Content and binding characteristics of the mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor, IF1, in the tissues of several slow and fast heart-rate homeothermic species and in two poikilotherms

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment reveals spatiotemporal OXPHOS plasticity in the porcine heart

Cardiomyocytes meet their high ATP demand almost exclusively by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Adequate oxygen supply is an essential prerequisite to keep OXPHOS operational. At least two spatially distinct mitochondrial subpopulations facilitate OXPHOS in cardiomyocytes, i.e. subsarcolemmal (SSM) and interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM). Their intracellular localization below the sarcolemma or buried deep between the sarcomeres suggests different oxygen availability. Here, we studied SSM and IFM isolated from piglet hearts and found significantly lower activities of electron transport chain enzymes and F1FO-ATP synthase in IFM, indicative for compromised energy metabolism. To test the contribution of oxygen availability to this outcome, we ventilated piglets under hyperbaric hyperoxic (HBO) conditions for 240 min. HBO treatment raised OXPHOS enzyme activities in IFM to the level of SSM. Complexome profiling analysis revealed that a high proportion of the F1FO-ATP synthase in the IFM was in a disassembled state prior to the HBO treatment. Upon increased oxygen availability, the enzyme was found to be largely assembled, which may account for the observed increase in OXPHOS complex activities. Although HBO also induced transcription of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, a full proteome analysis revealed only minimal alterations, meaning that HBO-mediated tissue remodeling is an unlikely cause for the observed differences in OXPHOS. We conclude that a previously unrecognized oxygen-regulated mechanism endows cardiac OXPHOS with spatiotemporal plasticity that may underlie the enormous metabolic and contractile adaptability of the heart.

The F1Fo-ATPase inhibitor protein IF1 in pathophysiology

The endogenous inhibitor of ATP synthase is a protein of about 10 kDa, known as IF1 which binds to the catalytic domain of the enzyme during ATP hydrolysis. The main role of IF1 consists of limiting ATP dissipation under condition of severe oxygen deprivation or in the presence of dysfunctions of mitochondrial respiratory complexes, causing a collapse in mitochondrial membrane potential and therefore ATP hydrolysis. New roles of IF1 are emerging in the fields of cancer and neurodegeneration. Its high expression levels in tumor tissues have been associated with different roles favouring tumor formation, progression and evasion. Since discordant mechanisms of action have been proposed for IF1 in tumors, it is of the utmost importance to clarify them in the prospective of defining novel approaches for cancer therapy. Other IF1 functions, including its involvement in mitophagy, may be protective for neurodegenerative and aging-related diseases. In the present review we aim to clarify and discuss the emerging mechanisms in which IF1 is involved, providing a critical view of the discordant findings in the literature.

Mitochondrial ROS in myocardial ischemia reperfusion and remodeling

Despite major progress in interventional and medical treatments, myocardial infarction (MI) and subsequent development of heart failure (HF) are still associated with high mortality. Both during ischemia reperfusion (IR) in the acute setting of MI, as well as in the chronic remodeling process following MI, oxidative stress substantially contributes to cardiac damage. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated within mitochondria are particular drivers of mechanisms contributing to IR injury, including induction of mitochondrial permeability transition or oxidative damage of intramitochondrial structures and molecules. But even beyond the acute setting, mechanisms like inflammatory signaling, extracellular remodeling, or pro-apoptotic signaling that contribute to post-infarction remodeling are regulated by mitochondrial ROS. In the current review, we discuss both sources and consequences of mitochondrial ROS during IR and in the chronic setting following MI, thereby emphasizing the potential therapeutic value of attenuating mitochondrial ROS to improve outcome and prognosis for patients suffering MI.

Overexpression of native IF1 downregulates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by pancreatic INS-1E cells

We have previously reported that transient knock-down of ATPase inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) by siRNA upregulates ATP levels and subsequently augments insulin secretion in model pancreatic β-cells INS-1E. Here we investigated how long-term IF1-overexpression impacts pancreatic β-cell bioenergetics and insulin secretion. We generated INS-1E cell line stably overexpressing native IF1. We revealed that IF1 overexpression leads to a substantial decrease in ATP levels and reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. A decrease in total cellular ATP content was also reflected in decreased free ATP cytosolic and mitochondrial levels, as monitored with ATeam biosensor. Consistently, cellular respiration of IF1-overexpressing cells was decreased. 3D structured illumination microscopy (SIM) revealed a higher amount of insulin granules with higher volume in IF1-overexpressing cells. Similar effects occurred when cells were incubated at low glucose concentrations. Noteworthy, activation of PKA by dibutyryl cAMP entirely abolished the inhibitory effect of IF1 overexpression on ATP production and insulin secretion. Mitochondrial network morphology and cristae ultrastructure in INS-1E overexpressing IF1 remained mostly unchanged. Finally, we show that INS-1E cells decrease their IF1 protein levels relative to ATP synthase α-subunit in response to increased glucose. In conclusion, IF1 actively downregulates INS-1E cellular metabolism and reduces their ability to secrete insulin.

Calcium overload decreases net free radical emission in cardiac mitochondria

Elevated calcium and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are responsible for the bulk of cell death occurring in a variety of clinical settings that include acute coronary events, cerebrovascular accidents, and acute kidney injury. It is commonly believed that calcium and ROS participate in a viscous cycle during these events. However, the precise feedback mechanisms are unknown. We quantitatively demonstrate in this study that, on the contrary, calcium does not stimulate free radical production but suppresses it. Isolated mitochondria from guinea pig hearts were energized with a variety of substrates and exposed to calcium concentrations designed to induce moderate calcium overload conditions associated with ischemia/reperfusion injury but do not elicit the well-known mitochondrial permeability transition phenomenon. Metabolic function and free radical emission were simultaneously quantified using high-resolution respirometry and fluorimetry. Membrane potential, high amplitude swelling, and calcium dynamics were also quantified in parallel. Our results reveal that calcium overload does not lead to excessive ROS emission but does decrease ADP stimulated respiration rates for NADH-dependent pathways. Moreover, we developed an empirical model of mitochondrial free radical homeostasis to identify the processes that are different for each substrate and calcium condition. In summary, we show that in healthy guinea pig mitochondria, calcium uptake and free radical generation do not contribute to a viscous cycle and that the relationship between net free radical production and oxygen concentration is hyperbolic. Altogether, these results lay out an important foundation necessary to quantitatively determine the role of calcium in IR injury and ROS production.

Extrinsic conditions influence the self-association and structure of IF1, the regulatory protein of mitochondrial ATP synthase

The endogenous inhibitor of ATP synthase in mitochondria, called IF1, conserves cellular energy when the proton-motive force collapses by inhibiting ATP hydrolysis. Around neutrality, the 84-amino-acid bovine IF1 is thought to self-assemble into active dimers and, under alkaline conditions, into inactive tetramers and higher oligomers. Dimerization is mediated by formation of an antiparallel α-helical coiled-coil involving residues 44-84. The inhibitory region of each monomer from residues 1-46 is largely α-helical in crystals, but disordered in solution. The formation of the inhibited enzyme complex requires the hydrolysis of two ATP molecules, and in the complex the disordered region from residues 8-13 is extended and is followed by an α-helix from residues 14-18 and a longer α-helix from residue 21, which continues unbroken into the coiled-coil region. From residues 21-46, the long α-helix binds to other α-helices in the C-terminal region of predominantly one of the β-subunits in the most closed of the three catalytic interfaces. The definition of the factors that influence the self-association of IF1 is a key to understanding the regulation of its inhibitory properties. Therefore, we investigated the influence of pH and salt-types on the self-association of bovine IF1 and the folding of its unfolded region. We identified the equilibrium between dimers and tetramers as a potential central factor in the in vivo modulation of the inhibitory activity and suggest that the intrinsically disordered region makes its inhibitory potency exquisitely sensitive and responsive to physiological changes that influence the capability of mitochondria to make ATP.

The ATPase Inhibitory Factor 1 (IF1): A master regulator of energy metabolism and of cell survival

In this contribution we summarize most of the findings reported for the molecular and cellular biology of the physiological inhibitor of the mitochondrial H(+)-ATP synthase, the engine of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and gate of cell death. We first describe the structure and major mechanisms and molecules that regulate the activity of the ATP synthase placing the ATPase Inhibitory Factor 1 (IF1) as a major determinant in the regulation of the activity of the ATP synthase and hence of OXPHOS. Next, we summarize the post-transcriptional mechanisms that regulate the expression of IF1 and emphasize, in addition to the regulation afforded by the protonation state of histidine residues, that the activity of IF1 as an inhibitor of the ATP synthase is also regulated by phosphorylation of a serine residue. Phosphorylation of S39 in IF1 by the action of a mitochondrial cAMP-dependent protein kinase A hampers its interaction with the ATP synthase, i.e., only dephosphorylated IF1 interacts with the enzyme. Upon IF1 interaction with the ATP synthase both the synthetic and hydrolytic activities of the engine of OXPHOS are inhibited. These findings are further placed into the physiological context to stress the emerging roles played by IF1 in metabolic reprogramming in cancer, in hypoxia and in cellular differentiation. We review also the implication of IF1 in other cellular situations that involve the malfunctioning of mitochondria. Special emphasis is given to the role of IF1 as driver of the generation of a reactive oxygen species signal that, emanating from mitochondria, is able to reprogram the nucleus of the cell to confer by various signaling pathways a cell-death resistant phenotype against oxidative stress. Overall, our intention is to highlight the urgent need of further investigations in the molecular and cellular biology of IF1 and of its target, the ATP synthase, to unveil new therapeutic strategies in human pathology. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'EBEC 2016: 19th European Bioenergetics Conference, Riva del Garda, Italy, July 2-6, 2016', edited by Prof. Paolo Bernardi.

The temperature dependence of electrical excitability in fish hearts

Environmental temperature has pervasive effects on the rate of life processes in ectothermic animals. Animal performance is affected by temperature, but there are finite thermal limits for vital body functions, including contraction of the heart. This Review discusses the electrical excitation that initiates and controls the rate and rhythm of fish cardiac contraction and is therefore a central factor in the temperature-dependent modulation of fish cardiac function. The control of cardiac electrical excitability should be sensitive enough to respond to temperature changes but simultaneously robust enough to protect against cardiac arrhythmia; therefore, the thermal resilience and plasticity of electrical excitation are physiological qualities that may affect the ability of fishes to adjust to climate change. Acute changes in temperature alter the frequency of the heartbeat and the duration of atrial and ventricular action potentials (APs). Prolonged exposure to new thermal conditions induces compensatory changes in ion channel expression and function, which usually partially alleviate the direct effects of temperature on cardiac APs and heart rate. The most heat-sensitive molecular components contributing to the electrical excitation of the fish heart seem to be Na+ channels, which may set the upper thermal limit for the cardiac excitability by compromising the initiation of the cardiac AP at high temperatures. In cardiac and other excitable cells, the different temperature dependencies of the outward K+ current and inward Na+ current may compromise electrical excitability at temperature extremes, a hypothesis termed the temperature-dependent depression of electrical excitation.

Mitochondria influence postmortem metabolism and pH in an in vitro model

Our objective was to determine the influence of mitochondria on metabolites and pH decline using an in vitro model of postmortem muscle metabolism. Mitochondria were isolated from porcine longissimus lumborum and added (0, 0.5, or 2.0mg) to powdered muscle in reaction media containing either a combination of inhibitors for mitochondria complexes (I, IV, and V) or diluent (without inhibitors). In the absence of inhibitors, adding mitochondria (0.5 and 2.0mg) reduced ATP loss from 30 to 120 min, but did not alter glycogen or lactate during this time. In reactions with mitochondria, inhibitors decreased ATP levels by 30 min and increased glycogen degradation by 60 min. Regardless of mitochondria content, inhibitors enhanced lactate accumulation from 15 to 240 min, and decreased pH from 15 min to 1440 min. In the in vitro model, mitochondria influence the maintenance of ATP, and inhibition of mitochondria enzyme activity contributes to accelerated metabolism and pH decline.

The compound BTB06584 is an IF1 -dependent selective inhibitor of the mitochondrial F1 Fo-ATPase

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Ischaemia compromises mitochondrial respiration. Consequently, the mitochondrial F1 Fo-ATPsynthase reverses and acts as a proton-pumping ATPase, so maintaining the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm ), while accelerating ATP depletion and cell death. Here we have looked for a molecule that can selectively inhibit this activity without affecting ATP synthesis, preserve ATP and delay ischaemic cell death.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

We developed a chemoinformatic screen based on the structure of BMS199264, which is reported to selectively inhibit F1 Fo-ATPase activity and which is cardioprotective. Results suggested the molecule BTB06584 (hereafter referred to as BTB). Fluorescence microscopy was used to study its effects on ΔΨm and on the rate of ATP consumption following inhibition of respiration in several cell types. The effect of BTB on oxygen (O2 ) consumption was explored and protective potential determined using ischaemia/reperfusion assays. We also investigated a potential mechanism of action through its interaction with inhibitor protein of F1 subunit (IF1 ), the endogenous inhibitor of the F1 Fo-ATPase.

KEY RESULTS

BTB inhibited F1 Fo-ATPase activity with no effect on ΔΨm or O2 consumption. ATP consumption was decreased following inhibition of respiration, and ischaemic cell death was reduced. BTB efficiency was increased by IF1 overexpression and reduced by silencing the protein. In addition, BTB rescued defective haemoglobin synthesis in zebrafish pinotage (pnt) mutants in which expression of the Atpif1a gene is lost.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

BTB may represent a valuable tool to selectively inhibit mitochondrial F1 Fo-ATPase activity without compromising ATP synthesis and to limit ischaemia-induced injury caused by reversal of the mitochondrial F1 Fo-ATPsynthase.

Effects of hypoxia-cadmium interactions on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) mitochondrial bioenergetics: attenuation of hypoxia-induced proton leak by low doses of cadmium

The goal of the present study was to elucidate the modulatory effects of cadmium (Cd) on hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in light of the limited understanding of the mechanisms of multiple stressor interactions in aquatic organisms. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) liver mitochondria were isolated and energized with complex I substrates (malate-glutamate), and exposed to hypoxia (0>PO2<2 Torr) for 0-60 min followed by reoxygenation and measurement of coupled and uncoupled respiration and complex I enzyme activity. Thereafter, 5 min hypoxia was used to probe interactions with Cd (0-20 μmol l(-1)) and to test the hypothesis that deleterious effects of hypoxia/reoxygenation on mitochondria were mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hypoxia/reoxygenation inhibited state 3 and uncoupler-stimulated (state 3u) respiration while concomitantly stimulating states 4 and 4ol (proton leak) respiration, thus reducing phosphorylation and coupling efficiencies. Low doses of Cd (≤5 μmol l(-1)) reduced, while higher doses enhanced, hypoxia-stimulated proton leak. This was in contrast to the monotonic enhancement by Cd of hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced reductions of state 3 respiration, phosphorylation efficiency and coupling. Mitochondrial complex I activity was inhibited by hypoxia/reoxygenation, hence confirming the impairment of at least one component of the electron transport chain (ETC) in rainbow trout mitochondria. Similar to the effect on state 4 and proton leak, low doses of Cd partially reversed the hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced complex I activity inhibition. The ROS scavenger and sulfhydryl group donor N-acetylcysteine, administrated immediately prior to hypoxia exposure, reduced hypoxia/reoxygenation-stimulated proton leak without rescuing the inhibited state 3 respiration, suggesting that hypoxia/reoxygenation influences distinct aspects of mitochondria via different mechanisms. Our results indicate that hypoxia/reoxygenation impairs the ETC and sensitizes mitochondria to Cd via mechanisms that involve, at least in part, ROS. Moreover, we provide, for the first time in fish, evidence for a hormetic effect of Cd on mitochondrial bioenergetics--the attenuation of hypoxia/reoxygenation-stimulated proton leak and partial rescue of complex I inhibition by low Cd doses.

Mitochondrial adenine nucleotide transport and cardioprotection

Mitochondria are highly metabolically active cell organelles that not only act as the powerhouse of the cell by supplying energy through ATP production, but also play a destructive role by initiating cell death pathways. Growing evidence recognizes that mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease. Under de-energized conditions, slowing of adenine nucleotide transport in and out of the mitochondria significantly attenuates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. The purpose of this review is to elaborate on and update the mechanistic pathways which may explain how altered adenine nucleotide transport can influence cardiovascular function. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Local Signaling in Myocytes".

Mitochondrial consumption of cytosolic ATP: not so fast

In various pathologic circumstances depolarized mitochondria are thought to precipitate cell death by avidly consuming cytosolic ATP. However, for as long as the inner mitochondrial membrane remains intact the reversal potentials of the adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) and that of F(0)-F(1) ATP synthase are strategically positioned so that they oppose import of cytosolic ATP into the matrix of respiration-impaired mitochondria. This arrangement also seems to protect against a hysteretic consumption of cytosolic ATP accumulating in the mitochondrial matrix, in view of the depolarization caused by inhibition of F(0)-F(1) ATP synthase by the endogenous protein IF1, yielding fast ANT reversal rates.

Forward operation of adenine nucleotide translocase during F0F1-ATPase reversal: critical role of matrix substrate-level phosphorylation

In pathological conditions, F(0)F(1)-ATPase hydrolyzes ATP in an attempt to maintain mitochondrial membrane potential. Using thermodynamic assumptions and computer modeling, we established that mitochondrial membrane potential can be more negative than the reversal potential of the adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) but more positive than that of the F(0)F(1)-ATPase. Experiments on isolated mitochondria demonstrated that, when the electron transport chain is compromised, the F(0)F(1)-ATPase reverses, and the membrane potential is maintained as long as matrix substrate-level phosphorylation is functional, without a concomitant reversal of the ANT. Consistently, no cytosolic ATP consumption was observed using plasmalemmal K(ATP) channels as cytosolic ATP biosensors in cultured neurons, in which their in situ mitochondria were compromised by respiratory chain inhibitors. This finding was further corroborated by quantitative measurements of mitochondrial membrane potential, oxygen consumption, and extracellular acidification rates, indicating nonreversal of ANT of compromised in situ neuronal and astrocytic mitochondria; and by bioluminescence ATP measurements in COS-7 cells transfected with cytosolic- or nuclear-targeted luciferases and treated with mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitors in the presence of glycolytic plus mitochondrial vs. only mitochondrial substrates. Our findings imply the possibility of a rescue mechanism that is protecting against cytosolic/nuclear ATP depletion under pathological conditions involving impaired respiration. This mechanism comes into play when mitochondria respire on substrates that support matrix substrate-level phosphorylation.

Mitochondria as ATP consumers in cellular pathology

ATP provided by oxidative phosphorylation supports highly complex and energetically expensive cellular processes. Yet, in several pathological settings, mitochondria could revert to ATP consumption, aggravating an existing cellular pathology. Here we review (i) the pathological conditions leading to ATP hydrolysis by the reverse operation of the mitochondrial F(o)F(1)-ATPase, (ii) molecular and thermodynamic factors influencing the directionality of the F(o)F(1)-ATPase, (iii) the role of the adenine nucleotide translocase as the intermediary adenine nucleotide flux pathway between the cytosol and the mitochondrial matrix when mitochondria become ATP consumers, (iv) the role of the permeability transition pore in bypassing the ANT, thereby allowing the flux of ATP directly to the hydrolyzing F(o)F(1)-ATPase, (v) the impact of the permeability transition pore on glycolytic ATP production, and (vi) endogenous and exogenous interventions for limiting ATP hydrolysis by the mitochondrial F(o)F(1)-ATPase.

F1FO-ATPase activity and ATP dependence of mitochondrial energization in proximal tubules after hypoxia/reoxygenation

Isolated kidney proximal tubules subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) have incomplete recovery of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)) that can be improved, but not normalized, by ATP in permeabilized cells as measured by safranin O uptake. In these studies, the mechanisms for the decreased DeltaPsi(m) in the tubules after H/R are further investigated and impairment of the function of the mitochondrial F(1)F(O)-ATPase is assessed. Normoxic control tubules had a small ATP-dependent component to DeltaPsi(m), but it required low micromolar levels of ATP, not the millimolar levels needed to support DeltaPsi(m) in tubules de-energized with rotenone or after H/R. Micromolar levels of ATP did not improve DeltaPsi(m) after either mild or severe H/R injury. The dependence of DeltaPsi(m) on millimolar levels of ATP after H/R decreased over time during reoxygenation. ATP hydrolysis by the oligomycin-sensitive, mitochondrial F(1)F(O)-ATPase was well preserved after H/R as long as Mg(2+) was available, indicating that function of both the F(1)F(O)-ATPase and of the adenine nucleotide translocase, which delivers nucleotides to it, are largely intact. However, ATP hydrolysis by the ATPase did not restore DeltaPsi(m) as much as expected from the rate of ATP utilization. These findings, taken together with the observation that substrate-supported generation of DeltaPsi(m) is impaired despite intact electron transport, make it likely that uncoupling plays a major role in the mitochondrial dysfunction in proximal tubules during H/R.

Mechanisms of cell survival in hypoxia and hypothermia

Most animals experience some degree of hypoxia and hypothermia during the course of their natural life history either as a consequence of ambient ‘exposure’ per se or through metabolic, respiratory and/or circulatory insufficiency. A prevailing experimental approach has been to probe tissues from natural models of hypoxia-tolerant and cold-tolerant vertebrates to look for common mechanisms of defence against O2 lack and hypothermia. The ability to sustain vital cellular functions in severe cases of either condition varies widely amongst the vertebrates. Like humans, the vast majority of mammals are unable to survive prolonged periods of hypothermia or O2 deprivation owing to irreversible membrane damage and loss of cellular ion homeostasis in vital organs such as the brain and heart. However, numerous hibernating endotherms, neonatal and diving mammals as well as many ectotherms can tolerate prolonged periods that would, in clinical terms, be called asphyxia or deep hypothermia. The key to their survival under such conditions lies in an inherent ability to downregulate their cellular metabolic rate to new hypometabolic steady states in a way that balances the ATP demand and ATP supply pathways.

Reversible ischemic inhibition of F(1)F(0)-ATPase in rat and human myocardium

The physiological role of F(1)F(0)-ATPase inhibition in ischemia may be to retard ATP depletion although views of the significance of IF(1) are at variance. We corroborate here a method for measuring the ex vivo activity of F(1)F(0)-ATPase in perfused rat heart and show that observation of ischemic F(1)F(0)-ATPase inhibition in rat heart is critically dependent on the sample preparation and assay conditions, and that the methods can be applied to assay the ischemic and reperfused human heart during coronary by-pass surgery. A 5-min period of ischemia inhibited F(1)F(0)-ATPase by 20% in both rat and human myocardium. After a 15-min reperfusion a subsequent 5-min period of ischemia doubled the inhibition in the rat heart but this potentiation was lost after 120 min of reperfusion. Experiments with isolated rat heart mitochondria showed that ATP hydrolysis is required for effective inhibition by uncoupling. The concentration of oligomycin for 50% inhibition (I(50)) for oxygen consumption was five times higher than its I(50) for F(1)F(0)-ATPase. Because of the different control strengths of F(1)F(0)-ATPase in oxidative phosphorylation and ATP hydrolysis an inhibition of the F(1)F(0)-ATPase activity in ischemia with the resultant ATP-sparing has an advantage even in an ischemia/reperfusion situation.

Surviving hypoxia without really dying

In cases of severe O(2) limitation, most excitable cells of mammals cannot continue to meet the energy demands of active ion transporting systems, leading to catastrophic membrane failure and cell death. However, in certain lower vertebrates, hypoxia-induced membrane destabilisation of the kind seen in mammals is either slow to develop or does not occur at all owing to adaptive decreases in membrane permeability (i.e. ion 'channel arrest'), that dramatically reduce the energetic costs of ion-balancing ATPases. Mammalian cells do, however, exhibit a whole host of adaptive responses to less severe shortages of oxygen, which include energy-balanced metabolic suppression, ionic-induced activation of O(2) receptors and the upregulation of certain genes, all of which enhance the systemic delivery of oxygen and promote energy conservation. Accumulating evidence suggests that the mechanisms underlying these protective effects are orchestrated into action by putative members of an O(2)-sensing pathway that most if not all cells share in common. In this review we address three major questions: (i) how do cells detect shortages of oxygen and subsequently set in motion adaptive mechanisms of either energy production or energy conservation; (ii) how do these mechanisms restructure cellular pathways of ATP supply and demand to ensure that ion-motive ATPases are given priority over other cell functions to preserve membrane integrity in energy-limited states; and (iii) what mechanisms of molecular and metabolic defence against acute and long-term shortages of oxygen set hypoxia-tolerant systems apart from their hypoxia-sensitive counterparts?

Mitochondria as ATP consumers: cellular treason in anoxia

In anoxia, mitochondria change from being ATP producers to potentially powerful ATP consumers. This change occurs, because the mitochondrial F(1)F(0)-ATPase begins to hydrolyze ATP to avoid the collapse of the proton motive force. Species that can survive prolonged periods of O(2) lack must limit such ATP use; otherwise, this process would dominate glycolytic metabolism and threaten ATP delivery to essential ATP-consuming processes of the cell (e.g., ion-motive ATPases). There are two ways to limit ATP hydrolysis by the F(1)F(0)-ATPase, namely (i) reduction of the proton conductance of the mitochondrial inner membrane and (ii) inhibition of the enzyme. We assessed these two possibilities by using intact mitochondria isolated from the skeletal muscle of anoxia-tolerant frogs. Our results show that proton conductance is unaltered between normoxia and anoxia. However, ATP use by the F(1)F(0)-ATPase is limited in anoxia by a profound inhibition of the enzyme. Even so, ATP use by the F(1)F(0)-ATPase might account for approximately 9% of the ATP turnover in anoxic frog skeletal muscle.

The IF(1) inhibitor protein of the mitochondrial F(1)F(0)-ATPase

Recent studies on the IF(1) inhibitor protein of the mitochondrial F(1)F(0)-ATPase from molecular biochemistry to possible pathophysiological roles are reviewed. The apparent mechanism of IF(1) inhibition of F(1)F(0)-ATPase activity and the biophysical conditions that influence IF(1) activity are summarized. The amino acid sequences of human, bovine, rat and murine IF(1) are compared and domains and residues implicated in IF(1) function examined. Defining the minimal inhibitory sequence of IF(1) and the role of conserved histidines and conformational changes using peptides or recombinant IF(1) is reviewed. Luft's disease, a mitochondrial myopathy where IF(1) is absent, is described with respect to IF(1) relevance to mitochondrial bioenergetics and clinical observations. The possible pathophysiological role of IF(1) in conserving ATP under conditions where cells experience oxygen deprivation (tumor growth, myocardial ischemia) is evaluated. Finally, studies attempting to correlate IF(1) activity to ATP conservation in myocardial ischemic preconditioning are compared.

IF1 function in situ in uncoupler-challenged ischemic rabbit, rat, and pigeon hearts

Rabbit, rat, and pigeon are species representative of three cardiac muscle mitochondrial ATPase regulatory classes, a, b and c, respectively. Class a species contain a full complement of higher affinity ATPase inhibitor subunit, IF1, in their cardiac muscle mitochondria and show marked IF1-mediated mitochondrial ATPase inhibition during myocardial ischemia. Class b species contain low levels of higher affinity IF1 and show very little IF1-mediated ATPase inhibition during ischemia. Class c species contain a full complement of a lower affinity form of IF1 and show a low-to-moderate level of IF1- mediated ATPase inhibition during ischemia. In the present study we perfused hearts of a member of each regulatory class through the coronary arteries with the uncoupler, carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP), before making them ischemic. We then compared net rates of cell ATP depletion during ischemia in the FCCP-treated hearts to identically treated FCCP-free hearts. Thus, we tested the relative capacities of cardiac muscle mitochondria of the three species to avert a potentially greatly increased net rate of cell ATP depletion due to ATP hydrolysis by the fully uncoupled mitochondrial ATPase. We found that FCCP-uncoupling in situ had a relatively small effect on ATP depletion during ischemia in rabbit hearts, that it dramatically accelerated ATP depletion in ischemic rat hearts, and that it had an intermediate effect on ATP depletion in ischemic pigeon hearts. These results demonstrate for the first time the relative extents to which IF1-mediated mitochondrial ATPase inhibition can slow cell ATP depletion due to the fully uncoupled mitochondrial ATPase in these three classes of hearts. They show that, in contrast to the situation in rabbit hearts, the low level of higher affinity IF1 present in the cardiac muscle mitochondria of the rat is, under these conditions, essentially nonfunctional, while the full complement of the lower affinity form of IF1 present in the cardiac muscle mitochondria of the pigeon is partially functional in that it appeared to provide an intermediate level of protection against rapid cell ATP depletion.

Isoform-independent heart rate-related variation in cardiac myofibrillar Ca(2+)-activated Mg(2+)-ATPase activity

In the present study, we compared the activities of the cardiac myofibrillar Ca(2+)-activated Mg(2+)-ATPase and the content of cardiac muscle mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor protein (IF1) of several mammalian species covering broad ranges of body mass and heart rate, i.e., from beef cattle to mouse. The cardiac myofibrillar ATPase from each species was assayed over a range of pCa values at pH 7.4. While the cardiac myofibrillar ATPase from all species examined showed essentially identical Ca2+ concentration dependencies with the ATPase in each species activating steeply between pCa 6.5 and 5.5, the maximal ATPase specific activity reached varied considerably from species to species, and this variation was largely independent of the predominant cardiac myosin ATPase isoform present. Thus, while adult beef cattle, pig, dog, and rabbit all contain predominantly the slow cardiac myosin ATPase isoform the cardiac myofibrillar ATPase specific activities of these four species varied over approximately a fourfold range. Moreover, there was a fairly smooth curvilinear relationship between maximum Ca(2+)-activated myofibrillar ATPase activity and median conscious heart rate for the slow cardiac myosin ATPase-possessing species examined. This smooth continuum also extended to include two species possessing the fast cardiac myosin ATPase isoform, rat and mouse. This relationship between myofibrillar ATPase activity and heart rate that appears to be applicable to a broad range of species suggests that the myofibrillar ATPase is specifically modeled or fine-tuned to the kinetic (heart rate) demand of each species and, within slow and fast heart rate ranges, is essentially independent of myosin ATPase isoform per se. Only hearts containing predominantly the slow myosin ATPase isoform contained functional levels of IF1. Finally, while it has been reported that the ratio of myosin Ca(2+)-ATPase to actomyosin Mg(2+)-ATPase activity is a good index of the percent of the fast myosin ATPase in rabbit myofibrillar preparations, we found that this relationship may be applicable to only some species.

ATPase activity, IF1 content, and proton conductivity of ESMP from control and ischemic slow and fast heart-rate hearts

Earlier studies by Rouslin and coworkers showed that, during myocardial ischemia in slow heart-rate species which include rabbits and all larger mammals examined including humans, there is an IF1-mediated inhibition of the mitochondrial ATPase due to an increase in the amount of IF1 bound to the ATPase (Rouslin, W., and Pullman, M.E., J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 19,661-668, 1987). Earlier work by Guerrieri and colleagues demonstrated that IF1 binding to bovine heart ESMP was accompanied by parallel decreases in ATPase activity and in passive proton conduction (Guerrieri, F., et al., FEBS Lett. 213, 67-72, 1987). In the present study rabbit was used as the slow heart-rate species and rat as the fast heart-rate species. Rat is a fast heart-rate species that contains too little IF1 to down regulate the ATPase activity present. Mitochondria were prepared from control and ischemic hearts and ESMP were made from aliquots by sonication at pH 8.0 with 2 mM EDTA. Oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity and IF1 content were measured in SMP prepared from the control and ischemic mitochondrial samples. After identical incubation procedures, oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity, oligomycin-sensitive proton conductivity, and IF1 content were also measured in ESMP samples. The study was undertaken to corroborate further what appear to be fundamental differences in ATPase regulation between slow and fast heart-rate mammalian hearts evident during total myocardial ischemia. Thus, passive proton conductivity was used as an independent measure of these regulatory differences. The results show that, consistent with the low IF1 content of rat heart cardiac muscle mitochondria, control rat heart ESMP exhibit approximately twice as much passive proton conductivity as control rabbit heart ESMP regardless of the pH of the incubation and assay. Moreover, while total ischemia caused an increase in IF1 binding and a commensurate decrease in passive proton conductivity in rabbit heart ESMP regardless of pH, neither IF1 content nor proton conductivity changed significantly in rat heart ESMP as a result of ischemia.