations of unsaturated molecules, indicating that these simulations have good predictive capabilities. Single molecule simulations, each 100 ns in length, of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-elaidoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PEPC), and 1-palmitoyl-2-isolinoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PiLPC) reveal similarities between PEPC and DPPC. The presence of the trans double bond in PEPC has a minimum impact on the structural and dynamic properties of the molecule, which is probably the reason that isolated trans double bonds are rare in biological lipids. POPC exhibits different behavior, especially in the calculated average interchain distances, because of the cis double bond. The position of the two double bonds in PiLPC imparts special properties to the molecule.

Modulation of Redox Signal Transduction Pathways in the Treatment of Cancer

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated damage to DNA is associated with induction of stress-activated protein kinases leading to secondary and tertiary effects on the nuclear matrix, cytoplasmic transport mechanisms, and altered mitochondrial and cell membranes. The cellular defenses against ROS damage are associated with up-regulation of gene products that can significantly alter cell biology, including antiapoptotic Bax family proteins and inflammatory proteins. Altered cell integrity can occur either directly or by indirect paracrine and juxtacrine interactions within tissues. Previous approaches toward therapeutic intervention against ROS damage have included administration of radical scavenger compounds, use of novel drugs that increase cellular production of constitutive antioxidants, or pharmacologic agents that modify the intracellular transport of antioxidants. Strategies to modify the cellular effects of ROS in hyperbaric oxygen injury to the lung, reperfusion injury to transplanted organs, and cancer have led to novel approaches of gene therapy in which the transgenes for antioxidant proteins can be expressed in specific tissues. Reducing tissue-damaging effects of ROS may have relevance to cancer patients by ameliorating normal tissue damage from ionizing irradiation therapy, photodynamic therapy, and cancer chemotherapy.

Glutathione depletion renders rat hepatocytes sensitive to nitric oxide donor-mediated toxicity.

Nitric oxide (NO) can be either cytoprotective or cytotoxic in hepatocytes, depending on conditions within the cell. We hypothesized that redox status is a determinant of NO effects on cell viability. To cause the disturbance of redox homeostasis in the hepatocytes, cells were treated with the following glutathione (GSH) depleting agents: (1) chronic depletion by 18 hours pretreatment with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), which depletes GSH by blocking its biosynthesis; and (2) acute depletion by 1 hour pretreatment with diethyl maleate (DEM), which conjugates GSH by the GSH‐S‐transferase catalyzed reaction. S‐nitroso‐N‐acetyl‐D,L‐penicillamine (SNAP), a NO donor, was added after removal of GSH‐depleting agents. Individual treatment with either SNAP or GSH depletion did not appreciably affect viability. A significant increase of cytotoxicity in hepatocytes was observed with the combination of a concentration and time course regimen of SNAP and GSH depletion. SNAP treatment of GSH‐depleted hepatocytes led to an increase in LDH release and oxidative stress, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, the presence of nitrotyrosine (an indicator of peroxynitrite (ONOO−) generation), and a decrease in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content. The interference of mitochondrial respiratory enzymes, especially with the combination treatments, indicated different levels of disturbance of electron transfer, superoxide generation, and ATP production. Other commonly used NO donors were found to exhibit lower and slower toxicity in the setting of GSH depletion than that evident with SNAP. In conclusion, the disruption of cellular redox homeostasis by GSH depletion leads hepatocytes to be more susceptible to NO (especially S‐nitrosothiols) and subsequent necrotic cell death. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;42:598–607.)

Internal electron transfer between hemes and Cu(II) bound at cysteine beta93 promotes methemoglobin reduction by carbon monoxide.

Previous studies showed that CO/H2O oxidation provides electrons to drive the reduction of oxidized hemoglobin (metHb). We report here that Cu(II) addition accelerates the rate of metHb β chain reduction by CO by a factor of about 1000. A mechanism whereby electron transfer occurs via an internal pathway coupling CO/H2O oxidation to Fe(III) and Cu(II) reduction is suggested by the observation that the copper-induced rate enhancement is inhibited by blocking Cys-β93 withN-ethylmaleimide. Furthermore, this internal electron-transfer pathway is more readily established at low Cu(II) concentrations in Hb Deer Lodge (β2His → Arg) and other species lacking His-β2 than in Hb A0. This difference is consistent with preferential binding of Cu(II) in Hb A0 to a high affinity site involving His-β2, which is ineffective in promoting electron exchange between Cu(II) and the β heme iron. Effective electron transfer is thus affected by Hb type but is not governed by the R ↔ T conformational equilibrium. The β hemes in Cu(II)-metHb are reduced under CO at rates close to those observed for cytochrome c oxidase, where heme and copper are present together in the oxygen-binding site and where internal electron transfer also occurs.